This is not a travel guide!

This is a blog about Athens through the eyes of a local. Me! I was born in Athens, where I spent the first 18 years of my life. After wandering around Greece and Europe, studying and working, I came back to my  hometown almost 4 years ago to work as a journalist.

Since I live it the heart of Athens, a 5-minute walk from its most cherished asset, the Acropolis, I have the chance to interact with visitors from all over the world and spy on their habits.Where do they eat? Where do they drink? Which places are they visiting? Is it easy to navigate the city? And why do I never meet them in the places we Athenians hang out? It's a shame, I mean, how can you experience the real life of a city if you don't mingle with the locals?
And Athens is so much more than its ancient legacy: fascinating, true, but still, just the background for one of the most vibrating cities in the world, a city in a constant process of transformation.

Big cities can be a real challenge to the foreigner. I remember how lost I felt the first time I had to brave the tube in London or how difficult it proved to have a decent meal in Barcelona. So, part of the inspiration for this blog came through my own experiences as a traveller. As a first-timer in a city, with no friends there, I used to rely a lot on travel guides, traditional or online. However, I have rarely found travel guides any helpful when it comes to everyday staff that make up much of one's holiday, besides sight-seeing. Most of the times I hate the restaurants they suggest and the bars always seem to be on the touristy side rather than the real thing. Time and time again, the best advice I was given during my travels came from the locals -be it food, hidden attractions, a cafe,  a secret beach, you name it. 

So basically, that is the purpose of this blog: passing on my local wisdom and hopefully, making your stay here a bit more worthwhile. Feedback will be strongly appreciated!