Between Parkland and Pagkrati

Anonymous Our first day in Athens was not put to waste. I woke up this morning and utilized the kitchen trying not to wake my roomates up. Out kitchen is quaint, but adequately served our needs just fine. I made pan seared calamari seasoned with spices I found in the cupboard along with garlic and lemon zest. I also sliced potatoes and baked them to a crisp to snack on during the day. My concept was based on cooking as much as possible in the apartment so I can have the luxury of spending a good deal of my money on one REALLY good meal! It worked out in the end. I took what I made and stashed it in bag to snack on while we wandered throughout Athens that day.

We started off lazily chatting over a Greek coffee that morning in a small cafe just across the Stadium. The coffee was dark and dense...much like Turkish coffee with a granuales collecting at the bottom of your cup like a bad cup of press coffee. However this cup was not so. Greek coffee is bold and strong with flavor. Sweet as well. It was a great way to start our morning.

Afterward we strolled through the narrow streets of the Plaka as restaurants were getting ready to accept the daily rushes. We would take our time stopping by each of the restaurants to gaze at what was on the Special for the day. We followed our noses and settled at an outdoor restaurant on a terraced staircase. Vines grew on the outside of their establishment and was tucked away just enough to provide enough privacy, but terraced setting provided us a open view. We drank the house wine which was just sweet enough and not overpowering for brunch. We shared tomatoes and feta drizzeld with golden olive oil and seasoned with oregano. Eric's braised lamb was so tender he could pick it up with a fork. Jason had a plate of fried sardines that covered with lemon juice...and rustic bread, the kind you can hear crackle. It was a beautiful meal in a gem of a setting.

Later on we explored the corridors further, eating small meals and drinking lots of wine. We ended the day with our group meal at a tavern where we shared our food family style. It reminded me so much of the Philippines. The only thing missing was the 3 day roasted lechon. It was food worthy of a fiesta and we're very blessed to have such a great start to this trip!