Cape Sounion
Anyone who tells you they’re “not a tourist” is kidding themselves — and you. If you go from where you live to somewhere else, then you’re a tourist.
Athens swarms with tourists, especially in the high season — roughly May through August. It’s also hot, dirty and difficult to navigate.
In my opinion it’s better to avoid downtown Athens and head for neighborhoods like Glyfada or Voula along the coastal “Athenian Riviera.” From there you can pop in to get your fix of ancient ruins and historic landmarks, then return to your sanctuary of leafy neighborhoods, marinas and trendy cafes, shops and restaurants.*
Or you can do what I did and head straight for Cape Sounion, about 50 kilometers southeast from the airport and a world away from downtown Athens.
The high promontory of Sounion was a strategic military asset for the ancient Athenians, where they could monitor and control the approaches to the city from the Aegean sea. It was also a place of worship, dedicated to Poseidon, the God of the sea. The original temple on the site was destroyed by the Persians (damn them all to hell!), then rebuilt in the 5th century BC.
What remains today is a beautiful example of ancient Greek architecture and engineering. It may lack the scale and fame of the Acropolis, but it also doesn’t have the crowds. It’s a quiet place, cooled by the breezes of what Homer described as the “wine-dark sea.”
Sounion is popular at sunset. The evening I arrived in Greece I met my cousin Olga and her husband Theo at the site before dinner. It was pretty spectacular. Since I was staying close by I also returned the next morning. The gates opened at 9:30 AM and I practically had the place to myself. The sea was flecked with whitecaps and the old columns stood silently in the morning light. Not a selfie stick or tour group in view.
Now for the important part - Food
After a long flight I’m always hungry. I really can’t understand why the airlines haven’t figured out a better way to feed people. Do they really think serving microwaved chicken marsala in a flimsy plastic container is satisfying in any way whatsoever?
But I digress….
Because I hardly ate on the plane, I was hoping to check in to my hotel and grab lunch in their restaurant.
That plan soon changed for the better, thanks to a little roadside Estiatorio (restaurant) called Syrtaki, located between the port of Lavrio and Sounion. It looked pretty good and there were a fair number of people enjoying lunch, not to mention a spectacular view, so I veered into the parking area and grabbed a table.
The food was my idea of a first meal in Greece: Gavros (little fish similar to anchovies marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and hot pepper flakes), a proper Horiatiki salad (“Village” salad with tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and red onion covered with a slab of Feta), and a cold Mythos to wash it all down. Mythos is like the Budweiser of Greece, but I’m drawn to it like a fly on, well, Budweiser.
For dinner that night it was another score. Theo and Olga took me to a place they knew in the nearby village of Legrena - Thodoros & Helen. Of course the waitress gave me the English menu but I attempted to power through the Greek version, eventually giving up and letting Theo order for the table. In true Greek fashion he asked for more food than I thought three people could possibly eat but we downed it all like heroes — a pile of mussels steamed in white wine and garlic, marinated anchovies, a huge platter of assorted salads, octopus, mackerel dried in the sun, fried fish cheeks, crab salad and a few other specialities I can’t remember - I’ll blame it on the food coma.
All in all it was the perfect end to an amazing first day in Greece.
The Greeks have a traditional drinking toast - Yamas! (to our health). I’ll drink — and eat — to that.
* I’ve since had a change of heart about Athens. Fast-forward to our last day in Greece, which we spent in the city before flying home the next morning. It was fantastic and we wished we had spent more time there.