Royal Olympic Hotel
A memorable trip started with the hotel. I have a very good reason to be pleased to have chosen Royal Olympic for the recent 4-day break for my friend and me. We had a very good deal with BA holidays for a start. The hotel is situated within walking distance of Acropolis and other major sights.
The views from the hotel restaurant was fantastic. Ioannis Restaurant on the 7th floor of Royal Olympic Hotel affords a fantastic view of Acropolis and a glimpse of Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Dining with a view
The atmosphere at the restaurant was great, the food was good and very reasonably priced
Day 1 – arrival
I had pre-booked an airport taxi to meet and greet us on arrival via the hotel for our 17.35 arrival. When I made the initial enquiry I was told of the charge was €60 but they also told me that the cost for a taxi from the taxi rank was €38. I am glad I booked with the hotel because our driver George Granas (GG) was not only charming and helpful but was also a font of knowledge. His advice of when to go where was a priceless guide to us!
Lycabettus Hill
Our new friend GG took us on a detour to “The balcony” at Lycabettus Hill for a lovely view of Athens at dusk before dropping us off at the hotel with no extra charge. This generous gesture marked the beginning of our lovely stay in Athens
Day 2 – sight-seeing around Athens
Acropolis – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Following GG’s advice we arrived shortly after 9.00 at the the side Acropolis entrance just opposite the museum. There were no queues at the ticket booth at all. The entrance fee before 31 March 2018 was half price at only €10.
This is definitely the entrance to use to avoid the crowds and tour groups. By the time we left about an hour later the place was heaving with people!
We saw Herodes Theatre (Odeon of Herodes Atticus) first on our way to the main site.
Parthenon & Old Temple of Athena
Views from Acropolis
Ancient Agora of Athens
We turned right from the Acropolis exit and kept walking downhill to arrive at Ancient Agora (the off season price €3) It’s well worth a visit.
There’s a restaurant/café overlooking the site, a nice and relaxing place for a pause for a drink
Monastiraki Square
Not far from Agora was the bustling Monastiraki Square right next the the metro entrance.
Syntagma Square / Hellenic Parliament
A short distance along the pedestrianised shopping area was Syntagma Square which led to the Parliament building. We were just in time to see the changing of the guards
Temple of Olympian Zeus & Arch of Hadrian
Zappeion Exhibition Hall
It was the first building erected specifically for the revival of the modern Olympic Games in 1869. It is now a Conference and Exhibition Centre. It’s imposing on the outside and elegant inside
There are various statues in the gardens of Zappeion area
Day 3 – Athens and beyond
Panathenaic Stadium
The site where the Olympic torch is lit is well worth a visit – the off-season entrance fee is €5. We arrived just after it opened at 9.00 and were the only two in the stadium. We climbed about 120 steep steps to the top to walk around the stadium for the great view, especially that with Acropolis in the background.
Getting there early paid off. Not only did we have the place to ourselves for a while but also nobody was around to see us scramble down those steep steps in a less than dignified manner!!
Plaka
Within a short walk from Panathenaic Stadium found us in the neighbourhood of Plaka, full of shops to distract us and restaurants to tempt us with their seats in the sun or in the shade. Despite it being a famous tourist spot the prices were not very expensive at all!
Half day trip to Temple of Poseidon
In the early afternoon our new friend GG took us on an excursion to Temple of Poseidon, about 70 km from Athens. The coastal route we took was very pleasant. The first glimpse of Temple of Poseidon was from across the bay at Lavrio
Cape Sounion
We arrived at Cape Sounion around 16.30 to have a good look around before walking up to Temple of Poseidon to watch the sunset from there
Temple of Poseidon
There was something magical seeing the Temple under the bright blue sky or with the sun setting behind it
Lake Vouliagmeni
On our outward journey GG made a brief stop at Vouliagmeni for us to have a look at Lake Vouliagmeni. According to our oracle GG it was once a large cavern that collapsed following an earthquake. The small brackish-water lake, fed by underground currents, is now a place for relaxation. Vouliagmeni is such a pretty place especially at sunset on our way back
Day 4 – farewell to Athens
Acropolis Museum / Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens
It’s our last day in Athens. Although the bright sunshine of the past days had given way to light clouds and occasional hazy sunshine, we made the most of the morning visiting Acropolis Museum and then Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens
The advantage of staying in a centrally located hotel is that we could be at the museum shortly after it opened at 9.00 and enjoyed looking at the exhibits and the explanations with relatively few people around. The very pleasant hour spent looking around the museum was followed by enjoying a drink at the terrace restaurant before the school parties arrived.
Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens
Our trip ended as it began with our new friend GG taking us to the airport. Although our flight was delayed by 40 minutes, we had the use of Goldair Handling Lounge at the airport. Not even the delay dampened our spirits after such an enjoyable trip
The finishing touch
Got the fridge magnet 😁
