Athens & Kalamata: Tales From Two Cities
After eleven weeks in Greece and its islands we are into the last week of our journey through this sun soaked land, leaving the wonderful island of Milos and taking the short prop plane flight over the Aegean to Athens. Amusingly the bus ride from Athens airport to Syntagma Square takes considerably longer than the flight.
It’s only two years since we were last here in the Greek capital so this visit is one of expedience and we are here just for a single night, in an 8th floor hotel room with magnificent views of the Acropolis. After so many weeks in an assortment of apartments and houses, a hotel room feels rather strange, and cramped!
We are immediately struck by the prices here, but not in the way one might expect – food and drink are considerably cheaper than on most of the islands. In a development which has taken us a little by surprise, prices in both Thessaloniki and Athens are like Greece used to be – a lot lower than at home – whilst many of the islands have not been the bargains they once were.
The downtown districts of Plaka and Monastriaki are as welcoming and lively as ever and live street music has, happily, made a return after the COVID ban. It all feels pretty stimulating to be back in a city vibe after island hopping for so long.
From Athens, it’s a bus journey of three and a quarter hours across the Peloponnese to our next destination at Kalamata on the Mediterranean coast. This is our second long distance journey on the KTEL bus service on this trip – after Delphi to Athens a few weeks ago – and we are mightily impressed by their service, which on both occasions is comfortable, air conditioned and prompt.
Kalamata has a riviera seafront and an old town district with great tavernas, but the two are at least two miles apart with most of the distance in between filled with a singularly unattractive grid of straight roads and identical apartment blocks.
We do though stumble on an unexpected sight of which we knew nothing till we walked past a stretch of parkland. The railway no longer runs to Kalamata, but it once provided services to both the busy industrial port and passenger traffic alike. When the line was closed, instead of digging up the tracks, it seems someone had the rather bright idea to create an open air railway museum by driving several trains on to the last section of track and simply leaving them there.
Phil couldn’t resist……..
The result is a special tribute to railway history: steam engines, freight trucks and passenger coaches sit proudly in the park, next to the beautifully preserved old railway station building. And not a hint of vandalism or graffiti despite being so readily accessible in open parkland.
Like the previous night in Athens, Kalamata is a one nighter, but we still have time for another surprise as we find a couple of rock bars up in the old town, the kind of bar which is rather more common in Germany than here in Greece. This part of town has a pleasingly ordinary feel, just a few bars and no real sense of a tourist market.
Rock music and beer…….Phil is happy
These bars and tavernas are just off a plaza with a name which translates as March 23rd Square. Kalamata was the very first place to be liberated from Ottoman rule in the Greek War Of Independence, effectively sewing the seeds for the country we know as Greece today. Liberation came on March 23rd 1821 – and we see numerous references to the bicentenary as we walk through the city, from flags and banners through to what appears to be “official graffiti” along the harbour wall. They seem very proud of their heritage here.
It’s only been a very brief visit, but our evening in the old town and the “railway park” were the surprise highlights of our stay in Kalamata; from here we head once more to ancient sites.
22 Comments
Monkey's Tale
What a view from your hotel room! Makes up for the tight space. Maggie
Heyjude
Hotels are fine for one or two nights, and you can’t complain about the view! Looks similar to one I had waaay back in 1978 – no idea which hotel we stayed in though. I actually always liked Athens despite the amount of traffic and noise.
Phil & Michaela
Athens is impossible to dislike. So much to offer… we love it.
brianswatercolours
Very good journey blog
Much enjoyed
If you get as far as Pylos go to Koukos for fabulous homely food!
Thanks for sharing it all
Brian
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Brian, your comments are much appreciated. We won’t make Pylos unfortunately, we’ve gone a different route. Shame!
Marie
After eleven weeks in Greece….What an opening!!!!! I’m just drooling after those 5 words!!!!!! Lucky you!!!
Phil & Michaela
It’s been a blast (as they say)
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Wow! Incredible that you have been able to spend 11 weeks in Greece! What a different perspective on Athens, and Kalamata looks like a quaint and interesting town. We can’t wait to see Greece!
Lookoom
Great shots of the Acropolis, I can also see a piece of it from my window. The evenings were indeed sweet this week. I hope you won’t be too affected by the coming rain, as for me I have reserved the museums for the next few days.
Phil & Michaela
Had heavy rain overnight – in Gytheio now. We’ll see how it goes.
Terrie
Your Greek must be excellent now. Have you learned to like ouzo?
Phil & Michaela
The Greek speak is doing fine, still struggling with the ouzo, but luckily Phil is always on hand to help me out!
giacomoasinello
Rock music and beer! Sounds like my idea of heaven!
Phil & Michaela
For a minute I thought I’d teleported from Kalamata to Dusseldorf!
Jyothi
Wow… What a great tour Michaela and Phil!
Toonsarah
Great shots of the Acropolis at night! From the angle you must be staying either in the same hotel we used on our one visit to Athens or one at least in the same area. Ours was quite fancy by our usual standards – a friend we were travelling with who was working for the EU got a discount based on the fact he’d stayed there previously for work or something. But the views were wonderful and you’ve taken me right back 😀 I love the sound of the bar in Kalamata too 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Cheers, Sarah. Yeah it felt good to be in a city again. The rock bar was such an unexpected treat!
WanderingCanadians
Great captures around the city! Enjoy your final week in Greece. Take care. Linda
leightontravels
Only just getting round to adding my thoughts, it’s been a hectic couple of days! That view from your hotel room is wonderful and I LOVE the look of Greece’s oldest distillery. I have only ever visited Athens once, way back, and unfortunately got to see very little of the city. I literally took a day bus trip in and out from the island of Kavos to watch England beat Greece in a world cup qualifier. Beckham scored that day. Kalamata looks great, had barely heard of this place so well noted. Phil does indeed look as pleased as punch in that rock bar.
wetanddustyroads
Amazing picture of the sunset over the Acropolis! And what a great find was that railway park … it’s hard to believe there must be an end to such a wonderful time in Greece!
Annie Berger
As others have written, great shots of the Acropolis. Only ever heard of heard of Kalamata olives – naively didn’t realize a town went with the olives!
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Annie. Kalamata is an unusual destination, interesting though. It was very end of season at the waterfront when we were there but the old town was alive.