travel / when in athens

Over the summer my siblings and I flew from Eindhoven to the historical city of Athens in Greece for a three night stay. Traveling to Athens reminded me of my sixth grade days. Back in 2005, my school had our annual sixth grade Medieval Week festival, and my class got Greek Mythology as our theme. Throughout the festival I was Athena, the goddess of war. I don't remember how I ended up getting Athena, but I dressed up like her and eventually became her for a week. So being in Athens this summer felt surreal; I would never have imagined traveling to the city that I often studied about during my school years. 

My trip in Athens was short but it's definitely one to remember...partly because I had a terrible food poisoning hours before my morning flight back to Eindhoven that made me call the SOS doctor to our AirBnb place. Might I add it was 5a.m. when the doctor came. But besides that unfortunate event, Athens was a beautiful city full of characteristics, amazingly cheap and delicious food, political movement, and of course its architecture. 

While in the city, one of my fondest activity was visiting the Acropolis Museum where you not only enjoy the artefacts, but also Athens' beautiful cityscape from their outdoor restaurant and café. I didn't have lunch there, but I do recommend their dessert menu! It was the perfect refreshment on a hot summer day. If you happen to be in Athens during the warmer months, spend an evening watching at an outdoor cinema! My siblings and I watched David Lean's (1955) Summertime right after sunset with salty popcorns, nachos, and drinks in our hands (we were hungry). The whole experience was lovely and I'm glad we managed to get last minute tickets!

We didn't explore the entire city of Athens, but if you are planning to travel to the city here's a list of my favourites:

Attractions

Acropolis Museum
Dionysiou Areopagitou 15
€5- per adult (reduced fares available) 

The Parthenon
€12- per adult for a package deal to visit other temples (reduced fares available)*
If you're an (international) university student in Europe you can get in for free by showing your student ID card.

Temple of Olympian Zeus
Same applies as stated above*

The National Garden 
Amalias 1

Activities

Mount. Lycabettus
Centro de la Ciudad de Atenas
Go on a hike to mount Lycabettus that is worth your every effort. Trust me, the view is just spectacular especially during sunset.

The Art Foundation (TAF)
Normanou 5
A unique gallery and café with a rustic, demolished yet young atmosphere. If you're lucky like I was, you'll get a personal free tour guide by the current curator!

Cine Thisio
Apostolou Pavlou 7
Really recommend trying this! It's also listed as one of the most enjoyable cinemas in the world.

Vouliagmeni beach and lake
Fancy taking a day trip outside Athens but don't want to travel too far? Try visiting Vouliagmeni! We checked both the beach and the lake, but ended spending our time at the beach. Entrance for the beach cost €2- and you will get access to a crystal clear ocean.

Directions:
Take line 2 Metro and get off at Elliniko. Then take the E22 bus right outside Elliniko metro station. The bus ride will take approx. 30 minutes, get off at Vouliagmeni. Try asking a local or other passengers for the exact stop to be sure! I did so and it really helped since I couldn't read the signs. 

Areas to check out: Exarcheia, Plaka, Monastiraki square