The Streets of Athens

Here are a few photos showing scenes from the streets around the old parts of Athens, in this case Monastraki and Plaka, where our hotel is.  This area has many tiny streets which fill with pedestrians until late on the busier nights.  You still find cars and motorbikes in these narrow streets, slowly nosing their way through the crowds.

There are many small streets lined with eateries in the centre of town.

A few beggars, but not as many as in some other cities.

Graffiti here...

...graffiti there...

...graffiti everywhere.

Some graffiti is more artistic than others.

Apparently this shoe-collecting gopher is well known.

Even the trains are covered in graffiti.

The train above is one of the metro trains, in an area where it emerges above ground.  You might notice that it cuts right through some ancient ruins.  Our guide noted that if you buy a section to build a house you'd better hope that when you dig you don't find any ancient ruins!  If you do, that is the end of your building project.

The area around our hotel has many fur shops!

 We were puzzled by all the fur shops in the streets near us.  Our guide explained that we happen to be in the area where the fur shops are concentrated.  But who buys furs in a climate as hot as this?  The answer is "Russians".  They come to Greece for holidays, and buy furs to take home.

At the meat market.

Lots of crowded little shops, spilling out on to the pavement.

Time to trim the foliage perhaps...

Berries at the market.

Get your gladiator helmet here!

Solid chocolate!  World Cup 2018.

Street art.