So we weren't
exactly antiquing on Wednesday -- but we were immersed in the age of the
antiquities with a visit to the Acropolis in all its splendor and the new
Acropolis Museum-- followed by a visit to the food markets, lunch in the port
of Piraeus, and a Greek "Sunday dinner" cooking class. (For those of you on
FaceBook, you'll note we're posting photos instantaneously but lagging at least
a day behind with the blog. Can't write as fast as we can post!)
Our first stop was the
Acropolis and all the many temples (most restored but some original) located on
that magnificent hill. The Acropolis is the crown jewel of Athens and a worthy crown
indeed. First inhabited in the Neolithic Age, it was then inhabited by the king
in the Mycenaean period. It is best known, however, as a place of worship to
the gods-- as early as the eighth century BC. Let us step back for a moment.
With so many ruins everywhere you go in Athens, we suppose it might be easy to get nonchalant about the import
of what's here. Being in historical places always thrills us, but Athens and
the Acropolis in particular, took history to a new level. We were blown away by
Angor Wat, for instance, but that was constructed in the 1100s. The Taj Mahal was finished in 1648. So to know
that we were standing on hallowed ground where the Greeks came to worship their
gods over 2,500 years ago is nearly unfathomable. But we saw the ruins and
artifacts to prove it.
The plan to build the Parthenon (temple dedicated to
Athena) and the gateway (the Propylaia) was put in place beginning in 450
BC. The enormity of the site was
overwhelming--particularly fascinating was that we actually saw some original
sections of the Parthenon and other
temples. Restoration is always going on at the Parthenon as 2,500 is a
legitimate age for wear and tear.
The oldest known theater in the world
There are at least eight monuments (most of
them temples) on this sacred rock and each is extensively adorned with
incredible statues, friezes, and more.
You probably need three semesters of Ancient History to begin to process
this.
Our next stop was the new, award winning Acropolis Museum. Opened in 2009, the museum overlooks the Acropolis and organically reflects the flow and shape of the landmark while incorporating an actual archaeological site (of a Christian settlement) in the basement level (much as the Chinese built a structure over the terra cotta warriors, they did the same here, only it is a multi-story museum!). So, as you are walking across the floor of the museum, you are actually walking "over" the site. A little bit unnerving. The collection is awe-inspiring-- including a wide array of artifacts (all found on the grounds of the Acropolis), along with a re-creation of the friezes and metopes that adorned the Parthenon.
We realized mid way through our tour that Wayne had engaged in a serious wardrobe malfunction in selecting his Rosetta Stone British Museum T-shirt for this particular day. The Acropolis and the antiquities there have been pillaged over the centuries. For those not in the know, a particularly discouraging incident was when Lord Elgin ordered the detachment of the greater part of the Parthenon's frieze and shipped it back to the British Museum (where we saw them last year; hence, the inappropriateness of Wayne's wardrobing choice). There is somewhat of a philosophical difference of opinion among art historians (and tour guides) in terms of the actual harm done by Lord Elgin (et al). Apparently, while the rest of the world was very enamored by Greece's treasures, the Greeks were not. So perhaps these "acquisitions" were a blessing in disguise since these unique pieces were actually saved from further damage or destruction.
Ok-- what do most
folks do after an intense morning of ancient history, friezes, and Grecian
statuary? Think about food of course! To get to our next place of interest, we took the Athens metro (we always try to do this on our trips, and the more complicated the
better). Like so many other institutions in Athens, the metro was "freshened up" prior to the 2014
Olympics This line was distinguished from others we've traveled on because of
the huge archaeological wall display (revealed in the restoration)-- an integral
part of the ambience-- so Athens!
As in other cities, they apparently believe in the honor system. You buy a ticket (the standard is 90 minutes unlimited use for 1.40 Euros), and then put it into a machine to timestamp it. But there are no gates or turnstiles! You just walk through. And you don't need it to exit when you get off. There were lots of signs saying the penalty for fraudulent use or not having a ticket was 60 times the ticket price (yikes!), but we didn't see anyone checking. Anyway, we took the metro for 3 stops to the Omonia Station to get to the Dimotiki Agora
(Central Athens Public Market). Markets are also
a Wendy/ Wayne travel mainstay. This one did not disappoint (though the lamb
heads were particularly terrifying).
Other highlights were fish of all types (we understand that octopus is a
real delicacy in Greek cuisine and one of us intends to try it in Santorini
upon my cousin Alan Hirsh's recommendation-- Wendy is hoping not to repeat the Cusco
guinea pig experience)...
...gorgeous produce...
...spices, and olives ( apparently there
are 60 + types).
Great market.
By this point we
were getting hungry so we hopped a cab (yet another harrowing ride!) for a restaurant in the port area of Piraeus (recommended by our guide Laura) and a light lunch, the highlight of which was definitely the tiny fried shrimp.
We walked around a little and then cabbed back to our hotel to rest up for the night's featured event: the cooking class scheduled from 5:30 - 9:30. What a blast!!!! It took place at Klimataria Greek Tavern in the Omonia
section of Athens (www. klimataria.gr/).
This is said to be the oldest tavern in town! We stumbled upon this class and were so glad (and stuffed) we did. Taught by
the proprietress, Maria, it was a combination of demo, prep, and force-feeding
and well worth the calories. We were joined by a newly-wed couple who had
extraordinary slicing skills. (Both are nurses; we hoped that their bandaging skills would not be required).
While the menu was billed as 6 starters and 1 main course, we actually had 10
starters and 2 main courses and with her larger-than-life (think "My Big Fat
Greek Wedding") persona guiding us along, Maria was genuinely distressed when
we didn't clear our plate at every turn. What is the Greek equivalent of OY?
When we sat down,
we were served slices of a delectable tomato/ spinach bread along with ouzo
and/or beer (Appetizer 1). Next Maria (with our help kneading the dough and prepping the
eggplant and feta cheese mixtures, then shaping) prepared mini
eggplant pies (mpourekakia), mini cheese
pies, and a regular size eggplant and cheese combined pie(appetizers 2, 3 and
4).
Then, we moved to some major league slicing and chopping vegetables for a
Greek salad (horiatiki - note: there is NO LETTUCE in a Greek salad!) and saganaki (which, apparently in the 21st century is
not just prepared with cheese alone-- take the salad ingredients, place in a
casserole dish, add more cheese and 3 beaten eggs-- cook at 400 for 20 minutes
and it is basically a Greek frittata (appetizers 5 and 6).
Let me just say that the tomatoes we have
been served are exquisite. What a shame that we only get great tomatoes in
Chicago for 6 weeks every summer. Next we prepared three dips: eggplant (melitzanosalata),
red pepper/feta dip, cucumber dip (tzatziki)--(appetizers 7, 8 and 9), then
grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice (dolmadia - appetizer 10).
While we
were preparing and being force fed, the cook was putting the finishing touches
on a feta spinach bread for our enjoyment.
As an aside, many of these dishes
included a plethora of fresh herbs, all were salted liberally, all included
generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil (which, per Maria, is "medicine"), and Maria did not back off on the
garlic. Each item was tastier than the prior one and Maria kept asking us to
repeat the ingredients or prep techniques. Wayne was particularly talented in
the repeat department.
We were starting
to feel fairly uncomfortable (yes, the wine was flowing by this point), when
Maria asked us to move to the beautifully set table toward the kitchen because
a roasted lamb shank with potatoes (the MAIN COURSE!) had been cooking in our honor for the past
two hours. She explained that, with Greece's uneven terrain, the animals farmed
for meat are quite lean due to their habitat and they eat the natural
vegetation so they are more " tasteful" (alas, she meant tasty). She
taught us an interesting trick about roasting lamb (or any meat)--cut several
slits in the meat and plug in some heavily salted/ peppered garlic cloves. This
preparation will prevent the gamey cooking smell associated with the meat.
With not a minute to spare in this Greek
eating feast, we sat down at the actual dinner table where a plate of braised beef on
a smoked eggplant purée (not exactly my grandma's brisket)...
...and then the lamb were waiting.
The 1/8 of a teaspoon we had room for was yummy and so were the potatoes. Maria
was thrilled we liked the meal and the class, and we waddled out the door--
convinced we would never eat again. Interestingly, because the lion's share of
the meal was vegetables and olive oil (think Mediterranean diet) our discomfort
was not prolonged. What a fun experience-- ranking right up there with our
Bangkok, Beijing, and Delhi cooking classes.
Having had a very
full day, we crashed in preparation for our visit to Delphi on Thursday.
By the way, we're
thrilled so many of you are reading the blog. As always, all comments welcome.
Love,
w&w
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