Athens In August: Greek Cruise Part One

Bryan Johnson
Aug 25, 2024
11 min read

A few months back, Katie was browsing Vacations to Go and found an 11-night cruise that departed from Athens and visited some Greek Islands, Türkiye, and Cyprus. We knew getting to Cyprus, a small island nation in the Eastern Mediterranean, would be challenging, so having a cruise take us was a no-brainer. So Katie booked it and off to Athens we went!

Monday, August 5: To Athens

The trip began bright and early at 1:00 am to make the three-hour drive to Malaga for our 6:40 am flight! This was our first time flying through Magala Airport, and we both agreed it wasn't worth the added drive unless we can find cheaper direct flights. After watching the sun rise as we left Malaga and a three-hour layover spent in an airport lounge in Zurich, we made our way to Athens!

Athens International Airport: Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών

En route to Athens, we were treated to views of the Alps and the beautiful Adriatic Sea! We landed in Athens at 4:00 pm and jumped on the train into town. The problem with popular European cities is that they didn't plan for airports when they built them centuries ago, so most airports are a significant journey outside the city.

Athendot Hotel

After the 1-hour+ journey into the city, we made it to our hotel where we dropped our bags and started cranking the air conditioning. This southern European heat wave provided us with blistering 95+ degree heat!

After dropping our bags we ventured around the Monistiraki area to check out souvenir shops; we found a new watercolor and Greece Starbucks tumbler to add to our collection.

Stone Athens

For dinner, we went to Stone where we enjoyed Spicy Feta Cheese spread (which was to die for), Pork Kleftiko in a clay pot (pork meatballs cooked in tomatoes, peppers, and onions), and pork gyros! After finishing dinner, they brought out Mastika on the house, a sweet liqueur made from the resin of the mastic plant. It definitely wasn't our favorite drink-of-choice, but whose gonna complain about a free shot?

Following dinner, we slowly waddled back to our hotel room, having been awake for close to 19 hours. Along the way, we marveled at all of the murals and street art, as well as the Acropolis overlooking the city!

Tuesday, August 6: Acropolis & Food Walking Tour

Tuesday was a day packed full of activities: a guided tour of the Acropolis and a food tour to finish it all off. Katie sure knows how to pack in a day of traveling to see the most in a short time, and this Athens visit was no different!

Diogenis Food Hall - Καφέ, Sandwiches & Σφολιάτες στην Πλάκα

But before we spend the next 3 hours baking in the Greek sun, we needed to start our morning with some coffee and breakfast. Katie and I each had an iced double espresso and shared a spinach and feta pie at Diogenis Food Hall; we can't get enough feta on this trip!

Arch of Hadrian: Πύλη Αδριανού

We met our tour group at the Arch of Hadrian, a gateway resembling Roman triumphal arches (and the Arc de Triumph in Paris), that was built in honor of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 131 AD for his contributions to the city. We checked in for our tour and found a spot in the shade to wait!

Temple of Olympian Zeus: Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός

Although it wasn't officially part of our tour, we were able to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus and its 16 remaining columns. The temple was completed in 131 AD and had 104 colossal columns and housed one of the largest bronze statues of the ancient world.

Acropolis of Athens: Ακρόπολη Αθηνών

One of the first things we learned is that "the Acropolis" is the entire group of temples sitting on the hilltop of Athens. Each building has its own name within the Acropolis, but the collection, as a whole, is referred to as the Acropolis.

Now here's a little blurb about each structure within the Acropolis:

Temple of Dionysus

As we ventured up the hill to the Acropolis, our tour made numerous pit stops along the way, the first being the Temple of Dionysus. Katie and I don't know much about Greek Mythology, but after hearing some of these stories, we figured we'd share a few with you.

Zeus, who was married to the goddess Hera, fell in love with a mortal named Semele and he impregnated her. Hera was very jealous, so she convinced Semele to ask Zeus to visit her in the form of his lightning bolts. Well, Semele, being mortal, burned to death from the lightning, but Zeus removed the child from Semele's womb and sewed him into his thigh. A few months later, Dionysus was born and, according to mythology, would only eat grapes as a child. Dionysus would then become the god of Wine, Party, and Theater.

Strange story, but that's how it goes.

Theatre of Dionysus: Θέατρο του Διονύσου

Adjacent to the Temple was the Theatre of Dionysus, which is the world's oldest theater built in 500 BC. This theater could accommodate around 16,000 people and is the birthplace of comedy and drama.

Temple of Asclepius: Ναός του Ασκληπιού

Adjacent to the theatre was the Temple of Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing; this temple served a dual purpose, also being a hospital beginning in the fourth century BC. Katie may have had me pose in front of it as a way to remember it was the medical temple. All these ruins start to look the same after awhile.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus: Ωδείο Ηρώδου του Αττικού

Built in 150 BC the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is not a theater; Odeon means music hall in Greek. This music hall was renovated in 1950 and has hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, and Elton John. I mean, it would be pretty cool to see the modern classics play in a building built 150 years before Jesus was born!

Temple of Athena Nike: Ναός Αθηνάς Νίκης

As we made our way to the top of the Acropolis, we visited the smallest of the temples, the Temple of Athena Nike, dedicated to the goddesses of wisdom and war (Athena) and victory (Nike).

Katie and I saw a statue of Nike when we visited the Louvre with Mom and Dad back in April. While that statue was originally from another Greek island, this temple was dedicated to the same goddess and was used to pray for wisdom and victory.

Parthenon: Παρθενώνας

The Parthenon, the largest and most famous of the temples on the Acropolis, was built in the 5th Century BC as a thanksgiving for the Greek victory in the Greco-Persian War. The Parthenon stood in glory for nearly 22 centuries until it was destroyed in 1687 when a Venetian mortar round blew up an Ottoman Turk gunpowder magazine stored within the Parthenon. Nothing like war to bring down ancient structures.

See the missing archway in the photos below? That used to be filled with detailed relief sculptures before the explosion. A large part of those sculptures are stored in the British Museum in London, which Katie and I got to see back in March, and in another museum in Athens.

Erechtheion:Ερέχθειο

The third and final temple on the Acropolis is the Erechtheion. According to mythology, the gods were fighting over who would rule the city, so Athena proposed that whoever produced the best gift for the people of Athens would win.

Poseidon, the god of the sea, created a water spring within the city, while Athena breathed into the land and produced the first-ever olive tree. The people of Greece believed the olive tree to be the best gift, thus Athena became the namesake of the city of Athens. The olive tree outside the Erechtheion is believed to be the tree that Athena created.

The most stunning part of the Erechtheion are the sculptures of women holding up the ceiling along the side of the main building. These detailed columns are a true vision of Greek art!

Ancient Agora of Athens: Αρχαία Αγορά Αθηνών

As we made our way down from the Acropolis, we were desperately searching for shade. With temps hitting well over 95, plus humidity, our bodies were dripping with sweat and eager for extra water! But our tour wasn't over yet and we found ourselves at the Ancient Agora, a busy place in Ancient Greece for shops, gatherings, and philosophy. Socrates is known to have taught here.

Temple of Hephaestus: Ναός του Ηφαίστου

The Temple of Hephaestus was built at the same time as the Parthenon in the 5th Century BC and is considered one of the most well-preserved ancient temples in the world. While The Temple of Hephaestus isn't part of the main Acropolis, seeing a temple with it's roof and relief sculptures still in tact made it a nice sight to see.

This temple is dedicated to Hephaestus, the god of artisans, blacksmiths, craftsmen, and carpenters. As our tour ended here, it was time to say goodbye and head to our food tour! (Yep, I told you Katie plans our schedule tight!)

Roman Forum of Athens: Ρωμαϊκή Αγορά Αθηνών

On the way to the meeting point for our food tour, we passed by the Roman Forum of Athens and it reminded us of exploring the OG Roman Forum with Cindy and Richard back in January.

Holy Church of the Virgin Mary Pantanassa - Monastiraki: Ιερός Ναός Παναγίας Παντανάσσης - Μοναστηράκι

We were at our meeting point for our food tour, the Holy Church of Virgin Mary Pantanassa, about an hour early, so Katie and I decided to do a little bit more exploring.

IANOS Bookstore

Near our meeting point was IANOS Bookstore, so Katie and I found our Greek copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and enjoyed a few minutes in the air conditioning. (And by a few minutes, I mean we found seats and hid in the store for 15 minutes just to soak in the cool temps and rest our feet before walking tour #2 of the day began!

Little Kook

After purchasing our book and making a quick pit stop at the hotel room to drop the book off, we met back up at the church for our 1:45 pm meet-up time. After meeting up with our tour group, we made our way through the Little Kook, a collection of themed cafes and bakeries.

The street hosting this famous cafe is currently designed after Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Our tour guide stated that they change the theme every couple of months, but they usually begin decorating for Christmas around October.

This place gave off drug-induced theatrics and made us think of a Disney hoarder who didn't know when to stop adding to the decorations. Everywhere you looked, there was more and more clutter, but we did learn that the cafe designs and builds all their sets in Greece to provide more local jobs. So good for them!

To Koulouri of Psirri: Το Κουλούρι του Ψυρρή

Our first food stop of the tour was for Koulouri Thessalonikis, a Greek sesame bread ring. This shop has been on the same corner for 60 years and supplies breakfast bread rings for many locals on a daily basis!

Creme Royale

Our tour guide talked about how famous Greece is for its pies, so at our next stop, Creme Royale, we enjoyed a spinach and feta pie, something Katie and I tried earlier in the day! As you'll be able to tell on this trip, we just can't get enough feta! This pie was just as good as the one earlier in the day- thank goodness I enjoy more veggies now because this pie was awesome!

Academy of Athens: Ακαδημία Αθηνών

As we were walking to our next stop, we passed by the Academy of Athens, Greece's national academy and highest-rated research institution.

Vallianeio Megaron: Βαλλιάνειο Μέγαρο

Adjacent to the academy is the National Library of Greece which is only open to university students and faculty for research purposes.

As we were walking along, Katie and I began talking to a family from upstate New York. When they asked where we were from and we responded, the oldest daughter responded, "Oh, I want to go to college in NC." Katie and I immediately go straight-faced and say, "Where...?"

"NC State!"

"Oh thank God!"

So we began talking to this family about NC State and Raleigh. The daughter said that this was a sign that she's got to go to NC State now! It's a small world that while in Athens we meet a family from upstate NY whose daughter wants to attend NC State! Go Pack!

Mastihashop

The next stop was a small shop that sold products made from Mastika, a resin made from the mastic tree, an evergreen native to the Mediterranean. Katie and I enjoyed Mastika liqueur after dinner the previous evening, but this shop sold numerous items like gum, hand soap, and sparkling water.

It's said to have healing powers, but the Mastika toothpaste was fluoride-free, so I'm thinking it may just be good for my business. (Note to all readers- your toothpaste needs fluoride. Don't fall for the natural labels!)

ΑΡΙΣΤΟΝ ΛΟΜΠΟΤΕΣΗ

After the mastika shop, it was time to try some more food; the next place we got another pie, this time a Greek cheese pie. The bread was a little bit thicker than the pastry crust on the spinach and feta pie, so it wasn't quite as good in my opinion, but still tasty!

Katie said it wasn't feta cheese on the inside, so it wasn't better than the feta and spinach one from earlier. I'm pretty sure Katie is going to eat her weight in feta and Greek yogurt during this trip!

MOKKA SPECIALTY COFFEE S.A.: ΨΩΜΑΣ, Ν., "ΜΟΚΚΑ ΚΑΦΕΚΟΠΤΕΙΟ" Α.Ε.Ε.

The next stop on the tour was for a little pick me up: Greek coffee and Greek delights. Now, you're probably thinking, I've heard of Turkish coffee and Turkish delights (think The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), but I've never heard of the Greek variant. Well, due to their proximity and their intertwined histories, they share a lot of the same cuisine.

Greek coffee, like its Turkish counterpart, is finely ground coffee beans placed into a metal pot, which is then heated up in hot sand or over coals. Greek delights are identical to Turkish delights; they are like a gummy confection flavored with rose water, pistachio, or lemon.

During this stop we basked in the cool AC while sipping our Greek coffees. Katie made the executive decision that she needs a Greek/Turkish coffee pot for the house!

Terra Fresh

Following our coffee stop, we went to Terra Fresh, a small market store where we enjoyed a variety of nuts (the pistachios were our favorite) and honey! We learned that massive grocery stores aren't the norm for Greece. Instead, these little mom-and-pop run shops sell local products in tiny corner shops. Walking in here, every square inch of space was packed with products and, unlike chain grocery stores, you only buy the quantity you need. Three cups of flour? Cool. One liter of olive oil? No problem!

Η στρούγκα του Μοριά

Next was the spot Katie and I were most excited about, the cheese shop! Katie and I devoured our taste of feta, and Katie even helped us to the one leftover piece at the end. It's so different from the feta we're used to; this was much saltier and creamier than the feta we've gotten in the States, Japan, or Spain. You can even see its stored in giant tubs that look like commerical icecream tubs. (Yes, Katie would probably eat this as icecream if given the option!)

Katie and I also loved the spoonful of Greek yogurt covered in honey! When compared to the Greek yogurt we get at home, the real stuff is really thick. As our tour guide explained the texture, she flipped the spoon upside down to show its thickness- kind of like a Greek Dairy Queen Blizzard.

The cheese shop was a winner!

Varvakios Central Municipal Market: Κεντρική Δημοτική Αγορά Αθηνών

Following the cheese shop, we went through the fish market. I made it about halfway through before I had to turn around and escape. It reeked in there and there was absolutely no airflow. It smelled of stale, rotten fish and the hot temps outside didn't help. In the grand scheme of things, I have walked through fish and meat markets all over Asia and this one felt very similar. I'll pass!

Soul

At the final stop on our tour, we finally enjoyed a sit-down meal with a variety of food. We had a Greek salad, lemon chicken, sausages, pork, and finished it all off with some baklava! This was definitely the best baklava I've ever had!

This family style meal gave us time to chat more with our NC State girl and talk her into making Raleigh her top choice!

Our tour ended around 5pm and we knew it was too early to crash for the night. Knowing our feet already had blisters forming and our clothes were still stuck to our skin, we were ready to sit and chill.

Beertime

So Katie and I decided to finish our evening at Beertime where we enjoyed a couple of pints before heading to bed! It seems very limited places have AC in Athens and this Beertime joint was no different. At least there was a little breeze and the drinks were cold!