5 Things I Missed in Athens, Greece
I saw a lot in the city of Athens, Greece…but I didn’t see everything. Let’s talk about what I didn’t see, but wish I had.
Sometimes, staying on a budget means not seeing everything in a given location. You may have to pick and choose based on budget, time or because things end up being closed unexpectedly. And even though I saw a ton of stuff in Athens and around Greece, I didn’t get to see everything. So, let’s talk about the places I didn’t get to see.
The Lyceum
The Lyceum was the ancient school of philosophy in Athens. Aristotle founded the Lyceum and taught here for 12 years, beginning in 335 B.C.E. Aristotle was the personal tutor for Alexander the Great and I really kind of wanted to see this site, but I just couldn't work it out with my itinerary and the holiday schedule in Athens, which was rough.
Most of Athens is closed from Friday until the end of Monday during the Easter holidays, which last for over a week here. So when I was near the Lyceum, it was closed.
Hadrian's Library
I also kind of wanted to get a better look at Hadrian's Library, which is a site you can visit even though you can see quite a bit of the library right from the street. Due to the holiday weekend and the fact that I couldn't take full advantage of the free day on April 18th the way I'd planned, I had to cut this from my schedule for the sake of budget.
The Temple of Zeus
The Temple of Zeus is another attraction I would have been happy to look at more closely but it was also closed when I was in that area of Athens, so I had to cut it from the list. Absolutely nothing happens in Athens during actual Easter Sunday, so plan ahead if you're in the city at this time. You're going to have trouble even finding places to eat. It's not easy.
There is a lot to see in Athens and I didn't miss much, but there are many museums in Athens that I haven't mentioned that may interest you if you're a museum goer. The museums are also an excellent option if you're in Athens during May or in the summer, when the city starts to get very hot. I would carefully consider the number of archaeological sites I visit if I'm going to Athens in the summer, because the sun is brutal and you really want to think about how much time you're going to spend outside.
Crete's Beaches
So, the next place I wish I could have seen actually isn't in Athens but it is nearby in Crete. I actually did go to Crete to visit some of the amazing historic locations here and see the main city of Heraklion, but I do wish I could have had more time on the island to visit the beaches. I went to the beach in Athens and I loved it, but people rave about the beaches of Crete and there is even a pink beach there, so I'm very sorry I had to miss that.
Heraklion
I also really wish I could have spent more time checking out the food scene in Crete, particularly the central market in Heraklion. It was on my list and I had big plans to eat my way around the city but I was soooooo super sick that day, I just couldn't.
I had a very rough day and I did not have a big appetite, so I actually called it early on being in Crete and crashed out that night. So of course I wish I had not been sick and that I could have experienced more Cretan food, which everyone highly recommends and which I suggest you experience if you go to Crete. Leave me some comments below to tell me what you ate and how awesome it was!
All in all, I really saw and did a lot when I was in Greece. It was an amazing trip and even though I couldn't visit every single attraction, I'll never forget the ones I did visit.
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