July 10 - 11 A Cook’s tour of Athens through my eyes

After a few days of tripping around Athens and in particular doing the rounds of the Acropolis and then the museum, we were a bit ruinsed-out - and feeling a tad ruined ourselves actually! So I thought instead of boring you with yet more ancient ruins, which seem to spring out at you at every corner, I’d give you a wee ‘Cooks Tour’, an impression of Athens through my eyes – with maybe just a couple of ruins, sorry!

This is an amazing city with many, many layers of civilisations, destruction and rebuilding going back millennia. The current Greeks can’t keep up with it so it seems. Today we visited Hadrian's Library and both the Ancient and Roman Agoras (using our multi-day ticket bought to visit the Acropolis). 

Hadrian's Library - there's not much left of it

One of a the few remaining columns from the Church of St Asomatos

Sadly there's not much left of Hadrian's Library but not far from there is the site of the Church of St Asomatos. Here my eye was caught by a lovely column, one of a line, which had weathered showing the intricate pattern of its grain - a living stone.

Hadrian;s Library remains

The Athens Metro runs through many of the city's ancient ruins 

The Stoa of Attalos

Not far from there are the ruins of the Ancient Agora which covers an extensive area. at one end of the Agora stands a magnificent colonade, the Stoa of Attalos. This was reconstructed on its original foundations in the early 1950s and currently houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora.

By then I’d had it with the 'ancient' and wanted to see the 'now' stuff. So we had lunch somewhere in the crazy tangle of tiny streets before heading for the large undercover Varvakios Agora via streets that were alternately dedicated to one sector of trade or another - building, mechanical, fabrics etc. By the time we reached the markets it was late in the day - marketwise - but there was still plenty to see. I stopped and chatted with a guy dissecting an ox tongue and attachments, a handsome piece of meat. This was in what I reckon was the offal section - heads and tripe and other internal ‘delicacies’. I chatted to a few stallholders with them knowing full well that I wasn’t buying anything but they were happy to chat - mostly. Remarkably there were still loads of fish and other marine delights all still looking fresh. The market was surprisingly clean and vastly different from what I remember from 40 years ago when it was all ‘open air’ (Today meat etc is mostly in glass cases). 

All manner of things to tempt including dried sea sponges.

Sideritis, also known as ironwort, mountain tea, or shepherd's tea, is known for its
use as herbal medicine. The species are abundant in Mediterranean regions

A ‘street apartment’. Well set-up and well-known, obviously accepted by local authorities.

A Greek charcuterie. Absolute sensory overload walking through this place filled with cured meats.

On the footpath this man was selling snails. Home-grown probably!

The next day we simply wandered the streets coming across fascinating corners and narrow alleys. Along the street from where we’re staying, dodge the gratings and you come across  some steep stairs going down into the ‘dungeons’.  A cafe occupied this corner under the road. It was a bit steep for me otherwise I would have investigate as there were ots of interesting fried fish smells float up those steps. Across the road we perched at a wee table to eat white bait.

The Fabric Centre with rows of fabric stores. Under the shops down steep steps the tailors work busily.

Whitebait for lunch

This is our local restaurant

A Mad Hatter's tea party 

Then we walked on to discover 'tourist tinsel corner.' This small stretch of road was decked out with flowers and colourful decorations - a Mad Hatter's tea party affair attracting the crowds.

The meat markets. Bottom R an interesting selection of offal. 

We were staying in the Theatrou district and it was very colourful and busy and included markets with a huge array of eye-popping goodies.  At the meat markets. I reckon they take turns doing ‘butcher’ stuff to entertain the tourists. Interesting cuts of meat including offal and at one stall a beautifully skinned cow head with eyes staring out at passers-by. Weird but fascinating.

This ss graffiti town.

Lots of hole-in-the-wall shops

We finished the day with a feast of meats we simply could not finish. Loving the local and enjoying exploring the streets.  Talking of which this entire district is covered in bold grafitti.