Text B. A Weekend in Athens
Only got a couple days to spend in Greece? Here you will read how to make the most of them.
After you arrive at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, take a bus, taxi or metro into the city and check into your hotel. You will need a centrally located hotel in or near the Plaka (Плака, середньовічний район Афін у підніжжя Акрополя) because this is where most of your time will be spent. The Plaka is the old historical section of Athens and one of the main attractions for the tourists. Restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops all can be found here. Lying in the shadow of the Acropolis, the picturesque Plaka is like a village within the city. Most of its streets are closed to automobile traffic. There are no nightclubs here, no loud music, no drugs. The Plaka is direct under the Acropolis.
The Acropolis of Athens is a large hill in the centre of Athens, on which the Parthenon and some other Greek architecture were built. Its monuments are universal symbols of the great ancient Greek civilization. In the second half of the fifth century B.C., an exceptional group of artists transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, and the small temple of Athena Nike (Athena Nike [∂‘θi:n∂ ‘naiki:] – Афіна Переможниця).
In the eveningif you are in a hotel in the Plaka have an ouzo ([‘uzou] – узо, грецький алкогольний напій) at one of the many cafes there. One place is just as good as another for a drink. It is easy to find a cozy taverna; all of them have good food. If you want a typical Greek bouzoukia night, go to the Old Taverna Stamatopoulos. The food is decent and the dancing can go on all night.
Sunday Morningis the traditional day for going to the Flea Market in Monastiraki. This is the day when people sell antiques and things to collect.
Many people drive along the coast to go to the beach and have lunch in a seaside taverna. It’s also a good day to visit the National Archaeological Museum or any of the numerous museums, galleries or archaeological sites of Athens,
Sunday afternooncan be the most enjoyable time of the weekend in Greece. In Athens friends meet, eat, drink and sometimes continue on into Sunday night. Or you may climb Lycabetos (Лікабет, гора майже в центрі Афін). From the top of this hill almost in the centre of Athens you can have an amazing panoramic view of the Greek capital.
In the evening go to a quiet taverna and have some wine. Think about how much fun you had in your weekend in Athens and make plans for your next trip to Greece for at least a week or two.