While a big chunk of any itinerary in Athens involves  sight-seeing , one must also make sure to leave enough time (a day at least!) for souvenir shopping ! Seriously, of all the countries I’ve been in, this is where I had the most fun at not only buying souvenirs but also window-shopping the huge variety of items for sale. So whether you’re a fan of  fashion  (branded and local),  typical tourist souvenirs (tshirts, hoodies, magnets, spoons etc) ,  AWESOME tourist souvenirs   (orthodox icons, statues, swords and armor!!)  or just plain  weird stuff   (antiques, old pictures of random families, taxidermied animals) , Athens has something for you. * Such a nice day for a  stroll along Plaka’s streets . Armed with time for leisure-strolling, the art of exploring, getting lost, and finding one’s way again equates to a very pleasurable experience indeed.

Such is the beauty of this city, that a random turn on some street corner can expose you to a sight like this. Continuing on my life-goal to explore a big chunk of the world in this lifetime , I found this Athens trip significant for three reasons: a. This crossed out another city from my “ Civilization II / Age of Empires Ancient Capita l” list; having already done Jerusalem and Rome and just leaving  Cairo and Istanbul . b. This was the first foreign trip that Monicca (my sweeter, much more attractive, definitely less grumpy, half) and I have ever gone on together. c. By attending the wedding of Monicca’s good friend in Mykonos (the whole reason for the trip to Greece) , I could now check both "Attend a Greek wedding" and "Experience an Orthodox mass" from ye olde bucket list. So accompanied by our beloved chaperone , Khamil (Monicca’s aunt) , and having re-watched 300, Troy and Percy Jackson as a refresher course on Greek culture, we em