45
JULY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
Ifyou’reafterabeachholidaynearAthensyoudon’teven
have tohead to the islands.Hopaboard theAthenscoastal
tramwhich takesyou fromSyntagmaSquare to thesparkling
beachesof theAthensRiviera inaroundanhour, soyoucan
combine thebestof thecitywithabitofseaside fun.
the ancient Acropolis citadelwith its spectacular
Parthenon
temple, one of the city’smust-see sites.
Butwhile there’s plentyof talk of the new, Athenians
haven’t forgotten their roots. Columnby column, the once
crumblingAcropolis is expanding, part of the city’s plan to
restore it to its former glorywhen it presidedoverAthens.
These daysmost visitors catch sight of the ancient city at
the
AcropolisMuseum
[ 4 ]
(DionysiouAreopagitou 15,
theacropolismuseum.gr), designedbyBernardTschumi
Architects tohouse every single item found at theAcropolis.
And this is a city that knows how topreserve its heritage.
In a restored villaon a leafy avenue, the
BenakiMuseum
[ 5 ]
(entry from€3, freeThursdays, Koumpari 1, benaki.gr) gives
visitors a chance towander throughGreece’s turbulent history,
from the age of antiquityon the ground floor to the formation
ofmodernGreece three storeys up.
A 10-minute taxi ride away (metered cabs are relatively
cheaphere, this short journey costing€3) lies the
Pireos
StreetCultural Centre
(entry from€2, free onThursdays, 138
Pireos&Andronikou Streets, benaki.gr), anoffshoot of the
BenakiMuseumwith an excellent photographic exhibitionon
the third floor. Running under the theme
ReframingMemory
,
the
AthensPhotoFestival
[ 6 ]
(until 27 July) showswork
from emerging and established artists from all over the
world, tracing their explorations ofAthens past andpresent.
Days are long andhot inAthens, the heat hitting its peak
after 2pm– leavingmanypeople to seek respite in the shaded
coffee houses that line the city’s streets. The drink of choice
this summer is the frappé–heaped spoonfuls of strongGreek
coffee blendedwith ice, sugar andmilk. Small bakeries do
goodones, as does chain
Everest
(everest.com.gr) – there’s
one onnearly everymain street.
Athenianswake late anddine late– it’s not unusual to see
gaggles of diners trailing into restaurants at 10.30pm. Locals
wanting to impress guestswith good food and evenbetter
views head to
OrizontesLycavittou
(orizonteslycabettus.gr),
a restaurantwith a terrace on the highest hill ofAthens,
overlooking theAcropolis and the port of Piraeus, cruise ships
drifting towards the country’s islands in the distance.
Inother parts of the city, Athens’ culinary scene is looking
more innovative than ever. In aneoclassical courtyard,
hemmedbywisteriaand sweet-smelling Chinese jasmine,
sophisticatedAthenians dine at
Aleria
[ 7 ]
(Meg. Alexandrou
57, aleria.gr), a family-run restaurant servingmodern takes
Athensby
coastal tram
MARINA
ALIMOS
PARALIA
GLYFADAS
VOULIAGMENI
TRAIN
MetroLine3 (blue) runs to
SyntagmaSquare from theairport every
30minutes, from6.30am to 11.30pm, €8.
TAXI
WelcomePickups (welcomepickups.
com)willmeetyouat theairport and take
you to thecentre in40minutes for the
costofa regular taxi –without thehassle.
METRO
Afive-daypass for thepublic
transport system (includingbuses, trams
and trains) costs€10.
TOURISTBOARD
thisisathens.org
Gettingaround
EDEN
AGIO
KOSMAS
VOULAS
ALAMY
...then takebus 114,
115or 116 to
