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Thursday 25 April 2019

TRAVEL - Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to GREECE - Athens, Santorini & Mykonos Islands (Part 2) - Ancient Agora of Athens, Temple of Hephaestus, Hans & Gretel, Monastiraka Flea Market, Athens Sea Sponges.

TRAVEL - Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to GREECE
Athens, Santorini & Mykonos Islands (Part 2) 
IN GREECE ATHENS - Ancient Agora of Athens

Top Places of Interest to Visit in Greece Athens

Ancient Agora of Classical Athens
Adrianou 24, Athina 105 55, Greece

Temple of Hephaestus


When you go to Athens, all you think about is The Acropolis, actually the entire Athens is filled with lots of beautiful buildings. Both standing buildings and ruins. Honestly, to me, there's nothing more magnificent than these roman building behind me. If I had all the money in the world, I would love to build an entire palace that looks something like this, roman themed with high ceilings and many countless high pillars, with such granduer. 

Temple of Hephaestus
Athens 105 55, Greece

The Temple of Hephaestus or Hephaisteion or earlier as the Theseion, is a well-preserved Greek temple; it remains standing largely as built. It is a Doric peripteral temple, and is located at the north-west side of the Agora of Athens, on top of the Agoraios Kolonos hill.


Apart from The Acropolis of Athens, truly, there are many more places to visit in Athens. Such as, The Ancient Agora of Classical Athens, The Roman Agora, The Temple of Olympian Zeus, Syntagma Square, Temple of Hephaestus, Temple of Athena Nike, Arch of Hadrian, Zappeion, Gazi, and so many more.. Staying in Athens for a few days, wouldn't be enough to visit everything. I would recommend staying in Athens City itself for at least 1 week. 



What is The Ancient Agora of Athens Used For?

The Ancient Agora of Athens is the gathering place for an assembly. In Greek, Agora means a central public place. The agora was the center of the athletic, spiritual, artistic and political life in Athens.


Greece is ruled by Democracy

For the reason that there was democracy, people couldn't just be a leader, they had to be elected by the citizens first. In Ancient Greecedemocracy was the reason why they had no dictator or tyrant. People in Ancient Greece believed that citizens should choose rulers, and vote on matters themselves.



Museum of The Ancient Agora

I really like the structure of this building. The pillars and the length of the building looks really grandeur. Very nice for a photo shoot. 


The museum is housed in the Stoa of Attalos, and its exhibits are connected with the Athenian democracy. The collection of the museum includes clay, bronze and glass objects, sculptures, coins and inscriptions from the 7th to the 5th century BCE, as well as pottery of the Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation. The exhibition within the museum contains work of art which describes the private and public life in ancient Athens. 




In 2012, new sculpture exhibition was added to the museum which includes portraits from Athenian Agora excavation. The new exhibition revolves around portraits of idealized gods, officially honored people of the city, wealthy Roman citizens of the 1st and 2nd century; CE, 3rd-century citizens and finally on work of art from private art schools of late antiquity.







Hans & Gretel Athens

When I was strolling around Athens City Center, I can't help but noticed that a lot of people are eating ice cream from a very BIG and LONG cone. It looks really COLOURFUL, eye catching, and delicious all at the same time. Then I started smelling something really sweet and buttery, and I spotted a magical shop with a super long queue. I knew I had to check it out! When I went in, everything felt magical inside. It was fun and it smells like Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, you can see many girls dressed in costumes preparing lots of ice cream and cones and waffles for the people waiting in the line.



About Hans & Gretel

They are highly reviewed on Trip Advisor and other websites.

The good-natured witch Emily, Hans and Gretel traveled all over the world, tasted delicious sweets and finally discovered the magical recipes of bubble waffle, chimney cake and cotton candy.



Look at all the colourful and super long cones. I love it!



Well, I'm a ice cream monster. 
One Ice Cream a Day, Keeps Sara Happy all Day Long!

I found this video from their HANS & GRETEL's FACEBOOK
Looks good isn't it?

Go try it!

Monastiraki Flea Market
Ifestou 2, Athina 105 55, Greece


There's quite a few FLEA Markets in Athens. There's the Monastiraki Flea Market, Pandrossou Street Market, Thissio Market, etc. Its all located at the same area, so its would be nice for you to check them all out. Its busy and buzzing, you see the locals, going on with their daily lives, but you also see lots of tourist heckling for cheaper souvenirs. 



They sell lots of souvenirs, bags, shoes, sweaters, meat, spices, fruits, vegetables, etc. Its always nice to check out flea markets, cause then you will see whats the main item that each country would sell. The items there are all reasonably priced. I bought some fresh fruits! 

I HAVE NEVER TRULY SEEN REAL POULTRY LIKE THIS BEFORE


There's a WHOLEEE SECTION of BUTCHERS. I felt like I was in a HORROR MOVIE or something. It was just rows and rows of butchered meat, whole PIGS, and parts of LAMB, and Cow, etc. Quite scary, as I don't see much of such whole animals on sales on the racks in the supermarket. Feels completely different to be seeing these slaughtered animals in the real. 





The market sells a lot of Olives too. I think the Greeks use a lot of Olives in their traditional Greek food. They are also famous for their Olive Oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 


Some dried fruits..


In Athens, they sell lots of spongy looking thing, apparently its like corals, from the ocean that you can use to scrub your body when you shower.


There are seriously lots of sea sponges everywhere in all the gift shops in Athens.  These sea sponges are also inexpensive and drug from the bottom of the sea the old fashioned way by divers from Kalymnos Island.

History of Athens Sponges

The History and Tradition of Sponge Diving in Kalymnos Greece, Dodecanese: The small Dodecanese island of Kalymnos in the Aegean Sea is renowned as the center of the Greek sponge diving industry, which has flourished on the island since the ancient times. The history of sponge diving in Greece dates back to antiquity. The sponge and its usage is mentioned in the Homeric epics of Iliad and Odyssey, as well as in the writings of the philosopher Aristotle. The philosopher Plato also refers to sponge as an article that was commonly used in bathing, mostly by the rich people. 
Source: www.greeka.com


TRAVEL - Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to GREECE - Athens, Santorini & Mykonos Islands (Part 1) - The Acropolis, The Roman Agora, Dynasta Hotel Suites Athens. 


TRAVEL - Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to GREECE - Athens, Santorini & Mykonos Islands (Part 1) - The Acropolis, The Roman Agora, Dynasta Hotel Suites Athens. 



Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to New YorkCLICK HERE.
Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to San FranciscoCLICK HERE.
Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to Hong KongCLICK HERE.
Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to SydneyCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to BaliCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to SydneyCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to LondonCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to SpainCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to CebuCLICK HERE.



Friday 19 April 2019

TRAVEL - Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to GREECE - Athens, Santorini & Mykonos Islands (Part 1) - The Acropolis, The Roman Agora, Dynasta Hotel Suites Athens.

TRAVEL - Greece Athens, Santorini, Mykonos
Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to Athens Greece to visit The Acropolis, The Roman Agora, 
Athens Greece Main City, Dynasta Central Suites Athens, Traditional Greek Food
(PART 1)

Top Places of Interest to Visit in Greece Athens


During my Singapore Airlines flying days, I did manage to see The Acropolis with some of my colleagues. But honestly, it feels completely different to be traveling to a beautiful place with "strangers" as compared to your loved ones. Also, I did not manage to have enough time to visit Santorini and Myokonos while I was working for Singapore Airlines. Hence, I told myself that once, I find my Mr Right guy, I will go visit Athens again. 

So here are the details of my trip

I usually use AGODA APP (www.Agoda.com) to book all my hotels.

Dynasta Central Suites Athens
15-19 Praxitelous Athens Greece 10562
from Agoda website



I booked this place called Dynasta Central Suites at Praxitelous. It is a spacious service apartment styled hotel room found under Agoda Homes. This place is walking distance to The Acropolis and the main city center of the whole Athens. I was very happy with this place when I walked into it. I usually choose only hotels that is rated 9.5 stars reviews and above. This was probably 9.8 stars when I booked it. Its the highest reviewed one and probably also the newest one. 

I like to stay in newly renovated places so that the air smells fresher and also because I am a little germ phobic. I like things to be new and everything to be very clean, and also I'm very sensitive to smell. Therefore, I prefer to stay at good and top hotels and homes. Not to forget, that it has to be middle of town too as convenience is very important when you visit a country. It is not easy to rent a car and drive around in a city center as parking can be difficult and traffic is heavy too. To truly experience a new city, you must WALK in order to enjoy the true surroundings and indulge in the surroundings like a local walking on foot. 

Dynasta Central Suites Bedroom


Dynasta Central Suites Kitchen


Dynasta Central Suites Toilet


This place is neat and clean. 

DINNER AT MELILOTOS 
Kalamiotou 19, Monastiraki, Athens 105 60, Greece
@Melilotos_Restaurant 



I landed into Athens at night around dinner time. The first thing we did after checking into Dynasta Central Suites was to find a good Greek Dinner place. We just walked down stairs and in about 2 minutes we saw the main street. There are lots of restaurants around. This is a small but yet cosy family owned restaurant. They cook simple but traditional Greek food. The price of the food here is really reasonable. It ranges from 10 to 20 euros a dish. 


Traditional Greek Salad


Grilled Octopus with Lemon


Squid Ink Pasta


Traditional Setting Inside. Modern and Sleek. 


Dinner was really good. The Greek food uses a lot of Olive Oil. 

After dinner, we decided to go walk around to explore our hotel surrounding area. Thankfully, we are staying just walking distance from The Acropolis. Well, the Acropolis is the main reason we visit Athens in the first place. 

This is how Athens' streets look like in the night..



Zions





Athens Street Art





Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea
Ermou 55, Kapinkareas 2, Athina 105 63, Greece

The Church of Panagia Kapnikarea or just Kapnikarea is a Greek Orthodox church and one of the oldest churches in Athens. 



The Acropolis from BELOW at NIGHT..


It was getting late, so after walking around the Athens streets to get our bearings. We decided to go back to the Dynasta Central Suites to rest so that we can start our day early the next day.

DAY 2

Harvest Coffee & Wine
Aiolou 64 &, Evripidou, Athina 105 60, Greece



Harvest Coffee and Wine - The setting inside feels quite English. Quite a pretty place. Colourful and nicely decorated with wine bottles for their counter area. They served delicious eggs with salmon for breakfast and my boy had some muesli with yogurt and fruit. How healthy doc! 

Guards Changing at the City Center
Omonoia Square 

Omonoia Square is a central square in Athens. Forming the centre of Omonoia, It marks the northern corner of the downtown area defined by the city plans of the 19th century, and is one of the city's principal traffic hubs. It is served by Omonoia train station.






After breakfast, we went to walk around, and we were lucky enough to see a guard changing ceremony in at the Omonoia Square.

(Photo of the Omonoia Square taken from Wiki)

Walking to the Acropolis



The Acropolis is on the top of a hill, so we basically had to keep walking upwards. This is how the streets look like, there's lots of street art and graffiti around on their buildings, streets and walls. I think the Greek people are really artistic. Some may call it vandalism, but I like to think its really cool art. 

The Acropolis & Slopes
Athen Greece
Athens 105 58, Greece

The Athenian Acropolis is the ancient high city of Athens, a prominent plateaued rock perched high above the modern city with commanding views and an amazing array of ancient architecture, mostly from the Classical period of Ancient Greece, the most famous of which is the Parthenon. A visit to Athens is not complete without visiting the Acropolis - hundreds of tourists each day accordingly make the pilgrimage.


How much is The Acropolis Entrance Tickets?

The cost of entrance to the Acropolis is about 20 euros and is good for the other sites in the area including the ancient agora, theatre of Dionysos, Kerameikos, Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds and the Temple of Olympian Zeus and is supposedly good for a week. You can also buy individual tickets to these other sites.



Where is the Acropolis Entrance?

The entrance to the Acropolis is off Theorias St. From the Akropoli metro stop and New Acropolis Museum, walk west along Dionysiou Areopagitou Street and take the first right on to Theorias; from the Thissio metro stop west of Monastiraki, walk west to Apostolou Pavlou St, turn left on it, and walk south to turn left on Theorias. From Plaka, you can walk south up steep Mnisikleous St as far as you can go and turn right on Theorias.




How much time is needed to visit The Acropolis?

The complete tour takes about 1h 30 minutes, You can visit Acropolis and museum in 4 hours and the archeological museum 2 hours, but you will be more tired when you visit in the hot sun during the summer hot temperatures. The best time to visit would be during autumn and spring time. Winter may be a little bit cold, but ticket prices would be slightly cheaper during winter as well. 

The Parthenon at The Acropolis


What is the difference between The Acropolis and The Parthenon?

The Parthenon is the most famous monument on top of that rock. The Acropolis, a rocky hill in the centre of Athens. On its flat top, three temples: the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the temple of Athena Nike. The name Acropolis derives from the Greek words AKRO (meaning peak, top) and POLIS (meaning city).

It is really windy at the top of the hill. Do wear comfortable shoes as you need to walk upwards a lot. 


What is the Acropolis used for? What is its Purpose? What does it serve as?

The Acropolis is the crowning jewel of Athens and one of the most important cultural sites in the world. This incredible, sprawling complex was the birthplace of democracy and the most important center of ancient Greece.

View of Theatre of Dionysus from The Slopes of The Acropolis
The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major theatre in Athens, considered to be the world's first theatre, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis.




How was the Acropolis destroyed?

The Acropolis was captured and destroyed by the Persians 10 years later (in 480 B.C.). Although the Athenians and other Greeks were eventually victorious over their eastern enemies, the Acropolis lay in ruins. Athens was invaded and partially destroyed by the Heruli from northern Europe.



Ancient Buildings

On the Acropolis

  • The Parthenon— The largest temple on the Acropolis, originally dedicated to the goddess of
the city, Athena, later converted to a church and then a mosque. Built between 447 and 438 BCE at the height of the Classical period. Original home to what some refer to as the "Elgin Marbles", now in London's British Museum.
  • The Temple of Athena Nike— First temple on the Acropolis to be built in the Ionic style, and one of the few exemplars of an amphiprostyle temple in all of Greece: what made it truly unique was the unit by which it was planned, which turns out to be the Egyptian foot of 300 mm.
  • The Erectheion— Dedicated to the worship of the two principal gods of Attica, Athena and Poseidon-Erechtheus.
  • The Propylea— The ancient monumental gateway to the Acropolis.

On the South Side

  • The Odeon of Herodes Atticus: This ancient theatre is still used today for concerts and plays.
  • The Theatre of Dionysis


LUNCH AT COLLAGE
 Kapnikareas 3, Athina 105 63, Greece


Its time for lunch! We walked into this modern looking restaurant, it is huge and spacious and it has a very nice wine collection. It has a very colourful bar counter too. Ambience was perfect. Food was served like as if it was like fine dining, as the Cod Fish I had was really pretty. Well done for their food plating and decorations. 



I wanted to try another Greek Salad again, because I really loved the one I had the night before.


Look at how pretty my COD FISH looks. It even has caviar on my spaghetti. 


The Collage's Wine Collection



Roman Agora of Athens
Polignotou 3, Athina 105 55, Greece

The Roman Agora is located to the north of the Acropolis and to the east of the Ancient Agora.


Public life in the city of Athens was concentrated in and around the Agora, the market, a large rectangular shaded with plane trees, willows and poplars, ornamented with fountains, statues and votive offerings, surrounded by porticos where the merchants and sellers sold all sorts of goods and provisions. There were also the bankers of the time, the hairdressers, the perfumers, men of business, men of letters, artists and artisans, politicians, orators, philosophers, who walked and discussed on all issues of life and the questions of the day.   



The structures in this Roman Agora Area - Tower of the WindsGate of Athena ArchegetisEast PropylonFethiye MosqueAgoranomionVespasianae (Latrinae). 



Tower of the Winds

Aiolou, Athina 105 55, Greece


The Tower of the Winds or the Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes is an octagonal Pentelic marble clocktower in the Roman Agora in Athens that functioned as a horologion or "timepiece". It is considered the world's first meteorological station. Unofficially, the monument is also called Aerides, which means Winds.



TRAVEL - Sara Shantelle Lim Travels to GREECE - Athens, Santorini & Mykonos Islands (Part 2) - Ancient Agora of Athens, Temple of Hephaestus, Hans & Gretel, Monastiraka Flea Market, Athens Sea Sponges.

Museum of The Ancient Agora




Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to New YorkCLICK HERE.
Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to San FranciscoCLICK HERE.
Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to Hong KongCLICK HERE.
Read about my First Class Singapore Airlines Travel to SydneyCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to BaliCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to SydneyCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to LondonCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to SpainCLICK HERE.
Read about my Business Class Singapore Airlines Travel to CebuCLICK HERE.

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