Greek Diary - Food of Athens, Greece
If you are new here, then I hope you've got a cup of coffee or tea at hand and you're able to push pause on life for a second. Slow travel is really all about that…taking a moment to look up and look around. I am living in the country of Georgia this year, but I headed over to Greece for a couple of weeks to celebrate turning 50.
Nothing tells the story of a culture like its cuisine.
What better way to get to know Athens, Greece then through its flavors?
I found a food tour with Julia and George on AirBNB Experiences.
George is the straight man to Julia's wild energy. Married for 40 years, they communicate in a dance of movement and gesture. We walked the market sampling olives and peppers. My favorite are the ones covered in dried oregano.
We sampled fresh house-made Greek yogurt made at Stani. It's the only place still making their own and it was unreal topped with local honey and nuts.
We tried dried meats and regional cheeses, learned how to make tzaziki and dakos, and wandered for almost four hours with a group that became new friends quickly. It was such a great experience. I love meeting other community architects who figure out creative ways to bring people together.
Now, traveling around a country in the EU takes a little more money than traveling in a developing one. So, I look for ways to be economical like taking the metro or bus rather than a taxi and finding cultural experiences that don't involve an entrance fee.
Three things I did to save a little money were to hike up and around the Acropolis for some breathtaking views, stopped off at Syntagma Metro Station to check out the antiquities inside. They've a museum set up of what they found when building the station. And upstairs at Syntagma Square, the changing of the guard. The big one happens on Sunday at 11AM, but smaller ones happen every day.
Because you can't stand around forever.
The Evzones are the infantry unit that guards the tomb of the unknown soldier as well as the president and parliament at Syntagma Square. And you can't beat the uniforms with their tasseled hats and pom-pom topped leather shoes.
Did you know that each pom-pom weighs 1.5kg or almost 3.5lbs! The shoe itself is hard red leather with over 60 nails in the sole.
Because I saved some money sightseeing, I could splash out on a fine dining experience. Something I used to do in each country I went to. I get to brush my hair and practice all my best manners. (Barbizon Modeling School class of '86)
Le Pavillon is set in a beautifully updated 1940s bungalow style house in the Chalandri neighborhood in Athens. Chalandri itself is modern and full of residential apartment buildings. I think it's probably lost a lot of its charm…as development will do to a place. Once you walk inside the front gates of Le Pavillon however, you forget everything else.
Chef Jean Charles Métayer is French and has combined French and Greek flavors to make an exquisite menu. I love that he came out to wish me a happy birthday. And they had a 0% wine for me that honestly was good. Most zero-proof wines are not great but this one from Spain was light and lovely.
Did I do all of this on one day? Yes, yes I did. Dinner reservations were at 8PM so I had time to walk off the morning food tour and I hit 15,000 steps! I even had a smoothie snack at Wild Souls while walking around. Their pumpkin smoothie was the perfect pick-me-up in the afternoon.
I'm headed to the islands to soak up the sun so things are going to get a little bit brighter (and bluer) soon. I'm going south to Mykonos and then on to Naxos to hit the beaches and make it in time for olive harvesting.
With love from Greece,
Jenny
