Cultural Immersion: Athens (Greece)

▪ The country (Greece)

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Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. Influential in ancient times, it's often called the cradle of Western civilization. Athens, its capital, retains landmarks including the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel with the Parthenon temple. Greece is also known for its beaches, from the black sands of Santorini to the party resorts of Mykonos.

Athens 

Athens is a historic city and also the capital of Greece. Many of some classic  historical civilizations and artistic ideas was created in Athens. The city is generally considered to be the birthplace of Western Civilization. The city is located five miles from the  Bay of Phaleron close of  the Aegean Sea where Piraeus, the port of Athens is situated in a mountain-girt arid divided North-south by a line of hills. (Read more)

▪ Tourist spots

▪ Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on an extremely rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. (Read More)



▪ Parthenon
The Parthenon is a former temple, on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the peak of its power. (Read More)

★ Read the article: "Fun Facts About the Parthenon and the Acropolis"

▪ Plaka
In the shadow of the Acropolis and its ancient temples, hillside Plaka has a village feel, with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewelry, clothes and local ceramics. Sidewalk cafes and family-run tavernas stay open until late, and Cine Paris shows classic movies al fresco. Nearby, the whitewashed homes of the Anafiotika neighborhood give the small enclave a Greek-island vibe. (Read More) 

▪ National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. (Read more)
Check out other Athens top sights on Google maps 


▪ Cuisine

▪ Revani
Revani is a very popular dessert which is nutty and grainy with some lemony flavor. This moist cake is sweetened by simple syrup flavored with orange zest. This is not an overly sweet desserts and it is indeed a delightful addition to any dining table.
Check out Revani recipe

▪ Souvlaki
Souvlaki is a very popular Greek food available in street side restaurants. The dish is well cooked with seasoned meat and then flavored with tzatziki sauce. (Read more)

▪ Galaktoboureko 

One of the most famous Greek desserts, galaktoboureko is a delightful milk and egg custard wrapped in thin sheets of phyllo dough and baked to a golden brown. It's a traditional Greek sweet, soaked in a light lemony syrup after baking. A true special occasion dish. (Read More) 

▪ Saganaki (Fried Cheese)

‘Saganaki’ refers to various Greek appetizers, which are prepared in a small, two handled heavy bottomed frying pan, itself called a saganaki or sagani. The most common traditional Greek recipes cooked in that kind of pan include mussels saganaki and shrimp saganaki, with the most popular being this simple and delicious fried cheese appetizer. (Read More) 

Check out Saganaki recipe 

★ Check out other treditional dishes here and here.

▪ Ouzo

Ouzo is a strong drink, very simillar to vodca is one of the most famous drinks in the entire country, this anise flavoured drink is very common in the city. Normally people drink Ouzo accompained by mazed or mezes, mezes  are small plates of food and also simple snacks like olive and cheese.... (Read more)

▪ Tsipouro

Simillar to Ouzo, Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing 40-48% of alcohol. Tsipouro is also a genuine  Greek product, the destillationprocess lasts for approximately three hours, during wich the product is tasted for itsalcohol content, and controlled by increasing or decreasing the heat. (Read more)

▪ Elliniko Cafe

One of the most popular non alcoholic drink in the entire country is Elliniko Cafe, people drink elliniko in any accasion that calls for a break and a coffee.  The coffee is a  coarsely ground power, brewed with  the water , creating a small froth on top, and its not served with milk. (Read more)

▪ Frappe

Frappe is a iced coffee ando also  one of the most popular Greek drinks,  probably because of the low price. Frappe is normally consumed  especially in the warmer months. Frappe is very popular among young people who can’t consume alcohol drinks. (Check out the recipe)

▪ Habits

The local residents are distinguished by such character traits as sentiment and nervousness at the same time. In critical or responsive situations they can show tolerance and resolve any conflict with ease. There are different culture and communication in Athens.

Read more about Ohi Day

People have never been very punctual, so they can be late even for an important business meeting.

Every year on October 28 an unusual holiday is celebrated in Athens. The holiday’s name is Day of Ohi. On this day Greece said "no" to occupation of Italy. So this holiday has been celebrated since the Second World War. 

Read More about people habits 

▪ Cost of Living

Economic problems  in the entire country  have resulted in a decrease in the cost of living, but Greeks are still struggling with lower salaries and unemployment. Jobs in Greece are difficult to find, especially for experts. 

The cost of living in Greece is much cheaper than other major European cities, rents in Athens can cost almost a half of in London.  (Read more)

★ More information about the cost of living in Athens here.

Source: www.numbeo.com

▪ Climate

During the Summer,  Athens is the hottest capital in Europe,  the weather remains mild even in November, except in mountainous area. The rainy periods begin to occur in October. (Read more)

Source: www.weather2visit.com

▪ Music
The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Byzantine music, with more eastern sounds. These compositions have existed for millennia: they originated in the Byzantine period and Greek antiquity; there is a continuous development which appears in the language, the rhythm, the structure and the melody. Music is a significant aspect of Hellenic culture, both within Greece and in the diaspora. (Read More)