It's a shame about some of the graffiti, but even still, Athens is beautiful. So much history and architecture. You can just tell that it's an important place.
Most beautiful and historic Greece. When that gorgeous, soft, warm and tender light reflects on its radiant and superb architecture it's no wonder that it encourages its citizens to create the works of art they have accomplished FOR THEM AND THE CIVILIZED WORLD. May the Lord bless and protect this glorious land and all her citizens. Greece I love you. You are the jewel of the cultured and refined world.
Love Greece so much!! I only came back 3 weeks ago. Always wanted to visit and finally did this summer, spent my vacation in Santorini but I visited Crete and was in Athens for a weekend. I absolutely fell in love with the country even more (was obsessed with it before I ever went there). Definitely am going to be back, probably in the spring next year before the peak of the tourist season.
Omg, so excited about videos from my fav country!! This year I won't be going to greece, I have small baby, but I will be in greece through your videos! Greetings from Slovenia, Tanja
Thanks for an enjoyable and informative video Gabriel, we always find your video's so helpful when we travel. Always look forward to seeing more from you.
athens has many things to offer.apart the archaeological and museum tour you can have shopping and take a tram and go to the beach...Alimos,glyfada,voula,varkiza,vouliagmeni...all are very pretty.you can take a cable car and go to mount parnitha north the city,you can take a boat and go to egina or poros,agistri.in reality few cities offer so many activities
To all who see this from abroad: This is the old part of the city called the historic centre, which is a small part in the centre totally worn out and somewhat abandoned. A reason for this is that this part is built upon the ancient city ruins so it is impossible to be built with modern buildings, or to even be remodelled or renovated. So essentially the local residents stop having activities and visiting there other than illegal activities (drugs, whores etc.). Oddly this is also the place that is "promoted" to the tourists and except a couple of roads just below Akropolis (Plaka) and around Monastiraki square and Thision which are truly beautiful and traditional, the other part is worned down and terrible. As this wasn't enough the state allowed this place to become totally neglected and the centre of anything illegal and crappy especially after the foreign illegal immigrants managed to take it over. A normal local don't ever go there after nightfall. Crazily enough lately you can find there too many airbnb flats and small hotels (some of them are very good though).
Hey 👋! Really enjoyed this video! Athens is DEFINITELY on the TOP of my DREAM list! Sooo, your video here really made my night! My new five month old baby 👶🏻 girl and I just watched this... ENTHRALLED! My wonderful wife AGREED that the ATHENS women 👩🏻👩🏼👩🏿👩🏽are GORGEOUS BEAUTIFUL AND VERY BEAUTIFUL. Thanks 🙏🏽 for taking us on your journey! May God bless you and His BEAUTIFUL face shine ☀️ upon you and your travels GABRIEL! Read Deuteronomy if ya get a chance! -jj👦🏻
Well in a way I think Athens nice and beautiful only in the historical sheet you can see the poverty and the energy of the people in this city its different from going to Greece islands it's like a different place the vibe too it's just shows how Greece is so different at tiny other places you go .
Everyone complains about the Graffiti. But what is wrong with it? It simply adds to the fun young casual relaxed vibe. It's unique and well worth visiting. It's exactly gritty places like this that we seek out in our own counties (as opposed to sleazy places). It's earthy. I'm supposing old people actually don't feel antique here. No stress without a need to keep up appearances. It's civilised and modern only without the over rated high tech engineering that other European cities cultivate. I kind of like it.
Very 'stream of consciousness' narration :) but totally enjoyable since I won't be able to get to Greece this year. I was just as lost as Gabriel and having fun trying to get my bearings in one of my favourite cities! Thanks for another great vid.
Wow! when I was in Athens in 1976 there was no graffiti anywhere. Too bad because Athens Greece is a beautiful country, hopefully they can clean it up to way it used to be back in the day...I'm enjoying all your Greece videos, haven't been there in 43 years!
I love Athens. I know Athens gets negative reviews But it's a fascinating city even if it's not spectacularly beautiful. Great video Gabriel. Happy travels to you.
@Kukurukuku Yes, there's a lot to see on the mainland. I visited the Pelion peninsula in 2009 and did work exchange at a retreat center there for two weeks. When I was in Greece in 1990 I went to the Peloponnese, Patras, Thessaloniki, Meteora, Delphi and climbed Mt. Olympus. But I haven't explored the mainland much on my recent visits. I'd definitely like to see much more. A country I'll always be happy to return to.
@Kukurukuku I agree with you about mainland Greece. Greece really is a spectacularly beautiful country that deserves exploring. Athens is the point of call as it's the country's capital thus the amount of visitors. In my humble opinion I loved Athens and it's natural beauty such as the mountains the sea and the sunshine. Yes parts of the city were run-down but it also has beautiful spots too. Athens needs to be explored to be appreciated. I always advice people to visit the seaside towns of Athens (Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni to name a few) as it's a different world from downtown. Near to the sea with beaches and a lake to enjoy during the summer months.
Enjoyed the streets of Athens and your comments all the way. Even the internet is telling you to slow down in its own slow way... I'll miss your vids, but God do you deserve some time to yourself...Enjoy your mistery island and grow into your new sandals ! I Watch "Broken Down" once a day, hope it helps you win...
Ah sorry about your bike, I was hoping for a reunion but after two years, anything could have happened I guess. Ooh Crete....it’s one island I don’t seem to see visited that often on RU-vid! Hope your having a lovely relaxing time on the little hilly island and although, I can’t wait to see your travel videos around Greece I hope you are chilling out and don’t feel pressured to upload. 😁
just do it ,ireland to London stanstead, to Budapest to Athens to Istanbul to Berlin back home to ireland six flights 216 euro all 1 way 16 days in September accommodation 500 euro....Budapest to Athens that flight was only 24 euro. The accommodation could have been cheaper but they were all located central.
Greece does not have the best of infrastructures soooo ... I'll wager to bet that graffiti is the LAST thing on everyones' minds to deal with and clean up!
Well, it's true for the center, but all suburbs are absolutely clean. I live in the eastern suburbs and even when a graffiti is drawn on a wall, it's cleaned up after a short period of time. And most of the graffiti in the center are drawn on top of the rolling safety doors of various stores located there, as it can be seen in the thumbnail of the video, and if you watched closely throughout the video, on top of protective sheet metal that is used during neoclassical building renovations and prevents people from drawing graffiti on buildings when they're renovated. When stores open and these rolling doors are lifted, then it doesn't look as bad. In my opinion, the main problem is probably the abandonment of neoclassical buildings in the center. They have to be renovated and re-occupied so that business thrives and housing prices are increased, and the aesthetic of the centre to be rejuvenated. During this summer, the municipality of Athens has announced that renovation of neoclassical buildings in the center, and already some neoclassical buildings are renovated close to Ermou Street. Let's hope that renovation takes place throughout the center.
Great video as always Gabriel. If you go as far south as Rhodes then Lindos is a magical place to visit. A small but very smart old town built around a acropolis where the only traffic allowed is donkey. Skiathos is very nice too & with 64 beaches you'll be spoilt on scenery
Dear Gabriel, the internet in Greece is not bad at all, but with no offence, did you stay in Metaxourgheio? This area of Athens, which is located at the western most side of the inner city area, is not at all famous for its' internet. All of city's suburbs though have excellent internet. I live in the eastern suburbs and the internet here is pretty good. My download speed is 16-17 mb/s on average and my upload is rather bad at 2 mb/s. But many times it can reach download speed at 133 mb/s and 19 mb/s. Many of my friends and relatives alike have way better internet speeds though. Like, many of my friends and relatives have averages of 55 or 78 mb/s download and 20 mb/s upload. And the northern and southern suburbs of Athens have absolutely high internet speeds averaging 35-40 mb/s. And Thessaly, an area of northern Greece has really high internet speeds. The point is, like all tourists visiting Athens, you're being offered accommodation in the worst area of Greece, Exarcheia, Omonia and Metaxourgheio, the western side of the city centre. Of course there'll be something that is not going to be good, like the internet. But the western inner city is not as bad as the no-go zones in Paris or London. Exarcheia, one of the three areas that I've mentioned is the area, that is located a kilometer away from the areas you browsed in the video, has been fucked by anarchists. But demographically is better than many bad areas of London or Paris or even Stockholm or Malmö. And as far as vandalism is concened, only the main road axis of the district, 28th October Avenue, is bad due to the anarchists being centered in the Polytechnic University. And as far as vandalism is concerned, this area is not as bad as the areas you roamed. And there are, surprisingly, many, many neoclassical houses. And they are not vandalised almost at all.
We are just going to miss each other. I go to Athens in late September and from there to Crete and Cyprus. I added Cyprus to the agenda because of your videos.
Ya sas is plurar when talking to multiple people or you can use it for a single person but when he is older than you. an act of kindness. Ya sou is when saying hello to one person.
The city centre is full of it. Thankfully the suburbs where i live are mostly clean. But the city centre,is absolutely full of graffiti. And most of them are where stores used to be,so no one cleans them
Hi there, we've been enjoying watching this. We film natural 4k walks in cities, and have just filmed Athens, so it's especially interesting to see your viewpoint, thank you for taking the time to add it. Look forward to seeing more from you, we always enjoy your tours.
Gabriel, why don't you try walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela? The French way is a bit crowded, but there are many other trails with fewer people. You could do some neat videos. I'm doing another one in three weeks, this time the Portuguese way.
It's so funny seeing a black or asian person speaking Greek - lol - I love Athens, I have 4 brothers & a sister living there, plus brothers in Patras ( a beautiful city, 3rd largest in Greece), another brother & cousins living in Munich. A niece in Crete, will be going to her wedding this summer. And I'm living in California, USA, not far from San Francisco which reminds me Athens! Great videos, Gabe 😊😊
Haha, Gabe,you are so funny talking greek!!! But you made it really well! Well done! From your friend In Greece who is a teacher and gives you a big A for your effort!
Nice tour. I recognized many things from our trip in May 2018. I remember doing a lot of walking. One thing that I'm surprised about is the number of people wearing shorts. I think mostly tourists wear shorts. Most Greeks wore jeans, or slacks. Of course, it is Sept. which is very warm.
I take enjoy from your videos i wathed most of your videos Greece is beautiful Country i was in 2012 in Athen and Santironi it was amazing i want to visit again
I really enjoy your videos!! I like how you know all that useful words like "chartopetseta" (napkin) :D I dont understand why you dont have more views, you deserve more for sure! Sorry for my english. Greetings from Greece. P.S: you should go to karpathos, it's a very interesting and beautiful island, little bit expensive but nice!
The more I travel, the more I realize as an American I need to do more to learn new languages. Like in some places in the Middle East, being able to speak English is viewed as a step up in proper society.
ha ha, i just came from Athens yesterday, what great timing! we could have bumped in to each other in the street :) Athens is really chaotic and vibrant but overall impression is good. looking forward too see your take of the islands!
You have been more times to Greece than I have Gabriel, and i'm Greek!!..I have a sneaky suspicion that you want to be Greek, you love the place that much. Learn more Greek it make your experience even better when you are over there. Safe Travels.. *Greg*
Gabriel, thank you so much for this video. Back in 2016, I watched your videos in Greece while you were riding that bicycle. I thought it was such a fascinating trip to be trekking so many islands on a bike. Loved that bike, it must have been an amazing experience ; it's certainly up there besides your trip to Nepal-Annapurna circuit.
Oh man you're right about the internet in Greece! Super slow for the uploads! We're camping at the moment too around the Peloponnese....are tempted to wild camp but not sure how it'll be received. Are you staying in campgrounds or just free camping on beaches?
I've done both free camping and staying in campgrounds. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do this time, but likely some of both. Free camping isn't a big deal so shouldn't be a problem as long as you aren't in front of someone's restaurant or whatever. If you're tucked out of the way and not many people around then I'm sure it won't be an issue. Good luck, have fun!
Funny, I LOVE Greeks and the music, and movies from Greece but I never saw Athens until now! It looks like a major metropolitan city in Puerto Rico, where I am from, called Rio Piedras,Hato Rey! The architecture looks simple and elegant like in Puerto Rico! The Old Greek electrical Sockets I liked to collect so I would be visiting alot of baazar markets looking for those things. Again, the music...oh oh ohh! the Greek pop music!
I'll be in Athens for 3 days next month....I'm so excited to see it! :-D Stroll on a Saturday looks like a lot of fun...and I get here on a Friday night.....so Friday-Monday I'll be there before going to Ukraine. I can't wait! :-)
WHY has summer to end?? :-( Greece looks awesome!! Europe is popping amongst the youtube travellers at the moment! Wish it would be summer forever! :-)
@@GabrielTravelerVideos awesome! We have a lot of history and awesome places to go to and also quite cheap. Let me know if you wish any tips or info. Keep travelling! :)
Have you every considered (or tried) learning another language to conversational level ? It is rather (ok, very) time consuming to take it to a decent level, but if time allows it might enhance your experiences, particularly with countries like Greece and India that you regularly visit. It has certainly allowed me to get more out of my Japan and China experiences (and go to places in those countries where English isn't much use).
That would be awesome to do someday, but for now I jump around too much. I would need to stay in one place for several months or longer and get really immersed in the place, take language classes, etc. For now I prefer to travel to multiple countries on my trips and it's just not practical to try to learn the language when you're only in a country for a few weeks at most. Especially when I'm so busy making these videos.
Yeah totally understand, it is definitely something that you need lots of time and consistency for. Good you're picking up a few words here and there at least, some travellers don't even bother trying to that extent.
This is your Panamanian fan again; good video Gabriel. Love your stories. Hope you can inquire in person about your bike so we can have sense of Greek integrity :-)
Remembered going to Athens this year and seeing an orange tree in the middle of the city. Tempted to take an orange from the tree and try eating it, but then I heard from people that it is not advisable to eat it, because they're very bitter and taste horrible.
Those are not oranges ,myfriend. Those are called "nerantzia" and yes,they are bitter! In spring they are in blossom full of flowers ! In the 2nd worldwide war people in Athens were fed from those fruits... Even being bitter, they were of the last chances of food here...
Gabriel I know some interesting places to visit on Crete. Don't go to the east but go to the west. I have been there 30+ times. Rethymnon is the best city to visit on the north side. The old city is so small that you need no bike. Stella's Kitchen in the center of the old town serves food that is traditional Cretan food. Above the little restaurant you can find some rooms that you can rent for a fair price. Then you should visit Georgeopoli that is about 15 minutes to the west by bus. Pas the bridge and walk to the beach. The swimming is something special because there is a river and the sweat en salt water does not mix so fast. So you will a cold layer en a warm layer. Finally go do the Samaria Gorge. It is Touristic but make a stopover at Loutro wich is in between the end of the Gorge en Hora Sfakia. There is a costal path called the E4 if you like a longer walk
The south east is good too. Just skip the north east if you want to avoid the insane touristy areas. The old towns on the mountain doable, but the coastal towns are just drinking towns.
