Neoclassical Athens Walk

I didn’t go with my Trafalgar group on their Athens sightseeing tour as I had already seen all of the sights that they would be visiting. I understand that Sandra, our Trafalgar land tour guide, gave a very good tour of the Acropolis and other sights in Athens. Then, Mary, our Trafalgar rep in Athens, led a tour to the Plaka and Monastiraki. There was still plenty of time left for the group to visit other sights on their own. Instead, I took the Metro to the Syntagma station and made my way to the Attica Department Store, the largest department store in Greece, which opened in April 2005. I needed to purchase some warmer clothes than I had brought as Athens was getting very chilly. The Attica is a swanky store but still carried some reasonably priced clothes. I soon discovered that shopping at the Attica was different from shopping at Macy’s in the U.S. You did not go through a stack of clothes to pick out what you wanted to buy. Rather, you went through clothes that were hung on hangers and then told the salesperson which item you wanted, what size, and what color and it was gotten for you. If you decided to buy it, the salesperson took it to the checkout counter for you. If you wanted to look at items at a nearby section of the store, you needed to go through another salesperson. After purchasing what I needed, I found myself on Panepistimious (University) Street and I took a 19th–century Neoclassical Athens Walk on it. The first building I passed was the Palace of Troy, which was the private residence of the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who excavated the cities of Troy and Mycenae.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

The next building was the Catholic Church of Agios Dionysios––a mixture of Renaissance, early Christian, and Neoclassical architecture. Lysandros Kaftantzoglou, a famous Greek architect, designed the building.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Surprisingly, this building was also designed by Lysandros Kaftantzoglou, the architect who designed the very different building in the last photo. This building is the Opthalmology Clinic and is of a neo–Byzantine style which didn’t catch on.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

The next three buildings make up the University Complex and are referred to as a Neoclassical Trilogy of Buildings. The first is the Academy of Arts, built in 1859.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Closer–up view of the Academy of Arts with statues of Athena and Apollo on the tall columns.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Close–up of the statue of Apollo.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Close–up of the statue of Apollo.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

The second building of the trilogy is the University, built between 1839 and 1864. It is no longer used for classes.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Statue in front of the University.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

Neoclassical Athens Walk

The third building of the trilogy is the National Library, built in 1902. It is the most important library in Greece.

Neoclassical Athens Walk

God’s Restaurant

The Panepistimio Metro station was near where I was, so I next took the Metro to the Akropoli station near my hotel. When we went to dinner last night, I noticed that the restaurant next door to it (“God’s Restaurant” read one sign; another read “Restaurant of the Gods”) was recommended by the Lonely Planet travel guides. I decided to try it. This was a different type of restaurant than I had previously been to in Athens. The proprietor (shown in the photo) invites you into his kitchen and you get to view the dishes that he has cooked this day. Then, you order one of the dishes. I ordered a chicken dish, a Greek salad, and a Diet Coke. For 15 euros, it was not a great meal.

God’s Restaurant

Restaurant Piano Vitro

This is the restaurant that we ate at last night. Notice that it is crowded––the food was better here. A sign on its front window says that it was recommended by the New York Times. After lunch, I went back to my hotel, took a long nap, and started packing, as tomorrow our Trafalgar tour was leaving Athens.

Restaurant Piano Vitro

Plaka

We were offered, by Trafalgar, an optional dinner/show in the Plaka for this evening. This photo shows a very enticing invitation to dine on the way up to the O Yeros to Maria restaurant, where we would dine.

Plaka

O Yeros to Maria Restaurant

This restaurant was the very next restaurant up the hill from the one that I had lunch at on my first day of Athens. On that day, I had found this area by mistake. The dinner/show was 43 euros. The menu included: starters––fried zucchini, Greek salad, tzaziki, cheese pies, Dolmades, and eggplant salad; main course––lamb, chicken, or pork kebobs; dessert––fruit, ice cream, or baklava; and wine, soft drinks, or beer included. Quite a feast. I have put two movie clips of the show at the restaurant: Go to Movies, Western Europe, Greece, ” O Yeros to Maria Restaurant, Athens: Greek Music”  and “O Yeros to Maria Restaurant, Athens: Zorba the Greek Dance” (I know that it is the third movie clip of the Zorba the Greek Dance, but I very much like the dance.)

O Yeros to Maria Restaurant