{"id":1864,"date":"2025-04-30T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1864"},"modified":"2025-05-06T13:06:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:06:16","slug":"i-love-greece-but-theres-one-city-ill-never-go-back-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/i-love-greece-but-theres-one-city-ill-never-go-back-to\/","title":{"rendered":"I love Greece, but there\u2019s one city I\u2019ll never go back to"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I won\u2019t be rushing back anytime soon (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the third installment of\u00a0Metro\u00a0Travel<\/a>\u00a0Hot Takes<\/em>,\u00a0Courtney Pochin<\/a> reveals why Greece<\/a>\u2019s ancient capital left her cold.<\/p>\n

As much as I love the beach, I\u2019ve never been a \u2018fly and flop\u2019<\/a> kind of gal. Personally, I much prefer a city break<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My favourite has always been New York<\/a>; I never tire of seeing the skyline<\/a>, Empire State Building, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. I love it so much, I even got married there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paris<\/a> will always be the perfect destination for a chic weekend getaway, and I could wax lyrical about everything Rome<\/a> has to offer (including where to find the best pasta<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s one popular spot you won\u2019t find me rushing back to anytime soon: Athens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A disappointing stroll<\/h2>\n
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I\u2019d always wanted to go to Greece (largely thanks to a childhood obsession with mythology<\/a> and the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants).<\/p>\n

So when I found out the Holland America cruise<\/a> I went on last summer was setting sail from Athens, I was thrilled.\u00a0My husband and I decided to fly out a day ahead of the cruise so we\u2019d have time to explore one of the world\u2019s most ancient cities.<\/p>\n

We spent a day exploring the Greek capital in my favourite way: without a strict schedule.<\/p>\n

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The buildings in the city didn\u2019t do it for me (Picture: Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some people like to book tours or cram every tourist attraction possible into an itinerary, but I\u2019ve always preferred to stroll about and see what I can find. I love stumbling across the unexpected and finding hidden gem foodie<\/a> spots.<\/p>\n

However, for the most part, walking around Athens didn\u2019t give me the usual buzz I get from a good mooch around a city. <\/p>\n

I spent a while trying to put my finger on why that is, and I think it\u2019s because a lot of the city was quite run-down and there weren\u2019t as many things to do.<\/p>\n

Go to Rome and you can spend days taking it all in \u2013 from the Colosseum to the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel \u2013 but once I reached the top of the Acropolis and gazed up in awe at the Parthenon (our first stop of the day), I felt done. I\u2019d seen the thing I\u2019d always wanted to see.<\/p>\n

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Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Have you been to Athens? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>The city\u2019s architecture also just didn\u2019t do it for me. <\/p>\n<p>I remember being so excited when I found out our hotel had a rooftop with views of the city \u2014 and so disappointed when I reached the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d wanted to sit and bask in the sights, but was met with shabby grey post-war blocks stretching as far as the eye can see. <\/p>\n<p>I hate to admit it and feel like a real snob for doing so, but I was just not in my element in Athens.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tThe case for Athens\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Courtney\u2019s disappointment with Athens is not unique. On Reddit, you\u2019ll find dozens of reviews describing it as ugly, boring and overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>But while the rundown outskirts are certainly serving \u2018shabby chic\u2019, Metro\u2019s Lola Alao argues that <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/26\/explored-europes-most-boring-city-found-bursting-life-22902244\/\">the heart of\u00a0Greece\u2019s ancient capital is extraordinarily beautiful<\/a>. It might look grubby at first glance, but Lola insists there are treasures to be found, if only you know where to look.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/26\/explored-europes-most-boring-city-found-bursting-life-22902244\/\">Read her report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Redeeming features<\/h2>\n<p>However, there was one part of the city I did enjoy visiting, and that was the Plaka neighbourhood.<\/p>\n<p>Sitting in the shadow of the Acropolis, Plaka is incredibly picturesque with its quaint, cobbled streets, lined with homes and businesses covered in rambling colourful flowers and plants.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s everything I naively thought Athens would be\u2026 so naturally, it\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/05\/27\/picture-postcard-tourist-traps-buckling-many-visitors-20917074\/\">massive tourist trap<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t worth a visit, though, because it makes for a great stroll, wandering down alleys, browsing shops, and climbing the famous Plaka Stairs.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s one thing I wouldn\u2019t recommend doing here, no matter how tempted you are, and that\u2019s buying food and drink.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tMetro Travel Hot Takes\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/16\/love-portugal-second-city-left-cold-22913541\/\">I love Portugal, but its second city left me cold<\/a> by Sophie-May Williams<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/23\/blackpool-a-kiss-quick-dump-defend-end-22919311\/\">Blackpool is a \u2018kiss me quick\u2019 dump, but I\u2019ll defend it to the end<\/a> by Jessica Hamilton<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As a food writer, I\u2019m always looking for the most delicious thing to eat when I\u2019m out, whether it\u2019s in London or Greece, and it\u2019s fair to say the food in Plaka, much like the area itself, is designed to appeal to holidaymakers \u2014 with prices to match.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Plaka Stairs, especially, are covered in cafes where the cost is as steep as the hill you\u2019re sitting on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some won\u2019t see an issue with this, but if, like me, you\u2019re after authentic food on your trip, I have the perfect place for you.<\/p>\n<p>To Kati Allo can be found at Chatzichristou 12, Athina 117 42, and is a real hidden gem. While it\u2019s likely not so hidden for those who live in the city, it will be for most who like to book dinners online, because it doesn\u2019t have a website.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"485\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22992403 lazyload\" alt=\"To Kati Allo restaurant in Athens, Greece. Exterior shot showing the sign\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/thumbnail_IMG_6277-e33c.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The restaurant is a real hidden gem with no website or social media (Picture: Courtney Pochin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And before you ask, there are no social media pages either. This restaurant was undoubtedly my favourite thing about Athens.<\/p>\n<p>Run by a local family, the only menu is written on a blackboard on the wall, so while I can\u2019t tell you exactly what was on it, I can assure you that you won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n<p>The traditional, home-cooked Greek food is phenomenal and the prices are reasonable too.<\/p>\n<p>We had a Greek Salad (\u20ac7) plus some grilled pork skewers (\u20ac8.50), but the priciest thing on the entire menu was the baked seabream which cost \u20ac14.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We had to wait outside for a table after 8pm, but trust me when I tell you it\u2019s worth the wait. Sit outside if you can and people-watch the night away.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The verdict<\/h2>\n<p>Athens had long been the stuff of legend for me, but the real thing just didn\u2019t live up to its mythic status.<\/p>\n<p>It was a bit like meeting your favourite pop star in real life, and them being nothing like you\u2019d imagined. Or finally trying a viral dessert after queuing for hours, only to discover it\u2019s been massively overhyped.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s worth noting that it was my first time there and as we all know, first impressions can be deceiving.<\/p>\n<p>Just because it wasn\u2019t love at first sight for Athens and me, (I blame the grime and graffiti), doesn\u2019t mean it won\u2019t spark something special for you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk\">MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I won\u2019t be rushing back anytime soon (Picture: Getty Images) In the third installment of\u00a0Metro\u00a0Travel\u00a0Hot Takes,\u00a0Courtney Pochin reveals why Greece\u2019s ancient capital left her cold. As much as I love the beach, I\u2019ve never been a \u2018fly and flop\u2019 kind of gal. Personally, I much prefer a city break. My favourite has always been New […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1864"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1870,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1864\/revisions\/1870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}