27th February 2023.
“Show us the hill already !”
No ! not that one ! That’s Mount Lycabettus (I think), the one you get to by a funicular. I’ll save my funicular ride for Bridgnorth, I think.
Monday was Acropolis Day. It was also “Clean Monday” in Greece, apparently, the first day of Lent, when folk fly a kite in honour of the Mary Poppins characters who weren’t covered in soot or something.
But first, calamari and beer at Thea by Latifis, a plain cafe in Plaka, the tourist quarter.
Mrs RM remembered a scruffy, smoggy, Plaka from 1987, but these days the cruise shippers get a spotless, clean warren of souvenir shops and smart caffs and artisanal ice cream.
Inside Thea you get a reminder of the times when a holiday in Greece meant plate smashing and ouzo.
Did I tell you that in 1987, about the time Mrs RM was doing cultural stuff at the Parthenon, my mate Simon and I were getting told off by a Thomsons tour rep in a Corfu taverna. “The impromptu Greek dancing hasn’t started yet !” he chided us.
I almost got in as much trouble with Mrs RM in 2023 by attempting an ascent of the Acropolis from the north side to avoid the 10 euros admission charge. It’s a dead end, but the houses up Stratonos were worth the diversion.
So here’s the official route, a bit of a slog for the unfit even on a perfect 16 degrees morning.
Folk who like old statues with bits chopped off will be thrilled.
but the temples at the top are undeniably impressive,
and the Parthenon itself might yet get finished before the Sagrada Familiar.
The entrance fee means a complete absence of hawkers and hustlers on the hill; in fact your only refreshment option is a discreetly placed water vending machine. The Greeks attitude to their heritage is commendable.
We walked back down the west of the hill and admired the ancient graffiti,
and newer cats. The Greeks don’t seem that affectionate about their cats (hardly any dogs, hurrah !) but they look well fed.
Loads of cafes round the foot of the hill with views back up to the Parthenon; Mrs RM chose the expensive one with the rooftop views, presumably because she was missing English beers.
Despite 8 euros for half a litre of Fullers ESB sounding like a Parcel Yard level bargain, we stuck to the house lager and failed to do justice to the view.
Nice close-up of the beer, mind.
Credit for blog title : Pubmeister.
retiredmartin 
Hard to think of other European tourist sites that require that kind of walk. Kind of nice it is overrun with taxis up the side of the hill.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very un touristy from the Eastern approach.
LikeLike
That’s a great title for your post, Martin, the kind of pun I’d be proud to come up with myself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Matthew, it was one of my very best. Pure coincidence that Duncan had used it a month ago, I’m sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I’ll save my funicular ride for Bridgnorth, I think” – a rare inland one. There’s plenty on the coast though.
Bottled fullers beers a plenty, though I thought Asahi had stopped exporting them.
LikeLiked by 1 person