Greece - Athens

Why is Imran visiting Athens?

To meet and hang out with my brother.

What I did?

Things to do in Athens

The Acropolis

No trip to Athens would be complete without a visit to the Acropolis.  TT: If you do end up going to the Acropolis be sure to also check out the Acropolis museum which houses the artifacts and statues from the ruins of the Acropolis.  The Acropolis means High City in Greek.  Most of the sacred buildings are usually located in the Acropolis as it is naturally the safest place. Acropolis also has had its fair share of rulers including the Ottoman empire who briefly converted the Acropolis into a mosque which was later destroyed by the subsequent rulers.  The sculptures decorating the buildings tell the mythological story of Greece, most of the structures and artifacts have been stolen.

The Acropolis Museum.

Glass floor looking down into ancient civilization.

Orange Trees.

Enjoying a show at the Theater of Dionysos.

Trekking up to the Acropolis.

There was some restructuring going on.

Jokingly punching my brother.

Miscellaneous Stuff

What I ate?

Things to eat in Athens

Greek and Mediterranean cuisine in general are considered to be the healthiest cuisines, due to the usage of olive oil and fresh ingredients.  In addition to Greek cuisine being healthy it is also very tasty.  The Plaka District in Athens is the touristy area where you can find great tavernas and good food catering to the tourist taste buds.  But if you really want a taste of Greek cuisine you need to eat where the locals eat.  I went to Nikos sea food Taverna close to the Plaka district but not in Plaka.  Nikos is a sea food restaurant frequented by Greeks.  They serve some mean crabs and fried fish.  Do also try the traditional salad which is cut fresh and drizzled with pure olive oil.  The left over olive oil from the salad can be soaked in bread in order to avoid wastage of the precious tasty oil.

I am not a big sea food fan but I will occasionally eat sea food should I be close to a coastal area.  Being in Athens I was told to try the sweet crabs and I did.  I ordered the crabs which had no spices added, they were just simply cooked over a charcoal grill and drizzled with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  The crab meat was sweat and a little tangy.  Now you can't eat crabs with a fork and a knife and you are better off just going primitive on these.  Do also order some potatoes to get some carbohydrates with your proteins.  The fried potatoes should pairs up perfectly with the crabs, another alternative is to have the sea weed salad which is a lot more tangier than regular fried potatoes.

Crabs from the Mediterranean.

The fish from the Mediterranean are also very tasty.  Not sure which fish I ordered but it had only one big bone and was fried to perfection. The batter was light fluffy with no additives.  To get the best taste out of your fish squeeze some lemon juice over the fish and consume it quickly as leaving the fish soaked in lemon juice can make it become very soggy and lose it crispiness.  The fish can be consumed with fork although it is not a bad idea to just use your hands since they are probably already messy by consuming the crabs.

Fried Mediterranean fish.

Fried Potatoes.

Seafood is a great choice for dinner but if you find yourself hungry for lunch then meat is the perfect option.  There are a lot of tavernas close to the plaka region which serve some crazy good lamb ribs.  At this particular lunch feast we ordered an assortment of dishes starting of with a traditional Greek salad topped off with obviously olive oil and feta cheese.  The feta cheese in Athens is just way different than any cheese that you may have had from the supermarket deli.  The feta cheese was a lot more chewier and tastier.

Toast with olive oil

Greek salad with feta cheese.

As appetizers try the spanakopita (fried filo dough with spinach and cheese), cheese pie and the zucchini fritters (kolkithokefetdes).  I am not a big vegetables fan but if I do get my vegetables fed to me in the form below I wouldn't mind eating the daily recommended five doses of vegetables maybe even more than five.  I never thought spinach and zucchini could taste so good but I was proven wrong.  Popeye the sailor would definitely like to get his hands on the spanakopita.

Spanakopita, Cheese Pie & Kolkithokefetdes (anti clockwise).

To get your taste buds ready for the awesome lamb ribs (paidakia) start off with the grilled beef liver.  Obviously unlike steak you can't order your beef liver bloody but instead it is thoroughly cooked throughout.    The beef liver tastes a little different than regular meat but tasty nonetheless.  The beef liver is a lot more chewier, sour and has a little kick to it.  If you think in your head you are eating liver you probably will not be able to eat it just think of it as beef which it is and chow down.

Beef liver.

Ahh Paidakia (lamb ribs) probably my favorite Greek dish (as of now).  I am not sure how to explain the taste of the charcoal grilled lamb ribs as it is something one has to try on their own to get a description.  The ribs have a lot of fat which can also be eaten but in moderation.  Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the ribs to make it tangier if you like.  You need to go primitive on these as well as there is no way to savor the taste with a fork and knife.  TT: Don't be afraid to use your hands to eat in Greece as a lot of Greeks prefer using their hands for eating.  

Super Tasty Paidakia (Lamb Ribs).

As for desserts we had the greek doughnuts (loukoumades) drizzled with nutella and honey and also coffee cake.  The loukoumades drizzled with nutella were amazing and have the same density as the lokma (Turkish Doughnut).  The trick to eating them is to eat them fresh and warm as after a while they get less crunchier.  I am not a big coffee lover so my comment on the coffee cake wouldn't matter.

Loukoumades (Greek Doughnut) & Coffee Cake.

Me my brother with some friends -Stathis & John.

Conclusion:

Athens is a wonderful city with a great food scene.  It is probably the only city in the world where the downtown is cheaper than the outer city.  There are a lot of scenic islands accessible through the ports of Athens and Piraeus.  It is the seat of western civilization where all modern constitution was adapted from.  The city is full off rich history.  It is a very touristy friendly city as well.