Friday~ June 17th, 2022
Today we sad goodbye to the beautiful Santorini! We were picked up from our hotel and driven to the airport, where we had a quick flight over to Athens, Greece. After we landed, we were driven to Elia Ermou Hotel Athens, which is situated just 800 meters from the world-famous Acropolis and Acropolis Museum. We were conveniently located in the Plaka neighborhood, nestled among the popular shopping streets in Athens, with proximity to several restaurants, bars, and stores.
We mostly took the day to explore the area since we didn’t have long to see Athens (<48 hours). We stopped to grab a drink in a spunky bistro and wine bar called Tazza, which gave me Mad Hatter vibes (I regret not taking more photos!).
We had a walking tour planned for the following day so we mostly just strolled the nearby streets to what was close by. We ended up at Taverna Plaka for dinner, followed by gelato (of course), and drinks at the rooftop bar 360 Cocktail Bar. Since today was mostly a transfer day (hence the lack of photos), you get a 2 for 1!
Saturday ~ June 18th, 2022
Today we woke up bright and early for breakfast in our hotel (another meal with fantastic views!).
We walked through most of the prominent landmarks and sites in Athens, including the Acropolis (Parthenon, Theater of Dionysus, Temple of Athena Nike, Temple of Erechtheion, Sanctuary of Asclepius), the Temple of Zeus, the Ancient Agora, and the Temple of Hephaestus.
I learned that present-day Athens is named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and civilization. It is said she was born from the head of Zeus after he swallowed his pregnant wife, Metis. She was born an adult and dressed in armor ready for war. Due to her ties to civilization, her name is commonly referred to as Polias and Poliouchos (derivatives of polis), meaning “city-state.”
Additionally, we saw the Temple of Athena Nike. Nike (the company) actually stems from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Not only is she known for being the goddess of victory, she also had powers of great speed and flight. The more you know!
Since the tour was only 4-hours long, we ended around lunch time. We grabbed a bite to eat at Antica Café and planned out the rest of our day. Since the hottest part of the day was still ahead of us, we decided to make our way back to the hotel to rinse off (there’s dust everywhere!). That afternoon, we purchased tickets see and explore the Acropolis Museum.
The archaeological museum focuses on the findings of the Acropolis and houses more than 3,000 artifacts found on the rock and surrounding areas. The museum was also built on top of the ruins of part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens, which were excavated and made visible through large expanses of glass floor.
On the first level, we learned about the history of life at the top of the Rock, from the 2nd millennium B.C. until the end of Antiquity. On the third floor, we viewed the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon.
After the museum, Tristan and I went to get drinks at Kosmikon then made our way to Samano Radio for dinner. We had no idea this would be one of our top three favorite meals of our entire honeymoon!
