Athens Food Tour

Tonight’s post is the first of three travel posts, following our trip to Athens, Greece. We both loved the city and hope to return sooner versus later, especially if it is on our way to tour the Greek Isles! Now, I’ll turn it over to Bo, for tonight’s post.

Since our Athens visit was partially a business trip for Ashley, I knew that I would have plenty of time to myself on Monday. To fill the gap, I could have relaxed by the pool, or gone to the beach, but the prospect of learning about Greek food was too alluring and thus I opted to join the Athens Walking Tours food tour. It was an incredibly fun, delicious, and educational way to spend the morning. I arrived at 9:30 at the meeting point near the Academy of Athens to find our wonderful tour guide Artemis standing with our small group. After a short wait to allow the rest of the group to arrive, Artemis began with a short explanation of what to expect on the tour, most importantly that we would be seeing the “local” Athens where the city’s residents actually do their shopping and eating.

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Our first stop was a koulouri street vendor. Koulouris are to Greece as croissants are to France. They are light, slightly sweet and found everywhere. At this point in the tour, we also learned about the most common Greek breakfast and lunch – coffee and cigarettes. The random koulouri might be consumed mid-morning or mid-afternoon to supplement that healthy diet of caffeine and nicotine.

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This tour helped me answer a question that has been bugging me for a while: why are Greek and Turkish cuisines so similar and what are the actual differences between the two? Koulouri is a perfect example of the similarities. There is something in Turkey that is almost identical called simit. Another example is baklava. Many Americans associate baklava with Greek restaurants though its origins are actually in Ottoman Turkey. Although Mediterranean trade dating back to antiquity helped spread and popularize various dishes, it is likely the Ottoman Empire that is responsible for the overlap between Greek, Turkish and some Middle-Eastern cuisine. After all, nearly all of modern Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire from the mid-15th century until 1821.

Our next stop was at Kpivos for Loukoumades, a delicious Greek treat in the spirit of a beignet or a doughnut. Loukoumades are fried-dough balls or rings that are topped with honey, cinnamon and often walnuts.IMG_7906IMG_7910

After that, it was onto my favorite experience of the tour: the Athens Central Market. I’ve been to many great markets,  but I can truly say that I’ve never seen seafood this fresh in such great quantities. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

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Anyone need five lambs’ heads for 3 euros?

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Or some pork hooves?

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After the market, we stopped at a Cretan specialty store where we tried many products including olives, olive oil, tapenade, Greek yogurt, and thyme honey. We also tried Rakomelo, a delicious drink that is made by mixing honey and cinnamon with Tsipouro. Evidently in Crete, the tradition of a “vendetta” or avenging a murder by killing the guilty party still exists, hence all the knives.

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We then headed to a dried meat shop where we tried more Tsipouro but on the way, we walked through a fruit and vegetable market where we sampled Halva, a nut-butter based confection that appears in many cultures throughout the world. The Greek halva that we tried was tahini-based and absolutely delicious.

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Miran, the next stop on our journey is a shop that specializes in pastourma and soutzouki, two varieties of dried, cured meats that actually have origins in Armenia rather than Greece. The décor in particular was incredible with hundreds of dried meats hanging from the ceiling. Here we also tried more tsipouro and learned the origin of the liquor as well as the difference between it, Turkish Raki, and Greek Ouzo. Tsipouro is a grape-based liquor which is very similar to the more well-known Italian liquor, grappa. The Turks loved tsipouro but wanted a bit of a difference flavor so they added anise essential oils and created raki. The Greeks, in turn, added a bit of sugar and created ouzo. This perfectly illustrates how the two cuisines have influenced each other over time.IMG_7941IMG_7948

Our second to last stop was a spice store where we sampled mastic, also known as the “tears of Chios” after the island in the Mediterranean where mastic trees are grown. Our final stop was a bougatsa shop where we sampled both savory and sweet versions of the filo dough based delicacy.

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Overall, the experience was wonderful, our guide was fantastic and I would recommend this to anyone who is visiting Athens.

Have you taken a food tour before? Which city would you most want to experience through food?

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Wordless Weekend – Athens, Greece

I’m busy working today but this weekend was non-stop starting with dinner at a friend’s house on Friday night to a day and a half in Athens, Greece! Here’s a glimpse into our weekend. Full details to come but until then, don’t forget to enter my giveaway!

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36 Hours in Geneva, Switzerland

If you’re in Geneva, Switzerland during the months of July through September, you’re in luck. Residents in Geneva live for two seasons – winter and summer. Winters revolve around skiing in the mountains just an hour or two away while summer revolves around the lake, Lac Leman. The iconic fountain, known locally as the Jet d’Eau, is over 450 feet tall, and serves as a perfect landmark for all your explorations.

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Last week I had the opportunity to share Geneva with Anne, who stopped briefly in Geneva between visits in Paris and Lucerne. I was more than happy to share my perfect Summer itinerary with her. This itinerary can work for anyone visiting Geneva during the warmer months, whether you’re here for a few hours or a few days.

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See: The Summer months tend to be quite temperate, rarely getting hotter than 85 degrees though the evening temperatures frequently drop to the low 60s. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes as much of Geneva is meant to be explored by foot.

36 Hours in Geneva

Explore the city and surrounding areas on two wheels compliments of Geneve Roule. May through October this company offers free 4-hour bike rentals at eight different locations around Geneva. You merely walk into the shop, request a free bike, provide them with 20CHF deposit and an identification card. Four hours later, when you return your bike, they give you your money and ID card back. Dedicated bike lanes, sidewalks, lake paths and gardens make Geneva a very bike friendly city! Make sure you see the flower clock in Jardin Anglais, ride past the Jet d’Eau, around to the other side of the lake where you can explore the botanical gardens.

Explore Old Geneva via foot as you wind through the cobblestone streets, admire the 15th- century architecture and dust up on your Reformation history while touring Cathedrale Saint-Pierre, dating back to the 12th century. Visitors can climb to the top of the clock tower to enjoy panoramic views of the mountains, lake and city on clear days.

Treat yourself to a relaxing afternoon in the sunshine and take a dip in the lake at one of Geneva’s lake beaches.  Families, couples and solo travelers alike can enjoy a relaxing afternoon at either Wake Board Center or Geneve Plage. Families and locals alike tend to love Genève Plage because it offers a water slide, Olympic size pool, baby pool, five diving boards, and two floating platforms. The Wakeboard Center tends to draw a more adult crowd due to the two bars, restaurant and both paddle board and wake board rentals.

Drink: While Geneva is a quieter town than London or New York, there are ample bars and clubs if that is what you want. There seems to be something for everyone, especially in the Summer. Below are three different bars where we often find ourselves enjoying a glass of wine or Summer evening with friends.

L’Atelier Cocktail ClubAn extensive cocktail menu, friendly staff, plenty of indoor and outdoor space along with a great happy hour special (5-7pm) makes this a popular spot.

Soleil Rouge– A Spanish inspired wine and tapas bar which features a rotating menu of 20 different wines available by the glass. This tends to be a crowded and popular spot so show up early if you want a coveted outdoor table.

Les Voiles – This lake front club is a mix of a Miami beach club and European dance club. The music is European house music, and though the drinks are more expensive , the lake front views, especially at sunset, make it worth the money. There are multiple dance floor areas along with some lounge areas for those who would rather relax and chat.

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Eat: While Geneva may not have the most-extensive restaurant scene and Mexican has proven impossible to find, there are a handful of restaurants that are quickly becoming our local favorites.  Due to the multitude of nationalities in the city you can find just about any cuisine you want, especially French, Italian, Turkish, Lebanese, & Swiss. The below are just two of our favorites that we’ve shared with visitors since arriving.

Cottage CaféThe perfect spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this small café is situated in a small park, just steps from the lake. Serving food Tuesday through Saturday from 7am until 9pm, the menu includes small plates that are inspired by seasonal ingredients. My favorites are their zucchini stuffed with lamb, figs and goat cheese, grilled octopus, and tabouleh.

Le CriseA hidden gem in Eaux-Vives, there is no menu, but instead a waiter or the owner who comes to your table to greet you and present you, orally, with the evenings 5 or 6 appetizers followed by the 4 or 5 main courses. The atmosphere is funky and eclectic, but the music is always fun and the food is incredible. Our favorite dishes are the escargot, duck confit and the lamb. Come for the food but stay for the party that begins around 10pm each night when the music gets turned up, and the dancing begins.

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Fete de Geneve: For 25 days each Summer the lake front becomes home to a music festival and fair, attracting tourists of all ages. Evening fireworks, fair rides, food, drinks, and multiple music stages take over the lake front area from July 17th until August 10th. If you happen to be in Geneva during that time period spend an evening enjoying the scene!

If you find yourself traveling through Geneva, feel free to email me with questions as I’m happy to help!

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