I was trying to think when the last time I was actually in Athens was. I’ve changed planes here numerous times on my way to or from visiting my sister Carolyn in Cyprus but the last time I actually stayed here has to have been 2003 or so.

So 20 years later I’m revisiting and much has changed but much has remained the same . It’s still a big gritty city of 5 million . Graffiti seems to adorn everything from sidewalks to street fronts and the buildings still remain nondescript from their building in the 60s when Athens boomed and remain as tired as ever after Greece survived a 2006-2009 recession.

However, it’s still a fantastic city and great place to explore. What I noticed most is the vibrancy of the people and the hustle bustle . I also notice whole neighborhoods being reclaimed and becoming full of interesting cafes and music spots. When I first came to Athens life centered around Syntagma square. Now areas like Psyri, Plaka , Gazi are chocked full of bars and cafes going late into the night

Of course there is that whole history thing which overwhelms in the best possible way . The Acropolis , The Parthenon . The Temple of Athena , The Temple of Hephaestus, Hadrians Library and countless others . The difference this time is they are more accessible , well maintained , undergoing massive preservation and renovation fueled by pretty substantial resources from the EU.

The new Acropolis museum is mind blowing and presents history in a context that’s very easy to follow . the metro is clean cheap and very efficient.

I definitely think you need a minimum of three days to explore the sights and sounds here . I’ve spoken often of how destructive Mass Tourism has become while being part of mass tourism. I think here the Greeks have gone a great job of diffusing it, creating real context for tourists to absorb it and provide first rate experiences for people exploring it. Last night we went to a play that condensed major Greek literary contributions into an hour . It was a worthy objective . As I set on top of a building listening to the stories of Prometheus, Antigone,Medea and a few others with the Acropolis as a backdrop and a setting sun I felt quite glad we made the decision to linger here in Athens.Yes the Acropolis is still jammed from 10am to 2 but you can avoid it and sit in a nice cafe waiting for the hordes to go back to their ships and then it’s all yours