I see him once a year, more
if I’m lucky. He meets me at a small hotel near the Acropolis, elegant as
always, sporting olive green trousers, a crisp shirt, English suede brogues,
and an olive kerchief. His bearded face smiles. He pushes my suitcase into the
small, mirrored elevator and I follow him.
My bag is so heavy it looks
like I have bite-marks on my shoulder. Luggage bites. I shouldn’t have brought
so many books. Here I am in Athens with my father. I show him the present brought
him from Spain: a chunk of manchego cheese. We hear a car stop outside and peer
over the balcony. Daisy has arrived.
An hour later we are
wandering around the Acropolis. We see a man singing on the street and Daisy
stops to talk to him. My father shows us the city with an ice cream cone in one
hand. He delights in pointing out the narrow streets, old neon signs, hidden
corners, and fashionable bars. We stop in a subterranean spot, The Speakeasy. I
order a gin & tonic with white peppercorns and a slice of grapefruit. More
drinks, more stories. Dinner follows. We feast at Tzitzikas & Mermingas.
After a digestive stroll to the hotel Daisy presents us with chocolates from
Fortnum & Mason. My father leaves, manchego in hand.
The next day Daisy and I
visit the Acropolis Museum. She marvels at the vertigo-inducing glass floors.
We pause in front of a statue of Aphrodite. Her stone face is stained with
copper eyelash tears.
I want to visit the Classic
Car Museum but there isn’t time. Soon we are on the boat, perusing the 60s pulp
paperbacks Daisy brought from London. They are obscene and hilarious. Together
we devour the hours.
A QUICK GUIDE TO
ATHENS (PART TWO)
Visit The
Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the classic car museum, and the Benaki Museum.
If you’re exploring the Acropolis, make
an evening of it and walk to the fantastic gelateria La Greche, have a cocktail
at Speakeasy (address: Lekka 12, Syntagma), then have a bite at Tzitzikas & Mermingas.
According to my Athenian friends here are
some fun Athenian areas to walk around in:
Koukaki (artistic, good for nightlife, close
to Plaka and the Acropolis.
Mets (hip bars and restaurants. Check out
Hotel Chelsea.)
Petralona (cool cafés)
Here are some other semi-secret bars...
There are lots of hipper places to stay
but if you want somewhere friendly, basic, and clean, in a convenient neighborhood the
Acropolis Select Hotel is good.
You can read about my last trip to Athens here.
The view from the ferry. |
No comments:
Post a Comment