We walked to the subway station for a short ride to Panepistimo Square where we met our culinary guide. Despina of Athens Walking Tours gave us an extensive talk on the culture, attitude, and flavor of Greek cuisine. Then we began our tour. Our journey included stops at:
A corner pretzel vendor.
Authentic Greek specialty grocery store carrying over 2,000 locally produced products. We bought vinegar and tomato paste. Really.
A restaurant that serves the traditional Greek donut.
A stroll through the meat, fish, and produce markets.
A special unplanned stop at the oldest operating tavern in Athens for a shot of grappa and some spanikopita.
A stop at Miran, an Armenian speciality meat shoppe for a taste of their signature cured meat.
A visit to a traditional herb shop. We bought some tree resin.
A taste of a local Greek "fast food" and the show making it. A special dough rolled and thrown thin and then filled with meat and cheese. You had to be there!
And finally a fitting end with souvlaki and beer.
The tour guide was charming and engaging. She took us to local places we would never have found ourselves. There were no other tourists in sight. It was great! Worth every bit of the $80 price and more!
Afterwards seven of us returned to the hotel for a rest. Bobbie and Kathryn stayed in the old town and wandered around a bit with plans to return to that special tavern a bit later to hear some music.
P.S. The doc pronounced Tom alive and mending. Yippee!
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