Athens, Greece

Flying to Athens is quite a sight. On a clear day you can see the islands to the south and Mount Olympus and other snow capped mountains to the north. The city itself seems to sprawl from above and once you hit the streets and sights of Athena, that observation is solidly confirmed.

Walking or driving through the streets of Athens you can't help but wonder what traffic flow was like before the 2004 Olympic games. Traffic flowed pretty well, but was constant at almost all hours of the day and the air quality off the main roads was tough to handle. We spent about 2 days here seeing the sights and that certainly does it justice. If you had a long list of local spots you could warrant more time, but we did not and 2 days within the city hit the spot.

The Acropolis and surrounding areas really makes for a day in itself. Our last night in Athens we circled back and caught the Parthenon and Acropolis just before closing time, which we'd highly recommend. You'll still get crowds, but the tour buses seem to have disappeared and you get a better feel for everything atop the rock. Walking around atop the Acropolis you can see the sea on a clear day, but it is difficult to get past how vast Athens really is.

Spending some time in Plaka (old part of Athens) was certainly worthwhile. You get a mix of bazaar/flea market/sidewalk cafe. The shops get mundane pretty quickly, but there are countless courtyards and cafes worth camping out in for a few hours. Plan on eating some great seafood, fresh bread, drinking some Ouza (similar taste to Sambuca, but mixed with water/ice to make a cloudy concoction) and taking your time.

You can see that this is a gateway to many of the other parts of Greece, both mainland and the islands. For the rest of our shots in Athens, come back soon for a link.