Vance - In Athens. pic 1. the acropolis hill from my roof,, pic w. souvlaki, below pic 3. the acropolis hill from the plaza monastiraki

From Vance email 25 September 2014. in athens, pic 1. the acropolis hill from my roof,, pic w. souvlaki, below pic 3. the acropolis hill from the plaza monastiraki 9/25/2014 6:00 PM

From D.C. 5 hours, 2 layover, 7 to frankfurt, 1 layover, 3 to athens arrived today with no bag. lufthanza airline probably did not get it on so they kindly gave me a package with toiletries and a tshirt and 200 euros. nice but hopefully ill get my bag tomorrow. 

 

arrived at 7:30 at attalos hotel, nice place, very spartan, reminds me of the abbeys we have stayed in bill and ann in rome and venice. simple but adequate and cheap. and i love the area, its just below the parthenon, which you see from everywhere. its in the monastiraki neighborhood, a bustling place with a plaza and streets striking off from the plaza packed with people playing drums and just being. the souvlaki restaurants are endlsss one flowing into the next. every taverna or restaurant has its own bozouki player, a fat beliied, plucked instrument and beautiful. souvlaki, for those who have never had it, think chicken breasts stacked onto a long spike which turns in front of a fire and roasts. as the outer edges roast the chef slices off the done parts, just a bit charred and serves with a yogurt cucumber sause...very tasty.

i cimbed a little hill and there were the diggings of another temple. across the street i bought a panama hat and then found a quiet restaurant, not crowded. i had some tasty little fried fish-gauros - think tiny sardines barely  dusted with flour and flash fried, crispy and just right with a small beer. cwai and noam you will appreciate two kitties immediately appeared and i shared half the plate with them. back to the hotel roof for a spectacular view of the whole hill, the acropolis with the temple to athena in the middle. its dramatically lighted nightly.

 

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vance