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Athens had been right up there with Kathmandu, Istanbul, Zanzibar, and Timbuktoo on my “Places with exotic sounding names that I must visit before I die” list since I was a boy. I’m happy to announce that I checked it off in late December, just in time to bring in year 2007 along with my dear wife Linda. Incidentally, 31 December also marked our tenth wedding anniversary.

Of course, Athens’ most famous attraction is the Acropolis. Therefore, we picked a hotel in the old quarter, called Plaka, with a view of the famous piece of rock topped by the Parthenon. Plaka is an area of restaurants, jewellery stores, tourist shops, and cafes. It also has a great flea market with an antique section. Though it is quite touristy, Plaka is arguably the nicest neighbourhood in central Athens. Most of the restaurants are typical tourist places but the food is good and reasonably priced, as is the traditional Greek drink ouzo. Strong? Don’t ask! I can’t remember!

In my opinion, the best way to get acquainted with any city that we’re visiting for tourism is to partake in an organized city tour. A tour will take you past most of the major sites and also provide a basic overview. Then, during your remaining days in the city, you can go back to what interests you the most and indulge in detailed examination. So that’s precisely what we did, with the Temple of Olympian Zeus the first stop.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, although begun in the 6th century BC, was not completed until the 2nd century AD. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods it was the largest temple in Greece. With Athens’ most famous attraction only 500 metres to the northeast, a superb ‘Kodak Moment’ presents itself when a portion of the temple is photographed with the Acropolis in the background. After a drive past several other significant stops, such as the Syntagma (Constitution Square), which was all deck out for the Festive Season with tall Christmas tree and Santa’s Village, we ended our tour at the Acropolis, the so-called ‘Sacred Rock’ of Athens.

Access to the Acropolis is via steps and pathways up its side while passing a huge amphitheatre along the way. Once at the top, the Parthenon is the dominating focal point. This is a temple of Athena—the patron Goddess of Athens—built in the 5th century BC. It is the most famous surviving building of ancient Greece, and has been praised as the finest achievement of Greek architecture. Other sites on the Acropolis include the Erechtheion (built in 420 BC) with its famous porch of the Caryatids, and Temple of Athena Nike (also 420 BC). Of course, the Acropolis Museum is also a must-see.

Linda and I have always been history buffs and if there is anything, other than the aforementioned, that will satisfy the appetite of such people it is the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Another is the Byzantine Museum. The former is situated within walking distance of Plaka and once inside, we were simply thrilled with the spectacle of exhibits—especially the bronzes and marble statues. I’d seen several of these in books during my time, but pictures are a poor substitute for actual viewing. I hope that my photos here will whet your appetite and be influential in you partaking in a trip to Athens.

Bye the way, we spent the evening of our tenth wedding anniversary at nice taverna in a neighbourhood called Psiri, which is right next door to Plaka. While toasting the dual significance of the date (31 Dec), we were serenaded by two jovial men playing the bouzouki—a typical Greek stringed instrument with a long fretted neck and pear-shaped body.

We visited Athens during the Xmas/New Year’s season. As could be expected, there were lots of tourists, but not throngs of them that would naturally be present during the high summer season. We were told that the normal citizen of Athens lays low during the high season and that the festive season is the best time to enjoy a pleasant mix of locals and tourists alike. This was a nice aspect of our visit.

All in all, Athens more than lived up to our expectations. The locals were warm and friendly; the food was good; the city was clean; the prices were below European norms; and of course, the attractions were (are) amazing. I might add that while researching Athens on the net prior to departure, we stumbled across Matt Bennett’s website—www.greektravel.com. This site provided an objective portrayal of Athens and was thus very helpful.