Our neighbor city protected by Athena ATHENS Athens; the first center of democracy, where Socrates began western philosophy, favorite of the goddess Athena, metropolis of antiquity… Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, one of 12 ancient Greek gods and goddesses, is the protector of Athens according to Greek legend

THE LYKAVITTOS HILL: An ideal spot to enjoy a view of Athens, the Orthodox Church of Saint George is perched on the summit of the hill. Above it there is a restaurant and bar for the pleasure of visitors.

THE TEMPLE OF DIONYSOS: This is the first archaeological site you encounter along the Dionysiou Areopagitou Road. The oldest ever Greek theatre is located here. Comedies by Aristophanes and tragedies by Euripides and Sophocles were staged in this theatre, which was built in the 5th century BC and had an audience capacity of 17,000.

Buildings illuminated by the afternoon sun in Plaka, one of Athens’ oldest districts.

It may be due to the fact that from Izmir it can be reached in a short 1 hour and 50 minutes, but from the moment you take your first steps in Athens, capital of our neighboring country, Greece, and you are met with the word “kalimera,” you do not sense any unfamiliarity at all, except for the alphabet. The smell of the city, the food, the names of dishes, the names of fish, the sea and most important of all, the people, will seem familiar… Especially the people… If you get the opportunity to talk to them, their conversation style; their gestures, stances and even superstitious beliefs will remind you of people you know. You will sense the same feeling when you approach their food, their appetizers and drinks and you will begin to eat and to enjoy the drinks and the conversation without hesitation.

FLIGHT CARD
WE FLEW FROM IZMIR TO ATHENS ON SUNEXPRESS SunExpress is an airline company founded in 1989 as a result of an agreement between German airline Lufthansa and Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines (THY). In the beginning it served Turkish tourism with charter flights. Then in 2005 SunExpress expanded its flight network with international flights departing from Izmir. Now, as of 15 August 2009, SunExpress has begun flights between Izmir and Athens. The flight to Athens, which has aroused interest because of its all-inclusive 49 Euro promotional campaign, takes only an hour and fifty minutes. For more information you can contact the call center at 444 0 797 or visit the website www.sunexpress.com. IZMIR-ATHENS ROUTE: 1' 50" Passengers: Özlem Özkan (Editör) / Sinan Kesgin (Fotoğrafçı)

We landed in Athens around noon and immediately went to our hotel situated in the Plaka district. It is very close to the Acropolis, symbol of the city, and the most beautiful area for a tourist to visit. We did not waste much time; after a small tour of the area we stopped at a charming looking restaurant against the walls on the skirts of the Acropolis. To reach this typically Greek restaurant we passed through narrow streets lined with old but well-looked-after Greek houses adorned with geraniums and lower levels built in stone, arriving at our destination, which had wooden tables outside and geraniums hanging everywhere.. Restaurants are not very full in the evening because here dinner starts around 22.00. We therefore began drinking our ouzos around 17.00, an out-of-the-ordinary time for Athenians, deciding to extend our dinner until late, fully enjoying our eating and drinking experience. We were therefore able to taste many different hot and cold appetizers such as calamari, grilled octopus, fish balls, mussels, stuffed peppers, artichoke hearts, undiluted tzatziki with strained yogurt, pilaki, aubergine salad, vegetable and meat pastries, Greek salad with white cheese, chicken liver, grilled cheese, salted bonito, pureed cheese with peppers, olive salad and many more…

It is our first evening in Athens and here are our initial impressions: the service is quick, attentive and clean, the olive is of the best possible kind, the white cheese is of the best possible standard anywhere, all the food is familiar and very tasty without exception, waiters are solicitous and… most important of all…prices are reasonable.

  THE ELEFTHERIOS VENIZELOS AIRPORT

The Eleftherios Venizelos Airport, which created a very fine impression with its landing and take-off runways and public transport facilities when it first opened in 2001, does not, however, leave the same impression with its terminal building. Indeed, on 3 April 2001, Ertuğrul Özkök, Chief Editor of the Hürriyet Newspaper, after having visited the airport soon after its opening, in his column wrote as follows: “…The Atatürk Airport’s terminal is undoubtedly better, in fact a great deal better, than that of the Venizelos Airport. It hasn’t even been a week since the Venizelos Airport was inaugurated and it already seems worn out to me. To start with, it does not give one a feeling of spaciousness. In comparison to the “atrium” style of the Atatürk Airport, the narrow corridor system of this airport gives one a feeling of constriction. And attention to detail is very inadequate. The aesthetics of the sign panels and the font used does not suit a European country. Also when the appearance and cheerfulness of employees is compared, the Atatürk Airport is ahead by far. The design and functioning of the baggage receiving area resembles that of our old international terminal. And finally, from the point of view of its architectural concept, the Atatürk Airport seems to be 20 years ahead of its time…”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: It is indeed impossible not to agree with the views expressed by Ertuğrul Özkök in 2001. As passengers who have flown from Izmir to Athens last month, we can compare the Izmir Adnan Menderes International Terminal with the Eleftherios Venizelos Terminal without changing a single word of what was said by Özkök. The Adnan Menderes International Terminal creates a much finer impression with its architecture and its “atrium” style.

No escape from modernity

With a past stretching thousands of years, Athens, like most other metropolises, has familiar problems… First of all, traffic is a serious problem here, so much so that the practice of even-uneven numbered plate parking is implemented. But as you can guess, that means that most families have two cars, one with even numbers, the other with uneven numbers. The small car trend characteristic of European cities exists here as well. Motorcycles are also very common. Starting from the Venizelos Airport, you can go everywhere easily by public transport. The metro, trolleybuses and sea transportation have been carefully planned. There is a continuous hustle and bustle in the city and people generally seem to be in a hurry. In the city’s squares there are boxes with free newspapers. People going to work in the morning pick up a newspaper and hurriedly proceed on their way. Another way in which Athens has been influenced by the ugliness of modernity can be seen in the sprawling concrete structures. Since the area is small, when observed from the hills the city looks like a wall of concrete. Still, the city attempts to make up for this with extensive parks. When you travel toward the outskirts of the city nature and the sea begin to dominate.

A tour of the Acropolis and “Suvlaki” for lunch

On the morning of the second day we go to the Acropolis in the company of a local guide. To reach the Acropolis, the most visited tourist attraction of Athens, we pass through olive trees, fields of daisies, poppies and mimosa trees. Athenians gather flowers from here. According to the season, they gather daisies, poppies and mimosas to take to their homes, already adorned with geraniums--and to their neighbors, to brighten tables before the food arrives. The flowers add to the pleasure of the ouzo before dinner. Athenians also love wine. After a short climb we reach the Acropolis and observe the whole of Athens from the summit. The only green area that can be seen is right around the Acropolis and in the Plaka district. We feel happy once again to be staying at Plaka. On the Acropolis there are majestic temples and we find lots of opportunities for photographs. Towards noon it gets really hot and we feel hungry. Once again we go down to Plaka and we decide to eat the very reasonably priced Suvlaki. Suvlaki can be made of lamb, pork or chicken meat on skewers and it is wrapped in very thin pita breads and served with a sauce made of strained yoghurt and some salad leaves. It is very suitable to our taste.

THE TEMPLE OF ATHENA NIKE: The temple, located in the Acropolis, also contains a small altar where animal sacrifices were performed.
THE MONUMENT TO HEPHAESTUS: The Monument to Hephaestus, located in the Agora, was built in the 5th century BC. The Agora was the commercial and social center of the city. Modern philosophy was born on this square. When you visit the Agora you can also see the Theseion, one of the preserved temples of ancient Greece.
The restaurants in the Plaka district offer a warm atmosphere. The food is very tasty and prices are quite reasonable.

City Tour

Among our new stopovers there are the stadium where the first Olympic Games were held, the Temple of Zeus (situated in the midst of city traffic) the Syntagma Square, Ormonia Square, the Archaeological Museum, the Lykavitos (Wolves) Hill and the changing of the guard ceremony at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament. Kolonaki is Athens’ most upscale district. One can take a pleasant walk along the road extending from the Syntagma Square to Kolonaki, which is lined with Consulate buildings, restored old houses and parks. At Monastiraki a flea market is set up on Sundays. Monastiraki resembles Izmir’s Kemeraltı district and has an ideal atmosphere for night life. The locals, who have lost the Plaka district to tourists, generally prefer this area on weekends. It is said that when restaurants and bars close down in other parts of the city, the night begins at Monastiraki. With its numerous restaurants and bars Monastiraki is definitely Athens’ future star. If, like us, you happen to go to Athens between July and September, do not miss the Daphni Wine Festival. Daphni is 10 kilometers from Athens. The Archaeological Museum, the Ormonia and Victorias Squares that are walking distance, Monastiraki, with its flea market, Kolonaki, emblematic of the city’s modernity, the most luxurious district of the city and where famous brands can be found, , Thission, where the Agora is situated and Psiri, with its bars and taverns, are only some of the reasons for enjoying Athens to the full.

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF ATHENS Population: 4 million (including suburbs), Coordinates: 37° 00’ DAZD (UTC +2/3) Telephone area code: +30 (210) Since ancient times Athens has been destroyed many times by assaults on the city. It was captured in turn by the Persians, the Romans, the Crusaders and the Ottomans. The center of ancient Greek civilization, Athens is surrounded by hills on three sides and on fourth side it is seven kilometers from the port of Piraeus. Athens derives its name from Athena, goddess of war and wisdom. It’s best to start the city tour from the summit of the Acropolis. The Acropolis, the ancient theatres surrounding it, the Odeon which hosts the Athens Festival in the summer, as well as the Doric style Athena Nike, Erechteion, Dionisos and Parthenon temples on the summit of the Acropolis are the main ruins surviving to our day. Other archaeological sites and museums are at a distance of only a few kilometers from the Acropolis. After having enjoyed a bird’s eye view of Athens from the summit of the Acropolis, you can visit the Olympia-Zeus Temple, the Arch of Hadrian or the Archaeological Museum. If you happen to go to Athens between July and August, do not miss the Daphni Wine Festival. Daphni is 10 kilometers from Athens. If the Greek islands are not included in the tour program, the Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza beaches are excellent alternative excursions. NOTE: In Greece, archaeological sites are closed on New Year’s Eve, Easter, May 1st and Christmas. Most shops are open Monday-Wednesday between 09.00-15.00 and Tuesday and Thursday between 09.00-14.30 and 17.00-20.30. WHILE YOU ARE IN ATHENS, TAKE A TRIP TO THE ISLANDS While you are in Athens, you shouldn’t skip the chance to go to some of the Greek islands. You can take tours to some of the islands departing from the Piraeus port, located seven kilometers from Athens. Rodos: The administrative center of the other twelve islands, Rhodes fascinates with its beaches, walking tours and lively night life. Mykonos: : One of Greece’s most spectacular islands, with its narrow white streets and appealing, cube-like houses, it draws many visitors every year. Chios: One of the largest islands in Greece, it is famous for its mastic trees and stands out with its volcanic structure. Santorini: Famous for its white villages fastened onto volcanic rocks rising above beaches of black sand. Lesvos: : A quiet island that must be seen; for its award winning beaches and traditional villages, a wide variety of birds and flowers, its pine trees, its medieval castles, its cheap restaurants serving sea food and the two best museums in Greece. Zakintos: You may not have heard of this island before. It is difficult to reach from Athens because it is situated to the west of the country. However, it is considered among the most beautiful Greek islands and draws tens of thousands of tourists every year. The areas where carettas are found are of particular interest.