Richard and Jill's Blog: Athens / Hydra/ Mykonos

Our visit to Athens

was interesting. We covered quite a lot of ground in two days but by our observations its still a very dirty and neglected city. A lot of improvements were made for the Olympic Games but many areas have not been maintained and it shows. However you can't take it away from the historical sites which Athens is famous for which remain quite spectacular and there is always work taking place.

When we went to Athens back in 1981 there was scaffolding around the Panthenon. This is still the case over 40 years later. Progress is slow but it is looking very impressive and is definitely Greeces most striking and complete monument.

The photo above with ruins is the lower Plaka area under the Acropolis where the bus let us off. We spent a fabulous evening wandering through the shops ( geared for the tourists of course ).

Part of the Acropolis from the street below.

Hundreds of cats live on the streets of Athens. Some look very healthy but others are mangy and diseased. We came across this lady in the photo above who had a number of cats following her and then I realised she was a regular in their lives. She took out a bag of cat food and put them in small piles along the fence. I talked to her and told her it was a nice thing to do and she must really love cats. She told me she belonged to an organisation called Nine Lives which is run by volunteers and is a registered Greek charity. They do as much as is physically and financially possible to improve street cats lives. There is no government funding and they rely on donations. They rehome, rescue, pay vets fees as well as feed them. So well done to her but I couldn't help but think they are losing the battle with the numbers we saw. At least these ones were healthy though.

We had a meal in a restaurant under the Acropolis at dusk. The changes in colours as the sun went down were beautiful.

Below as night fell.

The next day we did a tour with a guide called Flavours of Athens. It was a great way to discover the local culture with just a slow ramble calling in at different food shops and the main market. Our first stop was at one of the cities oldest bakeries famous for its koulouri ( ring shaped bread covered in sesame seeds) Apparently a very popular breakfast that many greek people eat on their way to work. We shared one and I have to say it was very tasty.
The shop was open 24 hours a day, very tiny in size but their production was huge.

In this foodies area we saw a variety of different buildings. Graffiti both professional and vandalised was common. There were many buildings which have just been abandoned but they never get pulled down so just sit deteriorating and degrading the neighbourhood in general.

This was a very colourful and interesting shop selling cold meats, cheeses, spices, garlic and other mouthwatering foods. Visually it was amazing with all sorts of goods hanging just above head height. It really was stunning.

Beautiful lean salami, all infused with different flavours. The roll second from the bottom has a parmesan cheese coating.

The central market of Athens is the oldest and most colourful food market in Greece. There were halls of meat, fish,fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, cheeses and sweets. The fish market was the most putrid smelling I have ever smelt especially in one particular area. There is no way I could have bought fish there.

Even the historic meat market with its hanging carcasses illuminated by swinging light bulbs was pretty testing as you will see in the above and below photos. Nothing is wasted but this is life as it is. There were four no frills restaurants in the market. One popular dish is the Patsas soup made from the wall of a bull or lamb stomach and lamb feet. Supposed to be very good for a hang over. Im not convinced on that one.

For lunch we stopped in Monasteraki Square at a very busy, vibrant and noisy Taverna where we had souvlaki. My stomach, after coping with fish and meat smells from the market was still protesting and I wasn't sure I could really eat anything but I gave it a go and it was the best souvlaki I've ever had. The owner of the place was a bit of a character and raced around like Mr Bean trying to do ten things at once plus the greek music which was great but was very loud and noisy left us feeling exhausted when it came time to leave.
The next stop was to sample Loukoumas a delicious sweet ball served with honey and syrup and sometimes nuts. It really was just a very small version of a doughnut but without the hole.

The final call was an Ouzo shop and Bar. Another very colourful place. We sampled the Masticha which is very good to aid digestion and helps settle minor tummy upsets. Was pretty good I have to say.

The next day we arrived on the island of Hydra. A very small island where there are no cars or motorbikes. it was so relaxing. Mules and donkeys provide the primary mode of transport. Steep cobblestone pathways lead up the hill to the mansions that were once owned by prosperous sea captains many now house museums, art galleries, an art school and hotels.

Entrance to the museum.

The painting on the dome of the Greek Orthodox Church.

The walk up to the Koundouriotis Mansion now a museum. Built by a wealthy ship owner in the late 1700's.

View from the mansion museum.

The old original weaving loom in the Mansion along with garments made from woven fabric. The mansion had been pretty much left as it was with all the original furniture, paintings etc. It really was lovely and we both enjoyed our visit here. Arriving before too many tourists also made it more enjoyable.

Donkey rank!

New version of a car boot sale. This was actually in Athens.

Another photo of the small goods store in Athens. The garden growing out of the front wall was pretty intriguing.

Obviously a comfortable spot for Kitty. He didn't bat an eyelid as we wandered past.

Yesterday we arrived on the stunning island of Mykonos and are here for two days.

We walked up the steep and narrow white washed streets to the windmills.