//Day 46 /26-04-22 /Athens

Yesterday evening I discovered a new neighbourhood in Athens, full of hip bars and  smaller restaurants. A lot of local people, slightly less touristically. I had a simple dinner of salad, squid and a beer. Around 22.00 I was back in my hotel room and fell rather fast asleep to wake up the next day around 8.15, which was later then usual.

My plan was to visit a couple musea, do some errands, discover the city and have dinner with an old working-friend George in the evening.When I left the hotel the streets where much busier then the days before during the Easter weekend. A lot of cars and people in the street and all the shops open. My hotel is near Athens central market, a covered market where mainly fish, meat and vegetables are sold. I made some small talk with the vendors and tasted a sort of mature feta cheese which was really great. 

Prices are non-comparable to Belgium Lamb : 6 Euro / kilo , most fish around 5 euro,…great place the central market. 

After my central market visit I walked to the Benaki museum. Upon arrival the museum was closed….as it always is on Tuesdays..At least it was a nice walk through a part of the city that I didn’t had seen before and passed the tomb of the unknown soldier. 

I returned direction Plaka in search of a bike drink bottle, which I eventually found in a bikeshop with a very friendly owner. The walking had made me tired and thirsty. Time for an espresso freddo, not yet 1 week in Greece and already adapted to the local coffee drinking customs…..After my coffee intake I visited the Temple of Olympian Zeus with the plan to go afterward to the Panathenaic stadium, which is close by. Eventually I saw the stadium only from the outside as I found the admission of 10 euro somewhat overpriced (I’m getting stingy). 

The rest of the day I strolled around the busy streets in the city, sometimes visiting a church, listened to some street musicians,  arranged my dinner meeting with George later in the day, made some photographs, ate an ice cream and stopped for a dinner on terrace located on a quite little square not to far from the Acropolis. After my dinner I took a long route back to my hotelroom for some rest and watched how the Germans occupied Paris in WOII. 

Athens is a great place to visit and a much better experience then what I remember from my short business trips (limited to Airport-Hotel-Office-Restaurant) I made in the past to city: great culture, food, atmosphere…and only met friendly and helpful people (except the waitress this morning). I’m happy I spend 3 night here and I definitely will not have a problem to return. I can also recommend the hotel I’m staying, simple but clean, comfortable, friendly reception and smack in the middle of the city. After 3 night the road is calling though….I’m looking forward to take Black Horse out of the basement, where it has been safely stalled the last 3 days, and hit the road again. Tomorrow I have planned a relatively short route of around 85 K as it will take some time to leave through a much busier Athens then when I arrived.I also need to take 2  short ferries to reach Corinth, my next destination. But this are “worries” first I’m looking forward to catch up with George.

Lessons learned :

• Better to check the opening hours before walk across the city. 
• The Athens musea combi-ticket is a bargain. 
• The next 3 days it will be sunny and 27 degrees, a jacket will not be required.

Song of the day : Breathe, Sail on - Madensuyu