I have said this many times before, but I do love Athens! I decided on my last visit to do a bit of a taxi tour and contacted Spiros at Spiros Taxi Services; he came recommended by a friend and I have to say that I was most impressed with his services.

The nice thing about this is that you can choose what YOU want to do… you can pootle around Athens – as I did – or visit Meteora or Delphi or indeed even further afield, all at your own pace. I had limited time before heading off to the airport on the morning we met so we had a chat as to what we should do with our approximately 3.5 hours together. We decided on two places: the National Archaeological Museum – mainly so that I could catch a glimpse of Agamemnon’s mask - again – and Kaisariani Monastery.

When we arrived at the museum, the opening time had changed from 8.30am to 9.30 overnight – note: make sure you check this in advance. No problem to the good Spiros however: we drove through the upmarket suburb of Kolonaki to the top of Lycabettus Hill. The view from the summit are staggering, with Athens spread before you and the Acropolis hovering in the background. The joy of being there that early meant that there were very few people there – always a pleasure. If you don't want to catch a cab it’s quite easy to get there – you can catch a bus or the cable car up – it’s well worth a visit.

Back we headed to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. It is the largest archaeological museum in the country and one of the most important museums in the world in terms of ancient Greek art. It was founded at the end of the 19th century to house antiquities from all over Greece and it is hard to walk more than a few steps without a shock of recognition - these are the most famous pieces, ones that you will instantly recognise.

What I have found when visiting museums is that it is far better to just pick out a few things that you want to see in advance and  not to try to see too much otherwise you end up feeling that you have seen nothing properly. That doesn’t mean to say that, as you search out your chosen items, you will not see masses of things along the way that will attract and appeal but it does mean that you have a sense of direction and purpose.

So off I headed to see Agamemnon’s mask. This golden funereal mask was discovered at Mycenae in 1876 by Heinrich Schlieman.

When he found it he is said to have remarked that he had gazed on the face of Agamemnon but modern archaeological research suggests that the mask is from a far earlier period. I love seeing it – it just appeals to me. Have you read about Arthur Schlieman incidentally? He was a fascinating man and, although not probably as academically qualified as many of the archaeologists working at the time, he brought massive enthusiasm to his excavations, linking finds to local legends handed down from one generation to another.  

Next on my list of ‘unmissables’ was the bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon, created during the Classical Period of Greek sculpture, around 480–300 BCE. This statue was found in the 1920s on the seabed off northern Euboea. It is immensely imposing and beautifully worked – Zeus dominates the room and, as you walk around the statue, you cannot help but marvel at the magnificent workmanship. 

I will chat about my visit to Kaisariani Monastery and the rest of my trip with Spiros another time...'til then, take care.

Carol