Athens: My big fat Greek holiday

I don't ever want to leave Athena's sanctuary. No, really... I want to stay in Athens for the rest of my life. Sadly, 'wanting' is not usually a good enough reason to get what you desire. Sigh.

Double sigh.

Triple sigh...

On the bright side, the good thing about having friends overseas is they know exactly the best places to take you. One sunny day, Lila and a friend of hers, Aksana, picked me up from the city centre to drive up the steep and winding road to Lycabettus Hill, the highest point in the city centre. I thought I had seen it all from the top of the Acropolis but I guess being that extra bit higher from the ground does have its advantages - views of Athens from Lycabettus were breathtaking.

Never the one to shun surprises and always the one to amaze, Lila drove us to her favourite spot on the hill before pulling out bottles of nail varnish from her bag to pamper ourselves during our sightseeing session.

Maybe Lonely Planet guidebooks should take a leaf from our books: 'While encountering the wonderful views of Athens from the top of Lycabettus Hill, it's also advisable to bring along some nails varnish for optimal experience.'

On another outing with Lila and Aksana, we went to the beautiful Piraeus Port, Europe's largest passenger port, where ferries and boat cruises had either arrived or were about to deport to different Greek Islands or beyond. We took the Hellas Flying Dolphin to one of the smaller islands close to Athens where we sunbathed on the beach and indulged in seafood.

Another hotspot in the city centre just under the Acropolis is Plaka, the oldest neighbourhood in Athens. Colourful buildings, street entertainers, tourist shops and restaurants galore dominate this section of the city. If you ever happen to find yourselves wandering the streets of Plaka, do indulge in some tasty Souvlaki, a popular Greek snack - but whatever you do, don't call it a kebab!

Of course I can go on and on about other amazing attractions I visited like Monastiraki Flea Market, Syntagma Square and The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers; where I saw the weird but wonderful changing of the guards ceremony. Again, what I found most fascinating about walking around the city centre is that you just never know when you will stumble across ancient crumbling buildings among modern architectures like the Roman Agora, the Temple of Olympian Zeus (pictured) and Hadrian's Arch.

Like the Acropolis, I was appalled and saddened by the fact that Athenians walked past these significant jewels without even a glance of admiration. But I guess people could say the same about Londoners who tut at tourists jumping up and down with excitement over the sight of the Big Ben or raise their eyebrows at those climbing the lions in Trafalgar Square like school kids.

If you're dieting or planning to go on a diet, don't bother in Athens because you just won't be able to resist the delicious Greek food and Tavernas. I lost count of the amount of Greek salads (with massive blocks of feta cheese on top), spinach pies, feta cheese pies, Souvlaki and pitta bread with Tzatziki dip I consumed during my stay.

I really didn't want to leave...

I guess what made it even more heart-breaking to say goodbye were the Athenians I met. Judging from the laugher, jokes and laid-back attitude of Lila and her friends, the economy crisis was the last thing on their minds. That's the thing I love about the Greeks, instead of moping around and feeling sorry for themselves, they try to make light of a situation. Clearly there's nothing that can be done about it, so the Greeks do what the Greeks do best - chill, relax, have a glass of wine (or two) and most importantly - smile and brave all.

I have a feeling I will be seeing my beloved Acropolis while sipping on a lovely-jubbly helping of Greek Frappe Coffee and surrounded by my favourite Athenians again. Let's just hope it's going to be sooner rather than later.