Vouliagmeni by night...

Summer is almost over...even in Greece. People are back from their holidays, kids are starting school soon. So you can hardly find a place to have a coffee in Athens on Sunday evening. Furthermore you need loads of luck to find a parking space. But there's one magic place that you can always count on - Vouliagmeni. Living its own rhythm, breathing the fresh sea breeze, making the temperature bearable and the walk extremely enjoyable. Walking along the coast, starting from Astir Palace Vouliagmeni, passing closed at this hour Okeanida Restaurant and beautiful beach underneath it, and reaching countless coffee shops, bars and restaurants in the end of the bay. You cannot stop thinking of lives that people living there are experiencing, of their daily routine. It's so glamorous and breathtaking that you catch yourself spying on them, lounging on their enormous balconies, sipping on their margeritas and having this extraordinary view for themselves.....

If not a beach...

Today, instead of heading down to the beach, decided to take advantage of free entrance to the museums due to the National Holiday. And for the first time visited very lovely Numismatic Museum, situated at Panepistimiou Street, just off the Syntagma Square. Museum's building is a former house of Heinrich Schliemann, an archeologist, who was working on excavations of Troy. 

According to the author of 'Archeology and Arts' Touratsoglou the collection of the museum contains 600,000 objects, mainly coins, but also medals, standard masses, dies and stamps from the 14th century BC up to modern times. Highly recommended, especially on the hot day like today, since the whole building is very nicely air-conditioned:)

It's been 3 months since I managed to share with my athenian life, but it doesn't mean that it's been boring! Recently I decided to dust off my beautiful bicycle and take it for a spin down the shore. Spring is here so I cannot recommend it more than to do the same. From Nea Smyrni down to Vouliagmeni, via Alimos, Glyfada and Voula. For those who know Athens even a bit, lack of bike paths is not a surprise, but there's a decent amount of quite good side lanes and wider sidewalks to enjoy the ride. All the way from Marina Flisvou to Vouliagmeni is around 16 kms. The pain is nothing comparing to the joy of the fresh breeze ( sometimes a lil'bit of polluted air;) and the scenic route by the sea. Highly recommended!!!!

Something old and something new:)

Despite of a cold to the bones decided to go today for a lovely walk in the centre. Starting at the Acropolis's  foothill went around Plaka, with almost no tourists, and then we reached Monastiraki and Thisio just on time for the Sun to come out from behind the clouds and warm us up.

We were hoping actually to visit Acropolis today, but no surprise it was closed due to an unknown reason...Decided then to do second best, and actually better since avoiding the cold wind on the top, and we went to the 13th floor of Hilton Athens Hotel. Just on time for a beautiful sunset over the city and a distant sea, which thanks to very clear atmosphere and amazing visibility, seemed like next to us. With couple of cold beers we could still enjoy the Acropolis but instead of making a sequel of "Gone with the Wind" we did what Elvis did in Acapulco Hilton!(minus the swimming pool and Ursula Anders;)