Comments About Matt Barrett's Athens Survival Guide

Matt has a very special way of making you feel as though he is taking you by the hand, walking with you through Greece, telling you about the places he has found. Whenever I read his pages, I sense I am there with a friend. The photos help also, giving you a visual picture of the places you are "visiting." I enjoy the site because he is imparting knowledge he has learned over the years -- and in the end, helping you have a better time while there. I used his Athens guide and found it extremely helpful while in Greece last year
Coleen

Dear Matt, thanks for all your valuable info on Greece. No one should travel to Greece without first reading all the wonderful material you provide. Thanks to you I was able to find my way around in Athens without fustrations.
Once again, thanks.
Elizabeth Ghaffari

Just returned and wish I had seen your web page before my trip rather than
after. None the less I enjoyed it very much. I do love Greece.
Thanks

I would like to thank you for your excellent web site with its wealth of information on Greece, where my wife and I go frequently for holidays. In particular, we were very grateful to obtain details of the taxi driver George Kokkotos.

We took some friends to Athens recently for a long weekend and e-mailed George in advance to pick us up and return us to the airport, and also to take us out for a day in the Peloponnese. We had been to Athens a couple of times before, but our friends had not, so I wanted everything to run smoothly for them. I need not have worried – everything turned out just like George says on his web site.

So I shall be able to recommend him to our friends in England (and to one who lives in Athens - Kifissia!) and I’ve passed on his details too to our local Travel Agency.

As a Greek American married to a fellow from Athens, and having traveled to Athens many times, I find your site fabulous. It can help a newcomer as well as one acquainted with Athens. Keep up the good work! Anyone going to the Olympics must see this site!!!!!!!

H i Matt
I've been reading your guide all winter, and spent last weekend in Athens
with my husband. We had a great time - I felt as if I knew the city after
reading your guide. The Hotel Attalos was great, and I was pleasantly
surprised by the Metro. (I've been going to Greece for years, and have no
great faith in their organisation!). Also, the new airport is superb. We
travelled via Athens to Leros last summer, and have been impressed by the
facilities both times.

I wish we'd been able to meet you on our trip - you really brought the city
alive for me. Best wishes from sunny England!

Regards
Jan Harding

Hi there
I have just spent some hours reading in your page, and I want to cry, because I miss being in Athens so much! :) And reading your page really made me want to go back!

I am a big Athens fan, many people dont like this heavy trafficated and smoggy city, but I think that Athens is the city in europe with most charm and life.

First time I saw Athens from the air I was overwelmed, so perfect, so beautiful. I didnt want to go home after my first trip and after this I have been going back many times. And I never get the feeling of being in a big city, it seems so small to be so big :)) If you know what I mean.

I have already planned to move to Athens in august this year, I am currently looking for a job and a place to live :) This way I can stay forever in this wonderful city!

Your page is really great! I could not stop reading and looking :) I saw all the places I love and remember, thank you for making my day so nice by looking at your page!

Hi Matt,

I just wanted to write to you and thank you for your wonderful website. I just got back from a week in Greece, with two days in Athens and the rest of the time spent on Santorini. I booked my own flight, but went through your recommendation of Fantasy Travel for the hotel and airport transportation. They got me a great deal on the hotels and the transportation being pre-paid and taken care of made things really easy.

I also used your Athens guide and had both dinners at your restaurant reccomendations which were both fabulous (and I'm a bit of a gourmet food snob, so that's a huge compliment coming from me!)

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to post the wealth of information on Greece, very helpful tips and make some recommendations that I wouldn't have found anywhere else. I'll definitly reccomend it to anyone else I know that's going to Greece. Your the best!

Sincerely,

Rasa
Richmond, VA

Matt – thank you so much for your help and your website. My friend and I stayed at the Attalos Hotel – the hotel, the staff, everything was perfect. The location is wonderful – we had a great time. We (with help from the staff) went on the Athens City tour – the 1 day cruise to Aegina, Poros and Hydra and the Delphi tour. I used the taxi service you recommended and it was great – I got my back after going through customs and there was the driver holding a sign with my name on it. After traveling what seemed like 24 hours – it was nice not to have to think about things.

Thanks for your help. Athens and the Greek people are beyond wonderful. Thanks for all the hard work you did on your website – it helped us prepare.

If you need a reference or a testimonial – let me know. Thanks again.

Greetings Matt Barrett-We want to thank you again for your informative
website GreeceTravel.com and your additional answers & suggestions by email.
We had a wonderful visit in Athens, with side trips to Delphi & the nearby
islands. Your travel guide helped us plan our daily excursions & enriched
our appreciation of the sights. Thank you.
Your most profound contribution to our trip was your recommendation of the
Adams Hotel in the historic Plaka District. It was ideal. The proprietors,
Kostas & Dimitri, are supremely gracious and helpful. The rooms are simple &
sufficient. The breakfast was delicious. The location could not have been
better--in the shadow of the Acropolis, a block from great restaurants, with
easy access to everything you want to do in Athens. We couldn't realize,
until we were there, that a few blocks on the map constitute a huge
difference in the ambience of the neighborhood. Please use my recommendation
as you wish so that others may choose the Adams Hotel.
We would also like to agree with your endorsement of several essential
museums: the Museum of Greek Folk Art (in the Plaka) & the Benaki Museum.
And, for getting around Athens quickly & inexpensively, the Metro subway was
great.
Thank you again for your assistance.
Best wishes...Todd Hamilton

My name is Eithan and I just returned from a 5 days trip to Athens with my wife. We had 5 amazing days and we wish to thank you for your site, which served us in so many ways to make the best out of Athens. It is already the second time that I go to Athens “with” you, and it was the occasion for me to check out the lovely neighbourhoods of Kipsely and Thissio. Following your recommendations, we did not hesitate to go there during Christmas, and boy, what a big surprise: coming out of the metro in Syntagma station on a sunny afternoon of the 24 December, right in to the big street party. Athens is beautiful and alive during the holydays, unlike, must I say, other European cities, such as Paris, where I live, which is certainly spectacular around Christmas, but absolutely dead during the days of the 25 and the 26 of December. I went to the records shops near the market, and came back with a nice set of music, almost completed my collection of Dimitra Galani (my favourite), and they were very pleased to know that I come shopping after visiting your site. I also paid a visit to Kostas, the famous suvlaky in 116 Adrianou st., which is still one of the best, even under the hands of his son (or grandson, I think..?). You are very right about Pireus, but out of curiosity I decided to go there anyway, the Zea is nice, but should be visited in summer. What can I say, your site is great, and thank you for helping us make the best trip.

Dear Matt,

My wife and I lived in Athens for 18 months and we had many visitors while we were there. We discovered your web site very soon after we arrived thanks to a friend and wore out several printed copies. We had a copy of that other guidebook, Lonely something or other, and I have always wanted to thank you for putting together your much, much better guide. IT IS THE BEST! We left Greece just over a year ago to work in the Kingdom of Bahrain and we were wondering if you have a cousin or something in Bahrain. Just kidding! I was reading the Athens News on line and missing Greece a lot and remembered your web site. It is so good and so accurate that it made me miss Greece even more than before. We have sent the web link to your site to many friends in the USA and Canada and all of them have gotten as much information and pleasure from it as we do. Thank you for all of the hard work, great pictures, etc.

Efharisto, para, para poli !! (I cannot spell in English and my Greek is even worse)

Tom Rushin
ChevronTexaco Operations Specialist
Oil Processing Department
Low Sulfur Fuel Oil Area
Bahrain Petroleum Company Refinery, Awali
Kingdom of Bahrain

Dear Matt,
My son and I have just returned from a 5-day stay in Athens - loved your guide before we went (in fact, reading it earlier this year helped me to decide to go there) and love it even more now that we've returned. Thank you very much for such an extensive and idiosyncratic view of the city. Will not hesitate to follow your recommendations in future, especially with regard to the Islands and booking arrangements.
Sincerely, Anne Simpson

Mr Barrett,
Thank you for loving my hometown as much as I do. Your open-mindedness
is a ray of hope in a strange, harsh world. I will always consider you a
dear friend.
Best wishes to you and your family,
Antigone

My wife and I had a short trip to Athens recently (21/3 - 23/3) and despite first impressions, the closure of the National Museum and overcast weather, we had a great time. As background, we are a couple of Malaysian Chinese currently working in Scotland and had never been to Greece before. We read a few negative reports about Athens and were apprehensive about the trip. However we read your site (and our daughter loved your daughter's site). We must say that Athens is all that you shown in your site and more! The people are very friendly (not pushy - can be cheeky which is great but also quite personable) and the food really good. We felt safe at all times - there was only one time when a drunk tried to ask for money. We were fascinated by the flea market - quite different from the other flea markets we seen (eg Paris). We wish we had more time. One of the things you did not deal in your site are the sweets or desserts. We loved those Greek sweets and found at least 3 around Plaka, including the K Kotsolis at Adrianou street which is also a café. We are still eating the lot we brought back. It is great city and I am sure it will get better.

Dear Matt,

I found your Athens Guide several months ago and I wanted you to know just how helpful it has been. My husband and I have been to Athens several times but there had been a ten-year gap since the last time we'd been there and, while we were going to be in Athens for the Olympics and had our accommodations arranged, we wanted to take a quick trip to Samos and from there to Ephesus. The information on travel agents, specifically Fantasy Travel, was invaluable. They (Nadia) did a fantastic job - we felt we really had a friend working for us in Athens. I have made this site one of my "favorites" and will continue to enjoy using it. I appreciate the fact that you do update it regularly - I wonder if there is a way for you to indicate the dates of your updates -- that's one thing that I miss as I read through the vast amount of material you make available.

Again, many thanks for this site -- it is a real labor of love.

Judith Kebic

WOW WOW you have the most amazing website - and the only one with a
decent map of Athens (in English). I've been trawling through loads of
rubbish from Google, and finally came across your site. Trust a fellow
(well, former, in my case) Chapel Hill/Carrboro resident to come through
with a comprehensive, informative site. Definitely adding to my list of
favourites - if not for my use, then for anyone I ever hear of who is
going to Athens!

Kind regards,
Caroline

Dear Matt Barrett,

Just wanted to thank you for the information on your website. A friend and I just returned from a couple of weeks in Greece and found your site to be very helpful. Especially with jewelry shopping in Athens! We went to Byzantino on your recommendation and ended up purchasing several pieces there from George and Laura which were too beautiful to resist. We did some comparison shopping and found that Byzantino's jewelry was unique compared to the offerings of the other shops. So thanks for the tip.

Thanks again,

Susan Koulouris
Medford, Massachusetts

Hi Matt,

I just wanted to let you know that I'm a huge fan of your website. I found
your Athens travel guide and your travel guide to Greece two years ago when
I was getting ready to travel to Greece from Boston, and it was really
tremendously helpful. I felt like someone I knew was giving me the kind of
advice that I really needed, and was pointing out all the fun and
interesting little details about life in Athens. While I was there (I
worked in Athens for the summer after my junior year in college), I fell in
love with the city and people even as the city and people drove me crazy,
but that made sense to me because Athens is like that! And sometimes I
really miss Athens, and of course I miss my friends there. So even though I
haven't been back in two years, I go to your website at least once a month
and spend hours reading and looking at all your pictures, and it lets me
relive the experience of being there and remember all the things I loved so
much and found so fascinating. I am grateful for your website and I really
appreciate all the hard work you put into it.

Thanks so much,
Lisa Langdon

I visited your web site, the Athens survival guide. I am a Greek
who lives in Athens and I feel the need to congratulate you
about the site. Sometimes I think you know better Athens than I
do ! Keep on updating your site.

Hi Matt

My wife and I have just returned from a fantastic 10 days in Greece. Celebrating 20 years of wedded bliss, we spent 3 days in Athens, 5 days in the islands and a final night in Athens before flying home.

We used your guide before we left and printed out a bunch of pages to use while we in Athens. Domigos at Brettos liquor store says hi. We ate to our hearts content at many of your recommendations including Psaras Fish Taverna (very romantic but I fell off my chair), The Plaka Restaurant (fun and lively), Domigos (cod fish is now not one of our favorites) as well as Thespidos and Byzantino (our two favorites).

My wife enjoyed Byzantino Jewelry Store more than I had hoped and the Cine Paris was a grand diversion.

We also had many pages from Frommers and Foders books with us. They never left our suitcase. Your guide was so much better, it gave us a more "local" feeling. Thank You for all of the effort that you have put into you passion.

(Thank You)

Sincerely
Mark Evans
Suttons Bay, Michigan
5/14/04

Hi Matt! Wasn't sure how to add a post to your site but wanted to say MANY THANKS! We visited Greece in September and found every service you recommended exactly as you said we would - wonderful and worthwhile.

Travel Phone - we bought one and could not have done without it. Unfortunately we were in Greece when the 9/11 event occurred. We received a call from our families within 15 minutes of the bombings. We were able to call our families and they us when others couldn't get through on hotel lines or other land lines. We loaned our phone to 3 other families and it worked out wonderfully. I also had lost luggage and a few other glitches and the phone was perfect. Truly the best money we spent!!!!!!!

We visited Byzantino and left some money there as well. Laura was wonderful. I bought a bracelet for my husband and should have taken a picture of Laura as well! He would have like that even better!

Dear Matt,

My father, boyfriend and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Greece and
we have to thank you. Your site was so helpful! I used it to plan the trip
and as a resource for hotels, restaurants, sites, shopping, etc. Before we
left, my father printed the whole thing out so we could read it on the plane
and pack it in our bags as we went out to see the sights.

Our trip was a last minute decision so we were a bit frantic trying to
prepare. Your site lead us to the agent who booked our hotel 2 days before
arrival. The Hotel Cypria was a wonderful spot, so quiet and so close to
everything. Helpful hint, the "Acropolis View" room does have a lovely
view, and the exhaust pipe for the buildings sewage! My father was moved to
the room due to a problem in his original room so it's not like we're
complaining, just a word to the wise.

The biggest help of all was George the Famous Taxi Driver! We called from
the Frankfurt Airport (way to wait till the last minute pops!) and they said
"No problem, someone will meet you." We arrived and met Dennis, George's
son. He was fantastic! After the harrowing ride to the hotel we quickly
learned that it's best to leave driving to the locals. We explained that we
didn't really have an itinerary and would only be in Greece for a week and
wondered if he had any suggestions. He quickly planned our week for us,
maximizing our short stay. We had a great trip out to Sounion for a half
day and then did a 2 day trip to Delphi and Meteora. Amazing trips all
around. Dennis was so dependable, friendly, together and well informed. I
wonder if I know as much about my home as he does!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! You made our trip what it was and now we
all can't wait to go back. Next time we are thinking of sailing the
islands. When you speak with George again, please let him know how grateful
we are to Dennis and that I will be passing their info along to anyone I
know who is traveling to Greece. I have fallen in love with Greece and
Dennis certainly helped in the courting.

Also, FYI, you are able to walk around the Temple of Poseidon - in, around,
all over! Your site had said you couldn't but there was nothing there to
stop us. Or the gentleman who left his "Fanta" can (not to worry, I chased
him down). Also, Lord Byron's "autograph" is on the square pillar to the
right when you are facing the temple from the path. Right there, in front,
on the outside face, just short of eye level - more like sternum level.

Thanks again and hope your next trip is as great as ours was!

Sincerely,

Erin K. O'Brien

P.S. - My heart broke as the plane took off and I've been all around this
beautiful Earth. I normally don't like going back to spots I've already
seen but I will certainly return to Greece as many times as I can.

You must get hundreds of emails like this - I returned last night from a long weekend in Athens with my wife and I just wanted to say how much the information on your website contributed to making our stay really memorable and enjoyable.

It is always strange at first being in a new country for the first time - but with the information from your site we were able to find our feet immediately and do far more than I could have hoped to achieve in a weekend, from finding that ideal gift to a taxi tour with George and Spiro.

I have spent two days checking out everything I didn't know about Athens. My neighbor is taking a trip to Athens in April or May and wanted me to get her some information. I stumbled upon your website and was overwhelmed by all the information you are providing. You are truly remarkable to have put all that information together along with photos. I don't know when I've had a better vacation!!! I called my neighbor and told her I want to go to Athens with her (of course she would have to pay - I work for the local city government and they don't pay that good). Anyway, I really want to thank you for showing me a place outside the USA that if I should ever win the Lottery, that's the place I want to go first.

Dear Blueking,
I happened to end up in your webpage about Athens, and
I was really amazed from it. It is a great "gift" for
my city, it says the things exactly how they are, and
reminded me that even when I get seriously pissed-off
in the usuall trafic-jams, Athens a few hours later
will be cool again :). I would only like to read some
more stories about experiences that people had in
Greece, good or bad, like the driving licence story.
Good luck in your next trips, anywhere...
Kostas

PS. I have been surfing the net for 5 years, and it is
the only time that I feel the need to congratulate
someone for his web page.

WOW! Matt! You are terrific! My cousin just guided me to your Athens
Guide. I am a travel agent, and never, ever have I read anything so
right on and personable ever! You write as I would talk to someone! Do
you publish any travel books? You would blow Insight guides, Fodor,
Fielding...etc off the shelves! I am very new to the internet. Do you
have other destinations?
Thanks for the best travel reading ever.
Rosie Flanagan

I just wanted to tell you how incredibly helpful your guide has been. I'm
a University of Chicago undergrad and will be studying in Athens from late
March until early June. Your site answered so many of my questions that I
just wasn't finding the answer to anywhere! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Many THanks for your survival guide!!! I was up to all hours looking for
things ot do using it, evne had a spritied discussion wiht George the taxi
driver about what coeuld we do on short notice. I will definitely find
him next trip for a tour of the city.

I ended up walking around Benaki museum- the only bummer was no
photography but the museum is outstanding. You might notice the museum
cafe has quite reasonable food at very easonable prices including frappes
whihc wired me for the better part of the rest of the day!!

WE walked trhough national park and wandered down the Plaka and as luck
would have it the veyr first store i popped into was Olympic Jewelry owend
by the same people as Byzantino and then fell into byzantino.
We even bought some jewelry there your tips are dead on on everything i
have tried so far. THANK YOU !!!!!

At Byzantinos I fell in love with Laura but alas my wife wouldnt let me
keep her so I had to settle for jewelry Oh well (haha) its a wonderful
store and very warm peopel and great pricing.

Some other info: the metro lines are more complete so you might want to
update that info. ANd your comments about Piraeus are dead on
.Also from a curise ship to the metro station -- the difference betwen a
rush hour ride and non rush hour ride is 8.43 vs 1.33 euros- haha.

Again many thanks you should do guides for a lot of cities it would help
the weary traveller have more fun.
Richard Karasik

Cape Town, South Africa, 8 February, 2001
Dear Matt,
I have just spent almost an hour going through your very interesting website and felt that I had to write and congratulate you on it! Some friends and I have been going to the island of Skiathos every summer for about six years now and we always have to pass through Athens. In the beginning we did not like the city at all ... but with time we have grown to like it. After going through your web pages I realise that there is so much that we have missed out on and that there is more to Athens than meets the eye initally.
We will be there next month and cannot wait to try out some of the restaurants you have mentioned! Your website has been so well put together and the photographs are fantastic and bring the whole "guide" to life and the information is clear as well as personal.
Happy travelling, With kind regards,
Len Straw.

Dear Matt
I have been looking through your site for the last couple of days, and I
wanted to congratulate you for your work. I am actually Greek, currently
studying in England, and looking through your site I got even more
homesick than I usually am (especially now that I'm in the middle of
exams). I have to admit that your site is one of the best guides for
Greece that I've come across. Even from a local's point of view, it's
excellent. Most guidebooks usually get on my nerves because they only
deal with the touristy places and things to do, and do not get the point
of living in Greece. I particularly liked your Athens guide. It is
indeed a beautiful city when you get used to all the traffic and smog,
and in 21 years you can imagine that I've grown very fond of it,
especially now that I'm away. You are one of the few foreign people that
sees this.
As for the sections about other parts of Greece, I was amazed at all the
places you've visited. At last, a good guide that deals with more than
just the islands (with the possible exception of Lonely Planet, by far
the best guidebooks, they're the only reason that I made it through my
Inter-rail last year...).
Anyway, I just wrote because I felt I had to congratulate you after
managing to make me this homesick... Keep up the good work!
George.

Your website on my home city is fantastic ! I've just looked at the
section on the streetpeople and buskers, and listened to the violin
player (amazing). I'm glad I came across your site (through some other
Greek links) and I tell people about it. I'm a hideously homesick
Athenian, temporarily in LA with my American husband. (I grew up in
S.Africa though). Your site has helped me to revisit my most favourite
place and birthplace (Plaka), and I was even crying here at the screen,
seeing hundreds of details that I know, including banana-sellers and
other people that I used to see.
I'm amazed at all the details and great photos of Athens that you've put
together.
Bravo ! Ise katapliktikos. Na isaste kala....esi ke i ikogenia sou.

Kalo fthinoporo.....
Miranda
(and my husband, Matt as well....we came to LA for him to record the
greatest rock 'n roll CD for many, many years. Tell you later if you're
interested.)

Dear Matt

My recent (and second) trip to Athens (I got back to the UK very late Tuesday night) was made so much better by your excellent web site. Basically, we went on the Matt Barrett trail and, in the three days we were there tried to sample the delights that you recommended.

We stayed at the Adams Hotel. A very interesting place. We stayed on the third floor and had a whole suite to ourselves (although we just paid for a room). Great balcony with tremendous view of the Acropolis. Rather cold due to the freak weather conditions where London was at least 2 degrees warmer than Athens but we do understand that the Athenians aren't really geared up to this sort of weather - and we come from England so we survived! We felt sorry for the poor guys in the lobby with their respective portable heating arrangements and woolly hats!

We went to the Plaka Taverna ( I assume this is the same place as the Plaka restaurant that you described) and had a very cheese orientated lunch at the Platia Iroon (we had our last lunch there - they remembered us and we got kisses from the lady in charge and had a good chat with the young waiter). Only thing is - after two delicious meals at this place, I've had a bit of a cheese overdose and am trying to have a break from it right now!

We were going to go to Aegina on Monday, but Sunday night in Brettos put paid to that. 7 rather large brandies later we had a bit of trouble getting up in the morning. However, I was impressed that even though I felt a little tired and emotional there was no headache. It was full of tourists and seems to be quite a meeting place for everyone. As you suggested I bought a few bits and pieces and got some excellent presents for people. Damigos was good - weirdly nice to have fried fish in batter (as you know very popular as part of fish and chips in UK) with garlic sauce - we'll be back there again.

The meat markets (both in Piraeus and Athens) were a revelation. Not for sensitive souls - my husband loved it! To me it was an area of blood, sheeps' heads and testosterone! English kids, who think meat grows in a shrink wrapped polystyrene container, would get a real education from this - then again, it could harm them for life!!!!! I know one thing - you would have a whole generation of vegetarians! Visiting places like this, to me, is so much better than endless museums and tourist attractions.

We found Vassilenas in Piraeus. It was lunchtime (we didn't realise that he did not open for lunch), but because we had so obviously come to seek him out, he opened just for us. The food was sublime. What a place. Of course, we gave him a good tip! I'd love to think that we sat at the same table as Melina Mercouri - is that possible?

We're going back again in April as we are going to Paros for a few days - staying at the apartment of Martina and Sakis (in Naoussa). We found it on the internet on their own website: www.paros-online.com . As it was out of season, it was very reasonable - 44Euros per night for five of us. We'll let you know what its like and we'll try to take some digital photos. I have communicated with Martina and she seems like a very nice lady. She also runs a cat sanctuary from her apartments and is involved in PAWS (Paros Animal Welfare). The apartments have kitchen, balcony or terrace and are fully maid-serviced.

Thank you again Matt for all your help. Your website is amazing - who needs guide books? I hope that you get some reward for what you do- you ought to.

Kindest regards

Davina

Matt,
I had the oportunity to visite Athens last week-end together with my wife and some friends. Half of the group did attend an international medical congress, while the remaining 3 of us could enjoy Athens.
I found your Athes Guide on the Internet and foud it VERY good and useful.
We used your Restaurand Guide.....
We tried some of your recommended greek food......
We used "your" taxi-driver George for transport to the Congress Center, sightseeing in and around Athens (VERY good) and transport to an early flight back home......
We visited "your" rock in the front of Acropolis.....
We followed your guide through Plaka......
We visited the Flea Marked.......
We followed your recommendations through the City Market.......
I baught jewlery by Byzantino for my wife......

In other words...... You see we covered it "all" thanks to your excellent guide.
Thanks for your contribution to a unforgettable week-end!

Thank you for sending the newsletter. I stumbled across you a few days ago and have been reading everything in 'athensguide.com' ..........I absolutely love it; it is so informative, casual, earthy, readable, not the normal 'touristy' information.
My first trip abroad; feel somewhat prepared after reading so much information about Athens and the islands. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am getting really excited and really looking forward to visiting your Greece.

Browsing through your site I could hardly tell the difference whether
you were a visitor or a fellow Athenian. Great work!
Katerina

Hello!!!
This is Tony from Sao Paulo,Brasil...
I am planning my fourth trip to Greece, at this time after march 20th,
not summer!! I was surfing in the net , and ended up with your page!!!
It is one of the most interesting and helpful guide I have find!
I can tell you I have looked in references books such as Fodor`s,
Frommer`s and many others....
Your page is THE BEST !!!!!!

My wife and I went to greece this summer and used your guide extensivley.
People swore we must have been there before.
As we passed by Berettos in the Plaka, I told some American ladies all about it.
We ate at Byzantinos and we had a ball.
I went to the flea markets and looked through all the Nazi and USSR memorbilia.
What a place.
Nicely written, well laid out. Great site.
Have a Mythos beer on us.

I've lived in Greece off and on for nearly 30 years now, and I think that
your Athens web site is one of the best I've seen. I think you've done a
fine job.

I found your site a couple weeks ago. I got the opportunity to meet my niece in Greece at the last minute and had no clue where to go and what to do. I printed off your Survival Guide and that's all I needed to know...except Greek and with three weeks to plan I didn't have time to learn. Your information was invaluable to us, and the Attalos Hotel is the perfect place to stay if you're on a budget and want to be right in the middle of things. Thanks again for your effort in putting all this info in one place.

Being a first time traveller, having picked my first backpacking stop as
being Athens, I am, say the least, apprehensive. It doesn't help being an
english woman, in my mid twenties, travelling alone for the first time!

I came across your Athens Survival Guide quite by accident, whilst looking
for street maps on the 'Net and having read some of it and intending to read
it all I had to Email you and say Thank you. It really made me feel like
Athens isn't a big bad city and somewhere I can visit without feeling too
much trepedation. Reading about your favourite restaurants and places to go
makes it feel friendly and not so unknown, for which I am very grateful.
Due to you I intend to visit Plaka and purchase a street map before I leave
my native UK and plot where to go. I am also going to get George to pick me
up at the airport. I have a week and a half to go and will be travelling
for at least 3 months around Europe, staying in Hostels. Athens for a least
6 days then some of the Islands etc.. Before making my way thru Italy and
France. I just wanted to let you know how much it helps to read your page
and how it brings Athens to life in a very funny and familiar way.
It almost stops me feeling like a complete and utter stranger in a totally
foreign city!!

And your guide was wonderful and a big help. We met another American couple that also had your guide, and referred to you often. I was SOOOOO surprised at how safe we felt in Athens, even at night; much better than our cities here.

We hit snow at Delphi and didn't venture the trip to Meteora . . . and we are so glad. One of the tour buses jack-knived and no one else was making it around that bus, up the mountain.

Will heartily recommend your site to all that are contemplating a trip to Greece. Thanks again!

Just wanted to say that I just landed from a week in athens and it was everything you said it would be and more!! I found your guide very helpful, but I found that the Athenians to be even more gracious and freindly than I could have ever imagined. I love it, I will be going back!!

I am a college student at Loyola University Chicago and just read a
good chunk of your Great Athens tips. I'm currently sitting here in a
computer lab and must admit that your commentary made me laugh out
loud, for I remember much of the same to be true. Thank you for
writing something so close to home!
Oh, and I wouldn't recommend the Tower Air cheap flight to anyone!!!!
My family took it over this past summer. It left from NY at 12:00 P.M.
and was crowded and I threw up 3 times!!!
HORRIBLE!
But you are correct, one does have plenty of time and warm sunshine
to get over it!!!
Thank you again for your humor and wit!
Sincerely
Beth Manuselis

I just want to let you know that my wife and I visited Athens for a few days
in connection with the past weekend and that we found your personal advice
and the information that you made available on internet to be most helpful
and valuable. We stayed at the Adams Hotel which we found nice and very well
situated. We had a glass of ouzo at Mr. Brettos's shop and had dinner
afterwards in the fish restaurant right below.

We enjoyed Athens, admired not only Akropolis and the Agora but also the
top-modern and most impressive metro stations and trains, and we happened to
be there in the middle of the carrnaval which was extensively celebrated in
the streets of the Plaka.

Matt, we got so much information from your site before going to Greece this summer, it was amazing how much easier it made our trip. From staying at the Attalos to having George's taxi service take us all around, etc.
We were showing friends of ours your site last evening and noticed your article of the sailing trip you took this summer. Sounds fantastic!!! As I was reading along, I notice a name from my past, your friend, Ana Kamais. Ana and I grew up together in the Hartford Greek community and attended Greek School, etc. together. He Mom, Despina, is a very good friend of my Mom's and they spend much time together. I have not seen Ana since she moved back to Greece many years ago, but ask her Mom about her often. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw her name in your article and found out it was the same person I knew. She would know me by my maiden name, Malamati Karatasios (Matula is my nickname) and she would also know my husband very well, Bobby Litts. We all attended the same church in Hartford, St. George. If you talk to her or write to her, please mention me to her and give her my e mail (mklitts@lnc.com). I would love to have her e mail as well.
Keep up the great work on your site...all our friends, etc. who we have sent to it are thrilled. We just hope that the world situation settles down enough that we can return to Greece soon.
All my best!
Marilyn (and Bob) Litts
P.S. We visited Aristidis at the Thiamis Icon shop in Athens and instantly became friends. What a lovely person he is! He is painting an icon of St. John the Baptist for us (we collect icons) and has just sent us a beautiful icon of the Virgin Mary for a wedding gift.
The folks at the Attalos were just great! I wrote and told them so and have referred them to friends as well.
Thanks again!

My name is Ian Boulton, and I have just enjoyed a week in Athens with my
wife Marion (she of diminutive size and hence silly e-mail address).

We are from England, and took a week off to chill out after having two of
our kids get married this year, and having Virgin Atlantic airmiles enough
to take us both to Athens, that's where we chose to go.

We have been to the Pelopennese before, but never to Athens, so we sought
help from the good old internet, and Lo and Behold! We discovered the
Athens Survival Guide.

We used all the info in your guide to make the most of our eight day visit,
and with the added bonus of having fantastic weather (no rain at all...just
bright sunshine and blue skies) we did a lot more than we dared hope.

Firstly, we stayed at the Adams Hotel, which was perfect for what we wanted
to do. The people ther are so friendly, and the rates are really good (we
paid about £40 per night for a double room , B&B, and had an enormous
balcony on which we could have held a party for about fifty people, and
which had a great view of the Akropolis).

We tried a number of your recommended restaurants, and agree with you about
the Byzantino...though in fact it was closed for renovation aftrer a fire
when we first arrived, and we did not get to eat there until our
penultimate day. We went back on the last day too, though!

We also followed your recommendation to try the bakaliaro underneath
Bretto's (we started most evenings at Bretto's), Psaras and the Socrates
Prison Taverna.

I thought you might be interested in a few other things that we found, and
which you might like to check out:

Restaurants. We also tried Braxos in Adrianou, it is a bit expensive, but
the roof garden has a beautiful view of the Akropolis flood lit at night.
The food is good too.

The Taverna next to Sigalas is also good...the work on the metro extension
made Sigalas impossible to eat at outside.

The best place we found of all was not in Athens however. One day it was so
hot we took the ferry over to Aegina, and looking round for somewhere to
eat lunch we came upon the little fish market, just clearing up after a
busy morning's trading. From your comments about good eating places near
Athens market, I thought maybe we'd have the same luck here...and we did.
There are two small tavernas full of men and a few kids, taking lunch at
the end of the market morning. We ate in one of them and had the best fried
fish and whitebait we'd ever eaten. With a bottle of wine the whole lot
came to only 4600 drachmas (it would have been even cheaper if we had taken
a carafe of the local retsina, but I'm afraid we haven't acquired the taste
for that yet). We are both from fishing towns in the east of England, and
we know our fish, and I'm telling you this was brilliant.

The other thing I will mention is the changing of the guard at the tomb of
the unknown soldier, next to the Parliament Building. This happens every
day every hour, but on Sundays the evzones wear their best uniforms. In
fact when we were there it was the week of a national holiday, so there was
a parade on Sunday morning as well, and on the actual day of the holiday
(Oct 28) there was a massive parade with bands and schools from all of
Athens taking part, many of them in national dress.

Well, I hope these bits of information are of some use to you. I'd like to
thank you very much for your excellent web-site, without which we would not
have had such a rewarding visit.

Maybe one day we might bump into each other at breakfast in the Adams
Hotel, as I am sure we will return,

I really enjoyed your Greece Travel Guide on the web, especially
www.athensguide.com

I'm really impressed by the friendly tone and the chatty style - so
different from the many guide books. We've got Lonely Planet and Rough
Guide and one or two others which are useful in their own ways, but none of
these captures your enthusiasm and personal detail which makes it come
alive so well.

We were only in Greece for two weeks, going out to our boat which has been
in Lefkas for the winter. We managed three days in Athens and enjoyed
Brettos and some of the other places you mention, including Byzantino
Restaurant. We stayed at the Phaedra Hotel at the corner of Adrianou and
Lissikratous, in front of the church of Agia Ekaterini. It was clean and
friendly and very well located (just round the corner from Brettos). We
also enjoyed the mezedes at Ouzeri Kouklis at 14 Tripodon, as well as the
hand made shoes nearby at Padelis Siodi, 27 Tripodon. My wife has been
looking for decent leather flip-flops for about three years since she lost
her previous ones overboard in Italy. The advice about going to the EOT was
also very useful since they gave us the bus times to Lefkas and the
location of the Bus Terminal A (Kifissou St.)

So thank you again and well done on a brilliant web site. Can I post you
2000 drachma to encourage you to continue? Where do I send it?

(I teach in a school, www.ksw.org.uk, in Worcester, UK and went to Greece
with my wife Caroline and student son James. Our boat is a 33 foot sloop
called Don Quixote and we sailed her, slowly, to Greece from England, via
France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Tunisia and Malta. The boat is in her sixth
year in the Mediterranean.)

Hope all is well. Just printed out your fabulous web-site addition on Christmas in Athens!

We’re spending 16 days in Athens for the holidays. This will be my 3^rd trip to Greece and I

can’t wait! Just wanted to let you know that I think if you created a book with all of the

incredible information & pictures from your website you would have a best-seller on your hands!!

THANKS so much for the info that you forwarded to me with reference to Greece!! (The check is in the mail.....actually my CHEAP husband said it would be well worth the $10.00). We made our trip from October 6 to October 19. We had a fun, informative and VERY interesting trip, thanks in large part to your information.

As we have elderly parents, (mine is in a nursing home in Asheville, NC where are you located???) my husband and I were down to the wire deciding to head overseas for two weeks. However, we finally decided to take the chance to visit a county where we had NEVER been and with limited info that we had personally located.

I normally read extensively on the area we are visiting and make a day-to-day outline of what, when, where and how. This time, you did the job for me AND it worked!! We did make the mistake of staying in Ilisia because we were accustomed to staying in some very nice Best Westerns (better than US standards) in other European location, i.e. Venice, Lucern, etc., NOT in Athens!!

Yeah, we goofed! BUT, we learned the hard way that you CAN walk from the Plaka (actually the Acropolis) to Ilisia and on to Likavitos and tell the tale!! (It's about those Taxis that don't stop if you are on the WRONG side of the road, GRRRRRR!!) Oh yeah, we're 52 and NOT in great shape; but, we've traveled in Europe before and learned to just "Deal with Whatever"!!!

My opinions of Athens run from dirty, WAY overcrowded with insane traffice to some very nice and friendly shop owners with fun shopping, REALLY good Greek Salad (and other food, BUT we loved the Greek Salad....every day!!) and, of course, the unique experience of visiting the Acropolis. This time, fortunately, we listened to your advice and arrived prior to 11:00 and were definitely glad!! It was amazing how quickly you could go from fresh and clean to gross and "yucky"!!

We bought the Ouzo at the appropriate place as well as a gold bracelet from your suggested location. However, the sandal guy was GREAT!! We almost didn't find him!! What happened to cheap carpets???? Not where we went!!

Well, is that enough to explain that we REALLY enjoyed and benefited from your 30+ pages (that we carried over.....some people laughed as they saw us reading it....they knew what we were doing!!!)

Myself and my girlfriend spent a week in greece last december and had a wonderfull time. we used your guide which was excellent and made our trip even more enjoyable. We went to see Bretto on numerous occations and brought back a various selection of his bottles. The problem is they have run out and I was wondering if there would be any way in getting in contact with Bretto to see if he could send me some more drinks in his metal canisters. If you could help me it would make an excellent surprise and christmas present for my Girlfriend.

For what it's worth, I used the information on your page to contact
George for two days of guide services while in Athens.

We were met promptly at our hotel by a man named Christos who told us
that George was booked but he was filling in for the day. Christos
owned an older Mercedes that he normally used as a cab and drove us to
Delphi with several excellent side trips on the way. He was well
informed and spoke very good English and went about the excursion in a
leisurely and informative manner. As we approached Delphi, he confirmed
by his cell phone with a private guide, whom we met at Delphi, that she
would guide us through the actual site. She also did an excellent job.

Upon returning to Athens on the day long excursion, Christos showed us
where the shopping would be best and dropped us off there, offering to
wait for us but we knew we could find a cab to get back to the hotel.

On the second day, Christos was again prompt and conducted a four hour
tour of Athens, getting us to all the right places, such as the changing
of the guard, without long waits.

He did an exceptional job and we'd highly recommend his services. Phone
0945-785338.

I also used the information on your page and found it to be an excellent
guide as we found our way through Athens. This was my fourth trip to
the city and thought I had seen most of it but your guide took us to
places I had not visited. Thank you for such an excellent product.

Just to let you know, my wife and I just returned from Athens for the
holidays and had an incredible time. Thank you so, so much for all your
incredible information.

We had Brooklyn Pizza deliver to our hotel AND ate there the next day.
Yummy! And we ate at a lot of the other places you mentioned and
visited most of the sites. THANK YOU so, so much for providing such
teriffic info. You changed our trip!

My company is sending me to Athens next week and I thought I'd surf the web for info on the place, since I've never been there. Having traveled to England, France, and Spain, I'm comfortable with some European travel. However, there's the usual nervousness in traveling to a new place.

I'd like to thank you for all the valuable information your web site has provided. I feel I'll have a more enjoyable experience from simply checking out all the info you provided.

It was purely by chance that I decided that I wanted to go away and sample some Greek culture and life after I came across your 'Guide to Athens' on the web last year.

Well, I had a fantastic week, meet so many friendly and interesting people and saw virtually all of Athens!

Now I am planning to go to Lesvos during June. It seems like such a fantastic island I can't wait!

I just wanted to say a very BIG thankyou. Your guides are so well written. Down to earth advice, interesting stories, tips on the best places to go and the people of Greece. I hope that you manage to gut your guides into print becuase they are one of the best, if not the best information sources on Greece!

Matt,
All I can say is that you are one amazing guy! I was throughly
impressed by your guide of Athens. I can not even begin to thank you
for the help that you have given me. I am a junior in high school and
needed information for an assignment. I wrote down so much and read
even more because it was so interesting and very humorous! When I get
married, I am going on a honeymoon to Athens and I am going to use YOUR
webpage for a guide. Thanks again for the information and keep up the
fantastic work on that page of yours!

I have e-mailed you about three or so weeks ago concerning a vase we bought in Athens , but, failed to receive. With your advise, and Mr. Tom Mazarakis' help, we have received the "most beautiful" piece on 4-10-00. We would like to express our deepest thanks for your advice and contact in Athens. As we have in the past, we will continue, fervently, to pass on your website to our friends at our Greek Orthodox church and others interested in travel to Greece.

Hi
I have just returned from my Greece holiday a few days ago.
First of all, I wanted to thank you so much for all your advice. I used
soooo many of your suggestions. I impressed my friends and husband because
it made me look like I knew what I was doing!! :)
We went to Byzantino in the Plaka twice for Dinner!! All I can say is Menu
A rocks!! :) We bought a great ring from Byzantino (excuse my spelling)
jewlers in the Plaka. Laura says hi. She is so nice!! I bought great ouzo
at Bretto's!! Anyways thanks a lot!!

Well thanks again talk to you later.
Oh by the way, you are very popular in Greece and everyone knows your name!!
Stephanie

Just wanted to thank you so much for all the terrific info provided on your website.
(we e-mailed each other a few months ago). We just returned from Athens on 10/23
finishing up a Rennaissance Cruise starting in Istanbul then Kusadasi, Rhodes and
Santorini. We packed in as much as we could in 4 days in Athens but not nearly
enough time to even scratch the surface - but enough time to be fascinated by the
city and particularly The Plaka. What a great place! And with your help we were
able to get around painlessly.

We stopped to see Mr. Bretto and gave him your regards. What a delightful gent.
We (my wife Beth and I) had an ouzo (wonderful) and brought 2 bottles plus a bottle
of his brandy home with us.

We also stopped to see Laura at Byzantino and left about $1,000 lighter. Beth
bought a 22K hammered gold bracelet, hand made, Museum copy 5th century,
with Small sapphire, ruby and emerald stones. Absolutely beautiful.She is ecstatic.

When asking for directions for the Byzantino Restaurant we were told it burned down. We had lunch next door at Plaka Teverna. Hit a few other spots including
Diogenes Taverna (Lisikrati Sq). We also had the souvlaki (sandwich) and a couple
ice cold Mythos at Tavern Sigalis on Metropolis at Monastiraki Sq.

We arrived back late last night having taken the Theofilos out of Mytilene
on Tuesday night then a flight out of Athens yesterday. Your Athens Survival
Guide came in very useful. We had already booked the Attolos Hotel but the
recommendation on where to eat was much appreciated. On our only other visit
there (in 1981) we ended up in the Plaka eating and expensive rather
indifferent moussaka and souvlaki. The Byzantino was excellent not only very
good ethnic food but also real value for money. The only downside to it was
that their tsatzizki proved to be better than the one my wife, Irene,
makes(her observation not mine). Even the kids had to agree.
My kids are already planning next year's trip and they tell me that they may
fly out a week before Irene and I. As they will be 18 and 16 then and we
have the offer of a house for them I may jealously have to concede.
If our visits coincide next year I may drop by for the odd ouzo of three.
Keep up the good work.

Hi Matt,
My friend Elizabeth Herring first told me about your travel pages about a year ago. I enjoy reading them and appreciate all you are doing to offer people an authentic view of Greece. I know and love many of the establishments you mention in your reports on Athens and other destinations. And I also want people to see the fun side of Athens and the beauty and warmth that lies under the urban congestion and noise.
I lived in Athens for 14 years, wrote for The Athenian magazine on cinema and features, was a correspondent for Variety newspaper and The Age (Melbourne.) I also taught Greek and American cinema appreciation courses at the Hellenic-American Union in Athens. And in the summer I planned, booked and led academic groups from the US and lectured to Elderhostel groups. I am not sure if we have ever met, but Elizabeth seems to think we must have sometime over the years.

Well, back to my work. Thank you so much for your solid research and enthusiasm in presenting your material to frequent and first-time visitors. I hope I will be hearing from you in the near future.

Just returned from Greece. 1 week in the Dodacanese Islands sailing, and 1 week on the mainland, including Athens. I just wanted to let you know how helpful your web page and your Survival Guide were for us. We used Dolphin-Hellas (Kassiani) for all of our reservations in the islands and in Athens. She did a fabulous job. Everything was done perfectly. In Athens we used your guide to finding great places to eat, and to get around. One thing you may want to let people know is that Platanos is closed on Sunday evening for dinner. We were quite disapointed, but then found a wonderful place around the corner, so not to worry. Bought jewerly at Byzantino, which as you say, is wonderful and the people were great. I just thought you'd want to know how great your help was. I 'll be sending you a donation soon. Thanks. Janet Niles

Dear Matt;
Thanks for your guide which we printed from the net and took with us to
athens for a 5 day city break, It was very useful we even managed to find
the Kafeneon in the dark and had cheese balls and ouzo as you suggest!
excellent.
many thanks;

Having just come back from 2 weeks in Greece I feel like I know you since it was your guide that helped make this one of our best vacations ever.

First of all there was George the Taxi Driver. He was outstanding and I hope you will pass this on to him. We spent 3 days with George one in the Peloponnese and 2 in Delphi and Meteora. By the end of 3 days I felt like I was saying goodbye to a member of my own family. He was very knowledgeable and gave us an insight into the Greek culture that you just can't get from tour books and huge bus tours. Plus he knows the best place to stay in Meteora!! Not some chain hotel in town but a wonderful spic n' span clean inn in the mountains called Arsenis. When I walked out onto our balcony the mountain view was so beautiful I wanted to sing out a chorus from the Sound of Music! By the way, no one should go to Greece without Meteora on their tour. In all our travels I have never experienced any natural beauty like it not to mention the spiritual aspect.

Back in the Plaka we did walk with your guide in hand which made us feel well oriented within a day. O Plantanos Taverna was a gem quiet and filled with locals. Can't say the same about Byzantino too noisy and crowed. Socrates Tavern was empty on the 2 nights we walked by so don't know if they've changed hands or cooks but we passed it up for Strofi which was good with a beautiful view of the Acropolis. And if someone wants to splurge as we did on our last night in Athens, Daphne's inside courtyard is the place. The food service and ambience were top notch and the bill for 2 with 3 courses including wine...$110. Brettos is a beautiful store and was going strong the night we were there. Byzantine Jewelers does have beautiful unique pieces and so does their neighbor Angelo's.

Our second week was spent with Viking Cruises on the Aegean Lady II. I'll forward you my e-mail to them since this was a perfect unstructured way to see the islands as opposed to the oversized cruise ships. And the intimacy of sailing with only 20 other people was wonderful.

Thanks again for all your recommendations! We cannot wait till we return to Greece with all its beauty, history and warm and friendly people!!

My family and I traveled to Greece in summer of 98. Your quide was
incredibly valuable and we thank you for it! We printed it, read it and
depended upon it while in Greece.

The night before the first day of really sightseeing, we got out George's
number but decided that it was too late to call him for the next day. So we
went out on our own the next day. At the end of the day we were walking by
the Grande Bretagne to see it again (from a previous trip) and hopefully to
grab a cab. We needed to go to the office of a ferry company to pick up our
ferry tickets.

As we were walking by the Grande Bretagne a man called to us to see if we
needed a cab. We said yes, expecting to go with the gentleman who summoned
us. Instead he directed us to another gentleman. We jumped in our cab and
took off for the ferry company. When my husband went inside to pay for the
tickets I was looking at our driver and he looked vaguely familiar. I asked
him if, by some small chance, he had a web site and he answered no but that
there was this man named Matt from the US.....etc. etc... I pulled out my
picture of George and his wife that I printed off the internet and he pulled
out the original!!! Unbelievable!!!

We used his services that night as he drove my husband, me and our 2 small
children to Sounion for dinner and sunset.

He is a godsend in a city of smokers!!! As with all the people we met, he
was informative, very friendly and genuinely nice.

We thank you for all your incredible tid bits of information. It made our
trip quite pleasant. The only change that I would make for our next trip,
is that I would definately rent a car in Athens and take it on the ferry
with us to whatever island we would go to. It was far too confusing and
difficult to manage our gear with the kids, traffic and masses of people at
Pireaus and again on the other end. Those traveling with cars were settled
in quicker and off and running quicker upon arrival in the islands.
Additionally, you can rent a better car in Athens than the islands that we
traveled to.

Hi Matt:
KALIMERA--I feel terribly ungracious at this time for not taking the time to
personally thank you for your information. After all, it has been 9 months
already since we returned, and boy does time fly. Actually we went on another
vacation--our annual trip to the Cayman Islands--in August, so between Greece
in March/April, Cayman in August, and then to top it off a family wedding in
Arizona December 12, I feel like 1999 was the year for travel. Oops I forgot,
a quick weekend to Southern California 2 weeks after we got back from Greece!!
And in case you don't remember me, my family and I live in Cleveland.

So now that I have made my excuses, let me just SHOUT: Thank you for all the
information. Yes we used Goerge--although we did not get to meet him--one of
his workers picked us up @ the airport, and since we did not stay but 2 days
in Athens we did not have time to use much of your Athens guide. We did stay
at the Hotel AUSTRIA, and got a great rate for booking on the internet. And I
did order the Greek course from Helen Dumas, plus I took my trusted European
Phrase book, so when I went to the butcher in Corfu, I could safely ask for
"arne". It was a great time to go, if one ignored the sounds of the missiles
being fired over Corfu at Kosovo!! There were NO tourists, we were really
oddities--and we stayed at a place with a kitchen, so I got to go to the
market, bakers, butchers like a true greek woman!!

P.S. If you want to use this letter, just take my name out, please!!!!
But other than that you have my permission to use it on your web site.

Dear Matt, Andrea & Amarandi,
Hello! I absolutely love your pages about Greece, especially the Athens
airport section. You had me cracking up in the middle of my university
computer lab because everything you said was so true. My family is Greek and
I too know the legend of the Athens airport luggage carousel. It's so funny,
but I still look forward to it every time!

Anyway, just wanted to tell you that your page is helping me SO MUCH because
I am planning my first solo trip "without parents" to Greece for this summer
so all the help I can get is great. Your pages are so helpful Thanks!
Christina

Just wanted to drop you a line to say how helpful your web page and newsletter were during our recent trip to Greece. We had George pick us up from the airport and take us on a day tour to Delphi. He was loads of fun and we will recommend him to our friends who plan to travel to Greece next May. We stayed at the Adams Hotel while in Athens and found it friendly, comfortable, and clean. We took you up on your newsletter recommendations for shopping and restaurants and were very pleased with the results.
Again, thanks for taking the time to put all your information on the web. Your information was an invaluable asset to us on our trip.

Dear Mr. Barrett!
I would like to tell you how much good your Athens survival guide did to me.
I am a greek student living in Munich, Germany since 1993 and I haven´t
managed to travel to Greece for the last 2,5 years. One of the few
possibilities to stay in touch with Greece is the Internet and so I landed
on your page. I really enjoyed reading the text version. Since I was born
and raised in Athens, Marousi in particular, it reminded me of all the
wonderful times I had there.
It is always uplifting to see that there are more people that love the city
that sometimes torment us but always embraces us with warmth.

Next time you´re in Athens, be sure to visit a café called Zeppelin. It is
on the hill of Galatsi and you can sit there and drink your coffee watching
Athens at your feet. At clearer days you can see right down to Pireaus.

I was feeling bored, and decided to have a look at the net - no special destination. And I "fell" on your guide on "my" city = Athens. And I don't mean Athens, Georgia (or something like that), but "Atheena". Veeeeeeery amusing!! And you really astonished me with all that info you have. You know -- you seem to be so patient, so humorous, so understanding that you would have liked any place. Good for you.

Oh, first let me introduced myself: My name is Alexandra Tsakona and I am an Athenian who loves her city (not necessarily the city's inhabitants). I've been thinking to ask you: did you know that there is an "internet cafe" at the Megaron Mousikees =Athens Concert Hall across the US Embassy? Although the internet cafe you suggest (corner Boulis & Ermou or something like that) is much more practical due to its location, I thought just in case somebody is around the US Embassy, one could be interested in that, too. Should you be interested, the "Megaron" has a site: www.megaron.gr . This contains info on the internet cafe there. As you might see on my e-mail address, I work at the "Megaron", but have nothing to do with the internet cafe.

Well, I have to go back to work. Before I leave you, I want to tell you a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGG "euharisto" (efharisto), i.e. thank you, for what you say about my city!

...and I never saw a nicer travel site before! Congratulations! And not
just because of your benevolent and humorous writing style but also
because of the wealth of the info and the depth into which you reached
into the life of a city everyone hates and loves at the same time.I
guess you muct have stayed quite some time.

I run into your guide accidentally surfing in th net trying to plan this
year's vacations.
Bye Matt, good work!

I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed your page. I was stationed in
Hellinikon for 5 years and loved every moment I was there. I lived in Glyfada
and got downtown as much as I could. I miss it so much, I would love to live in
Greece permanently if I could find gainful employment there. Your comments and
little descriptions about life in Athens are so right on, I had flashback after
flashback. I will return either this year or next and your site gives me an
idea of how things have (and have not) changed. Excellent site! Eucharisto
poli.

Hello, I just returned from a 2 week trip to Greece (my first time) and it was amazing. Just wanted to thank you for all of your helpful information -- I practically memorized your website. Just a quick word of caution -- we stayed at the Hotel Avra b/c all other places around Athens seemed to be full and it was very nice and comfortable. However, none of the taxi drivers seemed to know where it was. It was very helpful to carry around their business card and memorize the names of the larger streets surrounding the hotel.

Printed off about 30 pages of your guide and had the pages with me as I explored Athens. Walked into Bratano's showed him his picture and was immediately made welcome. An English speaker and reader was present translated your work and all enjoyed a laugh about the magazine kiosk and the behavior of the owner. He is now aware of your comments so beware. Every cafe and bar wanted to read about themselves and had to show me where pictures were taken.

In fact by the end of three days all the pages had disappeared. Great guide myself my companion and all the inhabitants of your guide thank you for the enjoyment.

I am Greek living in Chicago and usually when I meet people they ask me
where the best Greek restaurant is and where should they go in Greece. I
give them as much info as I can but I always send them to your site. I go
(or try to go) almost every year and all your information is right on.
Thanks
Dino

Dear Matt, I think you do a superb job on your website.Anybody who wants to visit Greece should be informed by it. I also want you to know,that I appriciate the attention you gave to my critisism of the side walks of Athens.
Thank you again
Tom Tsirigotis

Hello Matt Barrett,
We are Richard and Alice Altman and we want to just send you a quick email
for now from the SkyNet Internet Cafe in Athens on the corner of Voulis and
Apolonos. Your info has been extremely helpful to us and we wanted to let
you know how much we appreciated finding you and your GreeceTravel site. We
will send you a more detailed email when we get home, but wanted to thank
you for all you have helped us with..
Till Then

Hi there, just thought I'd drop you a line. I used your guides and info extensively on my recent trip to Greece and Athens. I wished I'd booked the Attalos hotel in advance as it was full when we arrived there, but used the Cecil instead. There rate stared off at 32000 drc but we got it down to 24000. that was for 4 of us although it was impossible to sleep on the fourth bed. After 3 weeks in the Islands and reading your warning several time about the soulaki sandwich I thought we could not get caught out but we did. In exactly the restaurants that you said.After questioning the waiter insisted that a gyro pitta was indeed this platter at the grand price of 1500 drc, as it did not have any zatziki on we asked for some and that cost us another 600 drc for a spoonful.That was the one and only bad experience of the whole trip, so not too bad. I won't be caught again. Thanks very much for your guide.Keep up the good work.
Jean Winter

We returned from our trip to Greece and I would like you to know that we
went to see the flocati rugs at Mazarakis in the Plaka. Told him Matt
Barret suggested we come there. Saw your name in the window!

Also, we bought some Breetos ouzo, it really is great! But we really
loved the wine on Santorini as well.

Monastiriki flea market, shortly after noon on the Sunday! A fantastic
experience. Would have been fun to have been there first thing in the
morning but it was still all "a-bustle" later. Lots of people!

We were only in Athens for three days and being in a centrally located
hotel, were able to walk everywhere. The Plaka certainly is an
incredible place. I would never get tired of it.

We were on a tour with a tour company and I so wish I had taken your
advice in the beginning and planned the trip myself. I'm sure we
wouldn't have wasted so much time waiting for one thing and another. It
was that "hurry up and wait" syndrome. We live and learn!

We were on a 3-night cruise to Mykonis, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Crete. Four
nights on Crete where we rented a car. Driving was fine. Three nights on
Santorini, a favourite spot, not enough time. Three nights in Athens. I
hope Athens is ready for the Olympics!

Thanks again for your good suggestions. My husband and I would have done
more but we had another friend in tow who needed her rest in the
afternoon. We are seniors and not as fit as some!

Hey Matt , I just wanted to let you know that I had a great time surfing
through your pages on Athens !!
Where are you from ? Are you Greek ?
I especially had a howl reading your captions on the flea market .
I've never been to Athens before ( I am a Greek Canadian living in Vancouver) but I look forward to visiting this city especially after visiting your
site ! It looks like everyone is happy and friendly !

I've had this link to your web site for a while now, and I've just noticed you have updated it. Many thanks for your excellent information on Athens, I've been quite a few times and read all the guide books - but yours is by far the best!

My wife was born in London like me, and her parents are both Greek. Hence the connection to Souvlaki, a pseudonym I once used on a world-wide hit. Oh, and I love the real souvlaki's too of course, with lots of tzatziki (or houmus).

Mr. Barrett, it is my pleasure to visit your website, and thank you for your quick reply ! I wish you the best of luck on your run for minister of tourism, I hope you make it ! If those greeks know anything, they should realize that you are probably more concerned about their country then they are. My parents have a home on the island of Salaminas and they are there six months out of the year. My mother has lived in America for many years now, and she says that Greece is not like it used to be when she grew up. Everything you mention in your website is so true, I've heard it all from my mother. I have told my parents of your website, and I'm sure they would be very proud to see the ideas you have about changes come to life ! Again, good luck and God Bless !

my name is Paola, I'm 26 and I'm from Italy.
I'm writing you because I would like you to know how much I appreciated the
Athens Survival Guide you published in Internet.
Next week I will go to Athens for some days and after having read your guide
I feel prepared to get from that city all the best it can offer.
I hardly looked for an Athens guide in bookshops, but I just found Greece
Guides. Then I looked for something in Internet and I found your guide.
WONDERFUL!!!!!
I think it could be appreciated also in other languages...have you ever
think about this?
I would like to translate it in Italian, what would you think about this
idea?...Of course I must have your approval...
It would be nice to have your impressions....
One question more.....What exactly is OUZO???...You wrote a lot about it...I
know that is a drink...but which kind of drink?

I have just found you site Athen's Survival Guide and I would like to say thank you very much. You did a great job.

I went to Athen for the first time in January I spent there only four days. I brought with me some guides in German (I live in Germany but I am Brazilian, half Spanish).
Before travelling I tried to find some information on line, but I was not so happy with them. It is a pitty that I found you site after travelling.

I am writing a book about the trip. I am doing it for myself (I don't expect so much that I will publish it one day) and your information are going to help.

I promise I will tell everybody about this Athen's Survival Guide and I wish you could carry on doing other useful city guides like this one.

I have enjoyed visting your site over the last couple of years and have the found the information both insightful and informative. I especially want to thank you for helping me discover Brettos. I have on several trips to Athens walked past the tiny colorful shop and never gave much notice to it. After reading about it on your website I decided to go in and sample the ouzo. I agree - it is the best ouzo I have ever had in Greece. Since then I am hooked and would not think of going to Athens without stopping in.

This all leads to a question that I hope you can answer. Currently my plan is to be in Athens on a Sunday and I am hoping that the store will be open late in the evening - after 6 PM at least. Do you think the store is likely to open at this time? The exact date I will be in Athens is May 13th.

I would like to tell you that I went to Athens and I really enjoyed myself
there...specially because I followed your guide!!!!!
You know...I even met Theresa...the acropolis guide...I went to visit
Bretto's...and we drunk ouzo!
It was really fantastic....I have some wonderful pictures of Sounio (why not
adding this attraction in your guide?)and of a green Athens....very
different from the ones I have seen taken from my collegues that went during
summertime.
If you need some pictures...I can send them to you!

I found the pages on street people excellent!Once again you presented Greece with realism.And to to tell you the truth until now I hadn 't realised that some of those people are very good musicians.Propably because we see them every day and because we have no time to stop and pay anttention on them.Sad maby, but true.

In your next trip maby you could take a few pictures of the gipsy tellers fortune that you can find them in monastyraki.One of the them stoped me one day, she was very old and she read my palm.We sat on the street and people were passing by but she was so friendly and she looked very wise.I don 't believe in those things but I believe that they are part of monastiraki and plaka 's world.

Also it would be interesting for the ''naive american viewers" :)) ,to take some pictures of gamblers in the street,if you find them, in the same areas again.They usally play a game called ''papas'' if you know it.They have three cards, one of them is a king, and the change their position on the table very fast and then you must find where is the king.These guys are real ''rebetes'' they are part of the underground world.

I don 't know your two friends who work in antenna.I am working in the antenna internet department and they must work in the antenna tv which is in another building.Anyway it 's a small world.You never know....

Your page is THE BEST i've ever seen on internet,even
beats most of the books abuot greece in us.i can tell,
i've been living in athens over a year,many years ago...
&

Travelers Reviews