Archives for “Athens” tag

Of course Athens is not the capital of hot dogs but recently I discovered a little shop named Mr B’s dog ‘n go. It is located in the central square of Kypseli (one of the oldest neighborhoods of Athens) and though I live a little bit far from there I often visit the area to enjoy a hot dog.

The first reason I go there again and again is the spicy, homemade chili. The second reason is the also homemade candied onions and all the combinations that can be made with the ingredients. My favorite is the hot dog with chili, cheddar and onions. It’s kind of too much meat but it’s worth it. Trust me! You can also order this delicious chili as a small portion but don’t forget to put some cheddar on it or combine it with nachos. You wouldn’t expect to find a dessert in that kind of place but there is a variety of scrumptious donuts. When I go there at night I always take one with me and save it for breakfast.

If you happen to be in Kypseli or if you are craving for a delicious chili and hot dog Mr B’s dog n go is a guaranteed choice!

Salina travel is the travel agency I work for and you are welcome to let us help you organize your trip in or to Greece! With us you can book ticket for ferries that will go you to the islands, renting a car, tours at archaelogical sites and many more !

You can come and visit us at the travel agency that is 2 minutes on foot from Syntagma metro station. Or you can also check our web page: www.salina-travel.gr that can now book your air tickets or ferry tickets on line,or send us an email for your request There is an English verison also of the site  !

Let’s travel together!

With its Zapatista coffee, anarchical literature on sale and musical playlist unconstrained by nothing save the Creative Commons License, it’s not easy to misunderstand To Pagaki’s (Greek for “the bench” named after the one which comfortably sits right outside its premises) radical political inclinations.

But there’s loads more to like here: it’s well-connected (only a 5-minute walk from metro station Syggrou-Fix and tram stop Kasomouli and 10 minutes from the Acropolis Museum), it’s on a pedestrian zone which is remarkably quiet given that it’s practically right next to one of the city’s busiest avenues (Syggrou Av.) and -believe me, this counts for much- it’s surprisingly cheap; you will seldom find a bottle of ouzo and plate of assorted mezedes in Athens for less. My theory is that the the mood of the people working there is contagious; that could explain why every second time I go there I’m inspired to let my reserved feelings for people just flow out.

My personal favourite would have to be their Zeos unpasteurised (don’t be scared, it’s good!) beer, a rarity you can find in only a handful of places in Athens – two to date. 1L for € 6.50 is happy hour stuff for most other places.

One last piece of advice: avoid going there in the later hours of the afternoon for the sun is hidden behind the tall buildings standing on the sides of the pedestrian zone and it can get chilly and dark.

Welcome to Nea Smyrni, my neighbourhood. The picture above is the view from my balcony, a sight I’ve grown up with. This alsos (somewhere between ‘parkland’, ‘recreational area’ and ‘small artificial forest’ in Greek) has been around since the founding of Nea Smyrni in the 1920s. We used to go there with school on our days off, watch films in the summer when the open-air cinema was still working… Lots of memories hidden between the pine trees, mainly from my childhood.

It used to be much denser with trees, more like a tiny forest than a park, but ever since the general reconstruction it went through as part of the gentrification of the neighbourhood by the municipality in the last decade, it’s become more “civilised”, with a small café in its centre, more open spaces etc. There’s also an open-air gym I sometimes go to when I’m not feeling completely lazy and a playground that is totally worse than the one we had back in my day! *mumble* They don’t make them like they used to… cough, hack, spit.

The Alsos’ main visitors are families and joggers and other people living in the surrounding area out for a breath of fresh air and to get a bit of exercise in but it’s perfect for anyone who wants to see and feel the Athenian residential parkland life. Bring your book, your gym clothes and/or some music and you’re good to go! Stop at tram stops “Aigaiou” or “Agias Foteinis”.

Don’t you often wish you could find a place you could really, truly find peace and quiet in? A location which would be worlds apart from the problems of everyday life but still within reach?

Peonia (pronounced Peh-ón-ee-ah, a Greek species of flower but also an incidental anagram of the Greek word for ‘Japan’) is a Zen tea and herbalism shop. It is so quiet and peaceful, even the tea menus have little “thank you for respecting the others and the shop by being quiet and relaxed!” signs. This might seem a little bit too New Age for you, depending on your tastes, but in my opinion Peonia has struck a good balance. I’ve brought many friends and not a small number of (first) dates to Peonia; you know you’re going to hit it off when they can savour the peace.

The ridiculously quiet atmosphere is perfect for enjoying your game of go, a good book (including from their own spirituality collection) and, of course, the wide variety of exotic and unique teas and other beverages brought there by the depths of Asia and other parts of the world, as well as vegan sweets and pastries.

It’s not rare for me to not be able to think of a place to go when I’m in Thisseio. Sometimes everything just feels the same. Years and years of visiting Peonia have taught me that the unique is often to be found in the “mundane”. Athens and the world need more places like this.