Athens, Greece is one of the most memorable destinations that I have visited in my life time. Mere mention of Greece brings images archaeological sites and ancient ruins in front of my eyes. I love history though people say it has made me a boring person. I am simply crazy about exploring about ancient cultures, visiting historic sites and trying to visualize things these sites had witnessed decades and centuries ago. I was very excited for my visit to Athens, a city with a history, art, culture of around 3500 years and the city surely surpassed my expectations.

I experienced the true essence of this fascinating city to the core though I had very tight budget and could not splurge out-of-pocket on tourist attractions. Instead of taking a direct nonstop flight to Athens, I took a more economic route. First I flew to London and then took a ‘no frills’ flight to Athens. I had not booked a hotel before, so the first task before me after landing at Athens was to find a place to cover my head. As, Athens airport is on the outskirts of the city and a taxi ride to the city would cost 25 Euros, I decided to use the public transport system to reach city centre costing few Euros. I found a ‘Domatia’ a basic house with clean rooms to stay for the initial days of my trip. For the last two days, I set up a tent and camped overnight at the beach. I opted for Athens Walking Tour which costs less than $50 to go around the city. I visited various entry free museums like Railway Museum, War Museum, Museum of Popular Musical Instruments, Hellenic Children’s Museums and Municipal Gallery of Athens. I also witnessed the Changing of Guards ceremony at Syntgama Square where a fresh batch of guards march from their National Guard barracks on the Vasillis Sophia dressed in the same way since Greece’s War of Independence. This free to watch ceremony lasts for 15 minutes. In my quest to explore the local life here, I wandered through the city’s bazaar which was full of stalls selling different things. Instead of opting for a 12 Euro trip to Acropolis, I decided on a 3.20 Euro cable car ride to Lycabettus Hill. I was lucky as it was a clear sunny day and I could see the glittering water of Saronic Gulf at a distance from here. Sitting and relaxing on pedestrianised large square at Thisso with its perfect view of rock of Acropolis made my visit to this part of the city worth the efforts.

Finding cheap and fresh food was not at all a problem here as there are many street vendors selling in a traditional taverna, family run establishments. One afternoon I savored filling ‘Mediterranean’ meal at a taverna with a tripe soup ‘Patsas’ at Athens Central Market. The dessert was warm loukoumades which are doughnuts dipped in honey.

Instead of shopping for artifacts or souvenirs, I collected memories for a life time without spending a fortune on this unforgettable trip to Athens.