Places to Visit Near Patra

Reached Patras after a night's journey. Via Taxi reached Patras bus stand where we booked tickets for Athens. Across coastline, it was a beautiful journey. And It was mathematics all around as P is written as π ; A as @, B as Beta β; it was fun to judge my secondary school knowledgeSpent 3 days in Athens and visited Acropolis, Parthenon, Syntagma Square, Temple of Olympian Zeus and Police station (as my friend lost his wallet and we had to lodge complaint). Europe (Greece, Turkey) with an Asian feeling starts as you sail across Mediterranean as I could see the street vendors culture selling spices etc. across Athens.

Athens is the land of Gods and heroes and is one of the most iconic cities in Europe. It's an old city with narrow lanes, but has a vibrant feel with its bustling cafes, bars and restaurants. The city's cultural and social life passes by these ancient monuments merging the past and the present in an enigmatic manner. It is a city where culture, history, nightlife and food welcome you with open arms. Hotels in Athens can be expensive, so it's ideal to check out affordable Airbnbs or hostels! Food in touristy areas is expensive, so opt for going a little off the trail and having true Greek food!Cheapest Month to Fly: July 2017 from MumbaiMust See: The Acropolis, The Parthenon, The Roman Stadium, Syntagma Square, Plaka (the neighbourhood of the Gods).Must Eat: Moussaka (eggplant, meat and tomato layered dish), Souvlaki (grilled meat or veggies), Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), Galaktoboureko (custard in filo pastry) and Ouzo liquor.Must Do: Go water-skiing at the Saronic Gulf, Watch the changing of guards at the parliament building; Pass by the Hadrian’s Arch; Visit the Temple of Zeus; Be artsy and see the Athenian Street/Graffiti Art; Shop at flea markets, specially at Monastiraki; Eat traditional Greek foodApproximate Cost for a day: Attractions – Rs. 1000; Food – Rs. 1600; Inter-city travel via public transport – Rs. 250; Accommodation – Average cost for 1 night – Rs. 1800 on double occupancy.

Athens is a beautiful city which still keeps alive its culture. Although a bit damaged by the natural forces, the Acropolis stands tall and is still the highest point of the city. It is such a glorious sight from any part of the city. Every bit of the area near Acropolis and Parthenon speaks of its glorious past. Once there, it transports us back in history and we could literally visualize the Greeks in their traditional attire and soldiers clad in all armour near their temple of victory- The Parthenon.

1. Athens: I would recommend staying in a hotel with metro access. We stayed in Athens for a couple of nights at Hotel Areos (100 EUR per night) and found the location to be quite convenient. The hotel is a 5 min walk from Victoria station (See map below). Victoria is a couple of stops from both Monastiraki and Syntagma and a very convenient base to explore the city. The area is also less expensive as compared to Monastiraki.

I left the next day for Athens, where I was going to spend three days. I went to the old city of Acropolis, and a few other sites but unfortunately, my trip was cut short when Greece Airport decided to go on strike. My flight back to Rome was cancelled and I had a flight to New Delhi from Rome that very day. My visa too was expiring on my last day. After some frantic research, I crossed paths with others who were facing the same plight. An American couple studying in Rome had to be in the city for an exam. To get back to Rome, we had a take two-day trip on bus, boat, train, and bus. I barely got back to Rome on time for my flight. It was a hectic trip and I did not get time to bid good-bye to either Greece or Italy but now when I look back now, it was an adventure of a lifetime.

Day 2 in Athens was planned to see the sights and eat the local food and this is what we did we jumped on the metro & hopped from station to station looking to for recommended shops to eat, walked on the streets of Syntagma, Evangelismos & Monastriki & stuffed our stomachs to its brim . It felt like we were in a chapter from a retro book with shopping bags and street maps of the city in our hands. We went back to our hotel to collect our luggage as we were flying to Santorini the same night.

We landed in Athens from London. Athens is a historic place for sure. But I am not into so much history. We were on ourselves in Athens . It is a very well connected place through subways. We were in Athens when people there were conducting serious strikes against government and I was even afraid. We saw old Acropolis which is very famous and has a history. It was ruined. Then we came down to new Acropolis museum , spent some time there understanding some history. Then we went to Zeus temple which had also a lot of ruins. This was in Sintagma square . We took a subway to reach here.  Then we were done for the day.

Trip first published on Happily Tanned

It all started from here! No literally. City of Athens stands tall with some of the greatest achievements of mankind. The birthplace of democracy in all its splendour and glory represents a thousands of years of cultural evolution. Greeks were the avant-garde of sports, modern medicine, mathematics and sciences that we practice today.