18th Sept - 1st Oct 2022 Biennial Holiday ; Day 1 Athens

After almost 2 years of non-travel, we have made the first leisure trip out of Singapore for 2 whole weeks. Starting from 17th to the 25th Sept, we plan to visit the sunny country of Greece and 2 of their more well known islands (they have 600!) Mykonos and Santorini to see how fascinating and beautiful their culture and their people are. 

Day 1 18th Sept 2022

Taking flight QR from S'pore to Doha QR 943 and then Doha to Athens QR 203, a total of 15 plus hours, we arrive at Athens airport around 12.30 pm. We are picked up by the driver and sent to Sweet Home Boutique Hotel. The front desk clerk, Aphrodite is very helpful in getting us sorted out. Sweet Home Boutique Hotel (5 Patroo Street, Plaka, Athens) is just off the main street called Mitropoleos 26 leading to the Monastiraki Square about 1 km away. 

Outside Hadrian's Library 18 Sept 2022 

Have lunch at the nearby restaurant called Athinaikon, and have a decent (first of many) seafood meal. We then explore the nearby Monastirakis Square and the alleyways where there are plemtiful of small shops similar to a bazaar in Turkey. I am amazed that the majority of people there, tourists and locals hardly bother to mask up. Everybody speaks English with a fluency which I can say is excellent. 

Alleyway near Monastirakis Square  

We spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the area, which is right in the heart of downtown Athens.Our hotel Sweet Home is really very central and we find the Greeks, at first meeting very warm and hospitable. At Monastirakis alleyway, I finally spot the Acropolis, which literally means 'high city'. The country which gave the world the first democracy and the first civillised debates  is now relying mainly from the tourists EUROs. to highlight and to remember their glorious past.   

The Acropolis peeking from a distance behind his foreboding fence. 

Monastirakis Square - Sunlight aplenty and hot (35 C) 

Later in the evening, we venture to the main Sygnama Square, beside the main Parliament Building to watch the fascinating changing of the guard. I will post the video in the next post.

We had a lovely dinner at Ella Greek Cooking (add : Mitropoleos 26, Athina 10563). We had the following :

a)  Grilled Calamari (10 / 10)

b)  Seafood Risotto (11 /10)

c)  Greek Salad (9 / 10).

 

                                                     National Museum