I was on a very crowded bus when I felt whhat I thought was someone pushing against my handbag which was under my arm. When I felt a second push I turned sideways and moved my bag in front of me. When I got off the bus I saw there were two vertical slits in the end of my bag, obviously cut by a knife. I think that my turning saved my bag from a horizontal slit that would have enabled the thief to extract the contents. Later I mentioned this to a Greek couple, long-standing friends. They were not at all surprised. The woman said she does not carry her ID card except when she knows she will need it and keeps all valuables in an inside pocket because thefts of this type are common.

Anywhere you go in Greece you must stop and have a Frape'. They are amazing to sip as you people watch and become part of the greek culture. It's also best to eat Gyros rather than a sit down meal- which is basically a gyro taken apart, put on a big plate, ten times the price, and with a covet charge for sitting!

I went to Athens last year and there was a lot to do there. Acropolis was a hike but worth it. The shopping and resturaunts were great.

My husband and I were in Athens recently for approximately three days in total during a tour of the mainland and the islands. We decided to fore go any organized tours since we would be spending the rest of our trip on them. We knew the sites we wanted to see and thought we should offer some recommendations and info based on our experience. For one, the streets in Athens are very confusing with street names on the corner of corner buildings instead of street signs. Motorists keep one hand on the steering wheel and another on their horn. Pedestrian traffic signals are more of a suggestion than the law. Since a second language is a requirement in school in Greece, most people we came in contact with spoke English. We were told by many shop keepers and staff that they like Canadians because they were nice and less bossy and we could be distinguished from Americans and other English speaking nations by our softer accents.

We recommend of course a visit to the Acropolis above the Plaka but suggest an early trip (opens at 8:30am) as the crowds are unbelievable later. A ticket gives you access to about 5 other nearby sites. The Temple of Zeus is nearby as well as the National Gardens and the Parliament and former Royal Palace where you can see the changing of the guard.

We were told to visit Lycabettus Hill because of the incredible view. It is the highest spot in the city, but it is often hazy and theres really only a chapel and expensive cafe up there. You can climb the hill if your energetic but there is a tram too.

I really enjoyed just walking the city streets and checking out the shops and eating in the cute cafe's. We found that food could be fairly inexpensive, but drinks even non-alcoholic ones were pricey. Greece has a consistent shortage of water so this may be a reason why.

I would definitely recommend a tour of the mainland of Greece (Delphi and Meteora are incredible) and stays on the islands of Greece besides a visit to it's capital. Mykonos is neat and Rhodes and Crete are beautiful.