Shopping

I discovered Paul and his jewelery shop when a girlfriend was wearing a golden mustache! From the very first time I fell in love with this strange, special jewelery. After a while these “mustaches” became really famous as hipster girls of the town used to wear one!

It was about time to visit Paul and his jewelery shop! Not only for his “famous mustaches” but also to find out all these great handmade jewels he makes by himself! Since then I feel that I have to spread the news!

Paul has been running his shop since April ’10. He is passionate with “Sentimental jewelery” – something you can discover when you visit his shop. Earrings, bracelets – all with a tender, nostalgic feeling.

An ideal place for retro lovers! And also ideal if you are looking for a special present – I am a big big fan of his mustaches!

Located between Monastiraki and Omonoia metro station at Athinas street. Varkvakeios market is the most important market of the city. You can buy meat, fish, cheese, herbs, fruits, vegetables, second hand furniture, books and clothes. But most of all you will take a look at what a normal day looks like in this capital.

I always enjoy tasting olives there and taking the final decision of what to but after tasting kilos of them! I love its vibe that is really lively. Everything is mixed there. Pet shops, shops that sell very kitch things, bars, hotels, Arab supermarkets. And also galleries. Check the “Art tower” gallery that is located at the square of Varvakeios agora.

If you are interested in flea markets do not miss a walk at Varvakeios

P.S. It is better to make this walk during the day. You must not visit this area late at night as the neighborhood around starts to get rough when it is getting darker.

The only reason travellers – even the residents of Athens – visit Piraeus is to take a boat and travel to the islands. But as I grew up at Piraeus I really love its special neighborhoods and mostly its open air flea market! Located really close to the central station it is worth a visit.

Multi culti meets exotism! Everything can be found there, from snails to exotic fish that are imported from Iceland. You can find all cds – or even tapes! – at its record shops. You can also enjoy a lunch at its restaurants – that mostly serve great meals with meat and then take a look at exotic fruits and vegetables. Ideal time: a Saturday morning.

The best way to end your walk at this flea market is to visit the port of Piraeus that stands opposite the market. There are some nice “kafeneia”(the greek style of a cafe) inside that you can enjoy a glass of ouzo while gazing the huge boats that are ready to sail.

And you never know! Maybe you will decide to book a last minute trip a beautiful island around. Why don’t you check an on day excursion to Argosaronic islands – Aegina, Poro, Hydra or Spetses? It takes from 30 minutes to 3 hours. You can just take a boat in the morning and come back at night. My favorite one is Hydra! Really scenic, really beautiful, really aristocratic.

Lacandona is an area of rainforest which stretches from Chiapas, Mexico into Guatemala and into the southern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. But if this Lacandona is a bit far away for you, why don’t you visit our Lacandona? And what is all this about?

Lacandona is a  cafe – grocery located in the center of the city. Its main characteristic is that all the products are based on the fair trade market. This means that the products are bought directly from the producers, making for better trading conditions and promoting sustainability.

You can buy traditional products from Greece but also products from Latin America Asia and Africa. Biscuits from Kythira island, tea and chamomile from the mountains, merenda from Mexico (this is my favorite one ) but also handmade soaps and African musical instruments. But as it is a cafe also you can enjoy a double espresso from Ethiopia, a fresh pomegranate juice and many more tasteful things !

Although it is 5 minutes on foot from Syntagma metro station it is a bit complicated to find it – just check our map and you will discover our secret  colourful place.

Hey all you fashionistas out there! Welcome to shoe land.

Lemisios is one of the oldest shoe shops in Athens. Since 1912 this store is designing shoes for all the ladies whose feet can’t fit in the regular footwear. There you can find a wide scale of sizes (from 20 to 46) or make your personal order. Everything in this store is handmade and the quality of the raw material they use is excellent.

What I like the most in this family business is that they take the procedure of shoemaking very seriously. They pay full attention to the order and they respect the needs and, even the craziest and the most eccentric, wants of every costumer.

So if your feet are too big or too small or even too elegant to wear the same shoes with other millions in the world go to Lemisios and materialize the shoes of your dreams, without paying the cost of a famous brand.