GO...UP & AWAY - JAXFAX Travel Marketing Magazine

EUROPE
full of life.” Just outside the new Acropolis Museum, there is a
walkway, that runs down to the Plaka and is definitely worth the
walk for insight into this city.
Dine Like the Ancients
The media coordinator at the GNTO notes: “Very few visitors
stay long enough to realize that Athens has a coastal area.
They stay within the confines of the downtown area so they
have no awareness of what has become a coastal strip of
great dining spots along the waterfront.” Athens’ culinary
scene is also given short shrift, though the last 10 years–especially
the moments leading to the Olympics–have seen a
flurry of restaurant openings, ranging from restaging Ancient
Greek cuisine to nouveau cuisine and Eastern Greek choices
that has been influenced by Constantinople.
Families with children and groups might enjoy the Archaeon
Gefsis, a group of restaurants that feature Ancient Greek cuisine.
Waiters dress like Ancient Greeks and diners adapt to the “ancient
Greek” culture of not using a fork but just spoons and
knives, tasting citron rather than lemons and herbal teas instead
of coffee all to the sounds of flute and stringed musical instruments.
Expect dinner to last between three and four hours. Hytra
Restaurant (the word refers to a traditional pot used in Greek cuisine)
is known for its reinvented classical Greek cuisine with a
nouveau flair including special mezes and an emphasis on freshness
and flavors based on the owner’s Cretan roots.
“A short ride out to the suburbs like Vouliagmeni, Kavouri or
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Sounion get you to beautiful beaches and seaside restaurants
and cafes,” says Pappas. “About 20 minutes from Piraeus visitors
can take a hydrofoil and spend the day on the charming and
beautiful island of Hydra known for its artist community and
where there are no cars allowed.”
There are three Agoras or markets in town; the ancient one
just northwest of the Acropolis, the Roman one near the
Plaka–both which have been closed for centuries–and the
Agora or Central Market on Athinas Street, which is worth a
visit. Once the civic and commercial heart of Ancient Athens,
the functioning Agora is lined with fish, meat, olives, dry
goods, nuts and herbs. “Aside from Plaka there is Monasteraki
with its Sunday flea market and boutique shops,” suggests
Pappas, adding “the city comes alive at night when the sites
are illuminated: Parliament, University, Academy, National Library,
Acropolis, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Zappion, Catholic
Cathedral, Constitution Square.”
Contact the Greek National Tourist Organization at 212-421-
5777; email: info@greektourism.com; www.visitgreece.gr
Cloud’s Tastes of Greece in Spring
If your clients love good food and wine, suggest Cloud Tours’
Tastes of Greece, a 14-day discovery tour through Greece highlighting
wines and food. This independent tour includes round-trip
airfare New York/Athens (fuel surcharge as well), all Greek domestic
air and hydrofoils, two nights in Paros, four nights in Santorini,
four nights in Crete, wine tasting in Paros and Santorini,
cooking classes in Santorini & Crete, city tour of Athens with the
Acropolis, a tour through beautiful and traditional towns in Crete,
daily breakfast, hotel service fee and taxes, car rentals in Crete and
Santorini and all transfers. Rates begin at $3,229 per person double;
travel is April – October. Imagine a day visiting Olympia, the
site of the first Olympic Games, topped off with a visit to the Mercouri
Winery. Nearby is the wine-making town of Nemea, famous
in ancient times as the place where Hercules slew the Lion of
Nemea. Self-drive itineraries are available. Cloud Tours can adjust
this itinerary to fit your clients’ time table without additional fees or
include a cooking class of a wine tasting in any of their island hopping
tours. Cloud Tours specializes in island hopping and honeymoons
to Greece; the company also combines cruising with stays
in Mykonos, Santorini and/or Crete. Call 800-223-7880; email
info@cloudtours.com; www.cloudtours.com.
34 EUROPE WWW.JAXFAX.COM FEBRUARY 2010