december-2009

116 | DESTINATION GUIDES
Athens
Greece
DIALLING CODE +30
CURRENCY €
FROM THE
AIRPORT
Visit the Europcar
desk on arrival
for special easyJet
infl ight rates.
Holiday Taxis
(easyJet.holiday
taxis.com) take you from
home to the airport, then
city or destination.
The fare is about
€35 to the centre.
Proastiako and
Metro line trains
UP TO €50
Respentza (24
Evmolpidon Street,
Gazi, tel: 210 341 4140)
A smart fi sh restaurant
in hip Gazi with a
rooftop conservatory
to show off amazing
Acropolis views all
the year round.
EXCLUSIVE Nabucco
(15 Themidos Street,
Ekali, tel: 210 813 2020)
Hidden amid a forest of
pines, this minimalist
restaurant is the venue
of choice for executive
types. The driving
force is chef Dimitris
Dimitriadis with his
accomplished selection
of post-modernist
Mediterranean fare.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Rockwood
(2 Vassilisis Irakliou
Street, Museum, tel:
210 823 0337) A classic
American-style bar with
a southern feel. It
offers a selection of
draft beers, bar food
and has mainstream
rock sounds playing in
the background.
LIVE MUSIC
Half Note Jazz Club
(17 Trivonianou Street,
Mets, tel: 210 921 3360)
This is a mecca for
lovers of jazz, ethnic and
world music. The line
up is full of international
stars and Mondays see
half price entry.
LATE & LIVELY Mad
(53 Persefonis Street,
Gazi, tel: 210 346
2027) The haven of
the indie rock scene in
Athens, now at a brand
new venue, expect a
reliably good night with
frequent live gigs.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Open-air street
markets are a major
feature of Athens life
and worth investigating.
Every district has its
own fruit and veg
market, where you can
also pick up unlikely
bargains such as
clothes, jewellery and
other sundry items.
SEE Retrospective
exhibitions of the
artists Mark Amerika
(Unrealtime) and Iran’s
Y.Z. Kami (Beyond
Silence) are on show at
the National Museum
of Contemporary Art
throughout this month
(EMST, 17–19 Rigillis
Street, emst.gr).
GO Apart from festive
decorations and lights,
the city of Athens lays
on a host of free events
and activities for young
and old during the
holiday season,
including an ice skating
rink by Zappion.
ESCAPE The ski resort
on Mount Parnassus
makes a great day trip
or weekend break,
just two hours away
from Athens. Be sure
to stop at the nearby
scenic village of
Arachova for some
après-ski refreshments.
TAXI TAXI
depart every 15–30
minutes for the city
centre. Tickets: €6
single; €10 return.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Simply
Burgers (38 Antinoros
Street, Pagrati, tel: 210
729 0007) A successful
burger chain launched
by a Greek-American
duo seeking to recreate
the authentic ‘Stateside’
experience.
UP TO €30 Archeon
Gefsis (22 Kodratou
Street, Karaiskaki
Square, tel: 210 523
9661) Chow down like
Socrates and Plato in
this themed restaurant,
which reconstructs
scrumptious dishes of
antiquity recreated after
much careful research
of ancient texts.
NO WAY!
Despite the huge tree
that the Athens city
hall erects in Syntagma
Square each year,
Christmas trees are
actually very new to
the country, the fi rst
arriving in 1833 with
the newly installed
Bavarian monarchy.
Eva Webster
Barcelona
Spain
DIALLING CODE +34
CURRENCY €
FROM THE
AIRPORT
Visit the Europcar
desk on arrival
for special easyJet
infl ight rates.
Holiday Taxis
(easyJet.holiday
taxis.com) take you from
home to the airport, then
city or destination.
A ride to the centre
costs €20–€25.
The Aerobus stops
every six to 15
minutes and heads to
Plaça Catalunya.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Santa
Marta (59 Grau i
Torras) Sit by the
beach and enjoy a tasty
Italian salad, sandwich
or pasta of the day at
Santa Marta.
UP TO €30 El Jardí
(56 Carrer de l’Hospital,
tel: 93 329 1550) Set in
the verdant courtyard
of the El Antic Hospital
Santa Creu, El Jardí is
a true oasis. Dine on
Mediterranean fusion
food and wash down
with a delicious mojito.
UP TO €50 Big Fish
(9 Comercial, tel: 93
268 1728) As the name
suggests, this trendy yet
cosy restaurant nestled
away in the back streets
of El Born only serves
fi sh, from sushi to the
fresh catch of the
day. Try the grilled
Palomós prawns.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Bar Zim
(20 Carrer Daguería)
This pint-sized bar is
the brainchild of a local
cheese trader, whose
shop is next door. It
offers a range of great
wines and masses of
Spanish cheese. Open
6pm–10pm daily.
LIVE MUSIC Palau
de la Música Catalana
(4–6 Carrer Palau de la
Música, tel: 90 244
2882) The city’s concert
hall has a packed
programme of classical
music this month. On
22 December, tenor
Josep Carreras stars in
the Christmas concert.
LATE & LIVELY
Jamsonik (116 Las
Ramblas) The liveliest
watering hole on Las
EXCLUSIVE
RESTAURANT
Evo (144 Gran Vía,
tel: 93 413 5030)
Michelin-starred chef
Santi Santamaría’s
restaurant is located
in a sci-fi pod. Try
the nine-dish tasting
menu, which includes
baby squid with
white asparagus,
while enjoying the
jaw-dropping view.
Ramblas offers budgetprice
cocktails to a
young crowd, while DJs
keep the mood buzzing.
THIS MONTH
SHOP From
1 December the streets
around the cathedral are
taken over with the Fira
Santa Llúcia, the city’s
Christmas market. Pick
up beautiful craft items
and unique decorations
for your tree back home.
SEE In December
a giant nativity scene is
built outside the city hall
on Plaça Sant Jaume. A
different artist, or group
of artists, is called upon
each year to design the
phenomenon, resulting
in a range of works from
traditional to highly
conceptual versions.
GO Remind yourself
of the true meaning of
Christmas by visiting
the city’s ancient
churches. The oldest is
Sant Pau del Camp,
a Romanesque jewel,
open Monday–Friday
(101 Sant Pau).
ESCAPE Take a walk in
the woods at Collserola
Natural Park. Hop off
the train at Baixador de
Vallvidrera (a 20minute
ride) where
there are picnic spots
and sign-posted paths.
NO WAY!
Caganers, squatting,
red-capped peasants
shown ‘fertilising’ the
ground, are regular
nativity scene fi gurines.
They’re supposedly
a gesture inspired
by Catalans’ innate
connection to the earth.
Suzanne Wales