Athens, you're so strange...

February is not a typical holiday season, but there are always good reasons to go on one.

Firstly wedding anniversary yaaay, secondly Covid restrictions are getting laxed, lastly cheap flights, so we decided to head to Greece, precisely to Athens. The last time I visited Athens I was 13, the memories are blurry now but I always have been a big fan of Greek mythology and culture plus it's fairly close to Cyprus, so it wasn't a hard decision.

We booked an Airbnb in the center, good price, good location, good looking, too good to be true but let's hope it won't turn out to be a disaster like in Amsterdam.

The weather was excellent, sunny and quite warm for a winter month. After landing we took the Metro to Monastiraki station and continued on foot to the accommodation.

It was everything but expected. Once you turn your back on Acropolis, the scenery changes dramatically. Rubbish and dirt, buildings and rubbles covered in graffiti from top to toe...just a sad sad view. We also received an email from the Airbnb owner asking us not to rate him down because of the surroundings of the flat. Now that's not a great sign, is it?!

We finally made it to the address and the area did look very alarming but in all fairness, the flat itself was great, just like in the photos and like I said, only a few hundred meters from the center.

On the way to there we passed by the big Market which I wanted to check out after a delicious breakfast.

The amount of meat and fish stalls was unreal. They smartly separated the meat from the fish, veg and fruits and spices, organized the marketplace in a very efficient way. If you like farmers' markets, I would recommend visiting this one.

Leaving the goodies behind we walked back to Monastiraki and began to explore Athens. "Monastiraki is known for iconic landmarks including the ruins of Hadrian’s Library, the Ancient Agora and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos. Monastiraki Flea Market is a jumble of shops selling artisanal soaps, handmade sandals and souvenir T-shirts. The surrounding streets are crammed with traditional tavernas and restaurants, many with Acropolis views."

Suddenly in the middle of the graffiti war, we stumbled across Ellyz café which gave a whole different vibe to the area. It finally looked pretty, colourful, and exactly how a touristy place should look like. There was hope after all!

We had the dilemma of whether or not should we have some cakes, but I was determined to find the Little Kook fairytale café and get sugar overdosed there.

That was the first place that lived up to my expectations, though I must add, hubby was ostracized for not having 3+ vaccines yet. They graciously let us sit outside, but only I was allowed inside. No comment on that....

Being February the café theme was still Christmas but I love the festivity so really didn't mind it. I could have easily spent an hour inside exploring every corner of the rooms but I didn't want to abandon hub either, so I returned outside just to receive the biggest slice of cake ever. PS, you are not allowed to take a video inside but didn't know that at the time.

Little Kook is a highly recommended place, located in the Psiri neighborhood. It's quite surreal honestly, definitely a colourful vertigo that pulls you out from the boring days. The café is a composition of several buildings but unfortunately only the main one was open when we visited.

The menu is pretty long and hard to choose from, but most importantly you need to arrive with an empty stomach. Forget about diet!!

As soon as the sugar rush kicked in we couldn't let the fun stop and found ourselves in the Museum of illusions. It's not a massive place but quite fun for a little while.

The sun was setting soon so we decided to walk up to the hill Aeropagus Hill to enjoy the view by the foot of Acropolis. The city vibe was very relaxing, people were promenading between the arts and craft stalls, street musicians began playing and pre Friday party-goers were chilling on the hill, drinking and chatting away.

It was finally time for us to rest our bones and get ready for the second day in Athens.

Day 2; Attacking Acropolis

We got up fairly early to a beautiful sunny day. It was already much warmer than the previous day so we could leave the coats behind before the big hike.

The Acropolis never disappoints, though I do hope to see it at least once without scaffolds, on the plus side the tickets were half price due to off season. Luckily there weren't too many tourists there either, but we did feel like on a school trip thanks to the mask regime enforcing super grumpy guards. "Don't shout..don't walk there...Put your mask back up....on a repeat. I was worried we will be sent to the naughty corner should we try to breathe the fresh air in without a face cover.

The experience was great regardless.

The promenade at the foot of the hill, between the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Temple of Olympian Zeus had a typical central European city atmosphere, especially with the musician trio playing classical music.

At the end of the road i n the shadow of the Acropolis and its ancient temples, hillside Plaka had a village feel, with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewelry, clothes and local ceramics. Sidewalk cafes and family-run tavernas stay open until late, and Cine Paris shows classic movies al fresco. Nearby, the whitewashed homes of the Anafiotika neighborhood gave the small enclave a Greek-island vibe

A short lunch later we continued our walk to the Panathenaic Stadium, however, found the entrance fee too hefty. The money was well spent later on one of the best Loukomades ( honey balls) instead!!

We walked through the National Garden where we found a small pond of turtles, turned back to Plaka and enjoyed the street life and music. The bars and restaurants were packed, ready for a Saturday night out. Not for us though...

Day 3; All the way Up

As for the penultimate day, we debated whether we should go to Pyreus or take the cable car all the way up to Lycabettus hill and relax a bit. Cable car won by miles.

The only negative thing is that they do not accept card payments and the nearest ATM is not so near after a steep 20 minute climb. So make sure you have cash on you.

The length of the line was 210 meters and the journey took 3 minutes to reach top of Athens.

There was a small sticker on the door warning us to look out for our belongings, especially in the churchyard, but I wasn't sure if they meant the residing priest was looking for extra income, or just random pick pocketers fancy a hike everyday with a prospect of some shiny selfie stick. Either way, who would not take the risk for a view like this?!

There is always cocktail o'clock somewhere so we honoured the institution of happy hour at 277m above sea level, before descending back to the city and beginning our last random walkaround.

One of the best findings was the Academy of Athens, which should not be so neglected by the tourist books or best sights of Athens mentions. It's the oldest research center and library in Greece, with its founding principle traces back to the historical Academy of Plato. The building is a great example of neoclassical architecture and truly is a masterpiece.

Afternoon hours were approaching and we decided to take our exploring hats off finally and return to the flat for the last time.

I wanted to take a last look at the old town and Acropolis before the sunset so we walked across Plaka and Psiri neighbourhoods, before entering the maze of the never-ending streets of decay and "street arts".

These last photos are not a montage, they are genuinely the streets between an ancient highly cultured city and the real face of the 21st century Athens....