The rest of the time in Athen after Meteora is just walking around and enjoying the moment. And surprisingly, while we were exploring, I found myself gradually fall in love with it.
Table of Contents
Athen Day 3 Itinerary
East Pearl (Chinese restaurant)
My Tea (boba)
Shopping Center Plaka (fancy souvenirs)
National Garden
Hellenic Parliament
BAKERY STORES
Lycabettus Hill
Actual Route Diagram
My experience
🥢 Looking for Asian food 😄
When we returned from Meteora, there was only one thing in my mind - Chinese food! I was determined to find it, even though it was already 10 PM. After all, it had been days that I didn’t have a proper Asian food. Fortunately, East Pearl didn’t let me down 😋 (I knew it as soon as I heard the loud, seemingly bad tempered chef in the kitchen, whom I had faith in cooking great food. I knew it’s stereotype but somehow it predicts well in this case 😂.)
Later, we went back to to My Tea. After all, who knew when I’d come across good boba again on this trip? With full bellies, we spent the afternoon wandering around the Shopping Center Plaka, stumbling upon all sorts of fun and unexpected finds.
This must looks tempting for someone who has Asian appetite. I was asked which dish I ordered by an Asian lady because she wanted to have the same thing ha
A product sold in Shopping Center Plaka
When you turn it around 😂
🌳 National Garden & the Hellenic Parliament
We also visited the National Garden and the Hellenic Parliament, which are conveniently located next to each other so definitely worth visiting together. The garden reminded me of Retiro Park in Madrid, though on a smaller scale. I guess parks become a shared urban signature. As for Hellenic Parliament, in addition to its distinctive color, they also have changing of the guards every hour, which you might want to take a look.
A corner of National garden
Hellenic Parliament
About the time to change the guards
🌅 Cute Neighborhood around Lycabettus Hill
For the rest of the day, we just stayed closer to our Airbnb near Lycabettus Hill. I have to admit, I didn’t like the location at first as we arrived tired, carrying backpacks, and having to climb uphill. It wasn’t ideal. But after a few days, my perspective completely changed!
Lycabettus Hill. Some people standing on the top on the right side watching sunset
The neighborhood had a calm, residential charm. It was quiet and relaxed, but still lively in its own way. Small bars on the corners brought people together in the evenings, and a few local bakeries became our go-to spots for dessert. (BAKERY STORE) There was a strong sense of community - simple, cozy, and genuinely lovely. ☺️
A bar located in the neighbor
One of the best parts of our Airbnb was the rooftop. From there, we had a view of the Acropolis. The last evening in Athen, we sat up there for dinner, watching people descend the Hill after watching sunset. The sky shifted from warm orange to a deep, beautiful purple. With the lit up Acropolis, it felt so romantic. ☺️☺️
The lit up Acopolis was right in front of us
Another hill taken from the rooftop
Stay tuned. We’ll navigate to Santorini, where it shares some similarities with my home town 😄
