A stroll around Athens

We went to Athens yesterday, our first visit since we arrived in Greece last week.  We got off the bus at Makriyanni and walked through the streets of Plaka which seemed incredibly quiet after the summer.

This is the Melina café, named after Melina Merkouri.

 

Some of the cafes were quite busy with people enjoying the sunshine

 

 

 

but the tavernas were empty

 

 

 

 

as it was too early for lunch.

 



 

 







We came across this graffiti on one of the walls of a public building:

'And they came back, with their shiny new vehicles, intending to collect more taxes. As they disembarked they felt that they were walking on cotton wool, rather than solid ground. What they encountered were haunted eyes and hands that were holding stones. Many of the vehicles remained there. Those that departed never came back. Never....'

You can't walk far in Athens without coming across antiquities - this is the ancient Angora

and this is the entrance to the Roman Agora.

 

The old Mosque which is a folk museum nowadays

 

 

 

Pandrosou Street which is full of tourist shops

 



 

 

a Byzantine church on Ermou Street

 



 

 

 

 

 

the new H&M shop on Ermou Street looks truly spectacular

 



 

 

the view from the first floor

 

 

 

 

the old part of the building 

 

 

 

an old street organ with the organ player dressed appropriately

 

 

 

 

higher up on Ermou Street we came across this lot

 



 

 

who were advertising Windows 10.



 

 

Ermou Street was really busy. We have been told that November was an awful month for businesses but December seems to be picking up

 

A salepi seller - as the sign says it's a drink made out of orchid roots. I have to confess that I have never tried it

 

 

Finallly, a koulouri seller. Koulouria are yummy and Ken always buys one when we go to Athens.