Athens Part II: It’s Been a Real Slice

I seem to be in the minority of people who love Athens. I’m here to change your mind, though. I hope you have read the first part of my experience in Athens. Like I said, I have too much to say, so enjoy the next part about the rest of the city!

Plaka

Near the Acropolis is the Plaka neighborhood. Here you can find the winding, narrow streets with small houses smushed together. It’s also where you can do a good chunk of your tourist shopping. There are evil eyes, olive wood, and all of your traditional souvenirs, too. 

There are also some good places to eat. My advice: do not go to the restaurants in between the stores. Instead, take some side streets to find some great food. I ate a delicious moussaka in the Plaka neighborhood.

The Panathenaic Stadium

If you love sports, like me, then you HAVE to visit the Olympic stadium. According to legend, this is the exact site where Pheidippides dropped dead after running from Marathon to Athens after winning the battle. Nowadays, it’s where the yearly Marathon Marathon ends. The marathon in 2004 also finished here. 

The stadium’s fame comes from the use during the 1896 Olympics. This was the first incarnation of the modern Olympics, making it very important. For €5, you can go inside and walk around the stadium. There is also a small museum where you can see all the posters and Olympic torches from over the years. Whenever an Olympiad ends, the torch is sent to the museum to be displayed. 

Concerts are still held in this stadium. All Greek students also are allowed to have their field days here. How cool! Be careful if it rains or it is hot. The stands are entirely made out of marble, which becomes very slippery. 

The Changing of the Guards

There is no longer a king of Greece, although the former king is still alive. Still, the Evzones protect the prime minister, Parliament, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. To the foreign eye, the Evzones look hilarious. Of course, there is a story behind it.

First of all, military service is mandatory for all Greek males. The only way to get out of it is to attend university (although I think that just is 10-year deferment), to pay €6500, or to be the main breadwinner of the family. Apparently, Greece has a pretty good Air Force and Navy. The Evzones, however, are a different type of military. Not just anyone can do it. You have to meet a height requirement. 

Now, you may laugh at the way they are dressed. The Evzones wear a pleated skirt with 400 pleats to represent the 400 years of Ottoman occupation. They also wear an embroidered vest that takes a month and a half to handmake. According to my tour guide, they are supposed to represent a dead soldier. They wear two pairs of white tights so you can’t see the color of their skin. Their faces remain stoic, as if they were dead. Once they have reached a certain number of hours served, they are allowed to grow a mustache. Another laughing matter is their shoes. They wear shoes with a pom-pom on top. Don’t be fooled, though. These pom-poms hide a blade inside. 

Yet the funniest thing of all is the way they walk. They definitely do not have a normal march. The first king of Greece was actually German. Apart from being German, he was also a horse lover. He wanted his army to walk like horses. Weird, huh? So when they walk, they mimic a horse walk. During the Changing of the Guards, you can see another weird kind of walk. First, they make a “4” with their legs to represent the 400 years of Ottoman occupation. Next, they kick their foot out, pointed. This is to represent stepping over the dead. Then, they flex their foot to salute the dead. Finally, they step back to the ground and repeat.

This walk may induce a few laughs, but the symbolism behind it is strong and historic. It definitely deserves respect. 

Byzantine Churches

One of my favorite parts of Greece are the Byzantine churches. Some are big, some are small. They definitely have a different feel than the Catholic churches in western Europe. While Catholicism favors statues, Greek Orthodox prefers icons. This means that the insides of the churches are frescoed from floor to ceiling in the most beautiful colors and pictures from religion. 

All around the city, you can find these tiny, Byzantine churches. Most of them are under renovation right now, but you can still go inside and see what they are like. A long time ago, they were just the neighborhood churches. When the first king came to power, he banned these churches so that everyone would go to his church. To ensure the Greeks were not going to their churches, he raised the ground level. Greeks are very superstitious, and if the churches were below street level, you were looking down on God, and that was not ok. 

The giant church that was built is called the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. It’s very beautiful inside. I went inside on Saturday morning while a service was going on, which was definitely interesting. Apparently, this church is so rich that it could have bailed Greece out during the economic crisis. Famous people have weddings and funerals here, but it will cost you a pretty penny. 

Go See a Soccer Game

I love soccer. If I’m in a country, I always see if there is a soccer match that weekend because I love to see the different fans. While listening to one of my podcasts, it hit me: I had to see a match in Greece. I read about the best atmospheres and checked the schedule. Olympiacos had a match the weekend I was there.

For weeks before coming, I kept checking to see if tickets were available. Only the Wednesday before the game did they become available. I had to buy a €10 fan card and then pay for the tickets (which were only €30). 

If you go see Olympiacos, all you need to do is take the green metro line towards Piraeus and get off at the Faliro stop. The stadium is RIGHT off from the metro.

Olympiacos has some of the best fans in the world. I read a quote from Zlatan Ibrohimovic that claimed these fans were some of the best he had ever seen. From start to finish, they never stop. They sing songs, light flares, and the most disturbing, set off fire crackers. I don’t know how many times I jumped from a loud explosive noise. Yet, I couldn’t take my water inside.

I was relieved that the team they played was not very good. Only a few weeks before, a match between Olympiacos and cross-town rivals Panathianaikos was suspended in the 70^thminute due to fan violence.

 One thing is for sure: Greek fans go hard!

It’s Not For Everyone

Leading up to my trip to Greece, I didn’t feel that sense of excitement that I normally feel for my trips. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Athens is not for everyone. When I was in the airport, I heard someone say “I hate this f***ing place.” For me, however, it was amazing to think about all the history and feel the culture.

My biggest piece of advice if you go to Athens: be open. Greece is definitely different from western Europe. However, if you let it, Athens can really inspire you. I left wanting at least one more day. I, for one, will be back for more.