Everybody needs a Plan B

Friday evening ended on a high note, We visited the Cafe Abyssinia on the recommendation, again, of Katerina. The Abissinia is in a rather dingy square not far from Monastiraki, one of the largest and busiest squares in Athens. We were expecting good food but our meal was the best so far. Dec had a moussaka made with spinach which was delicious and Philippa had fresh sardines cooked in a tomato sauce, all very tasty. A nice bottle of Greek red was well matched with the food. Heartily recommended.

The key to successful tourism is flexibility. You never know what the day may bring. Our plans for Saturday involved a morning at the National Gallery - home, so our guide book says, to several El Grecos. In the afternoon we planned an assault on Licibettos hill. After another fine breakfast we set off for the National Gallery, full of the joys of spring.

Arriving at our destination we were shocked to find the whole building fenced off and inaccessible. A sign said the building was undergoing a major refit and would be closed from 2007 to 2013. The site was deserted, and it seemed plain that 2013 was an optimistic end date, the project on hold due to "the cuts". This is what you get for relying on a book that frequently mentions the upcoming Olympic Games (in Athens) (in 2004).

Nothing daunted, we strolled on through a pleasant park towards the War Museum. A drab building but worth a visit. It covers Greek military history from Marathon and Thermopylae in the 5th century BC through to the present day. It seems the Greeks have been picking fights with everyone from Alexander the Great to Mussolini, with mixed results.

Something like half the exhibits are labelled in English, but there's plenty to see and it gives you a different perspective on events such as the two world wars. We also learned that, more than a gun or even a uniform, a Greek soldier MUST have an enormous moustache.

The next item on our agenda was Licabettos hill, which towers over this part of the city. Frankly, it was just TOO HOT - very sunny and in the high 20s - so we sought refuge in a nice cafe for a spot of lunch and to work on our plan B, while thinking about our pals in the cold, wet UK.

Consulting the map, another museum caught our eye - the Historical Museum. The guide book doesn't mention it, but the guide book is out of favour today. So we headed off for an afternoon of cultural enrichment. Only to find that said museum closes at 2pm EVERY DAY. So much for plan B!

There was nothing for it but to drown our sorrows. We found an establishment called The Booze Co-operative, which does what it says on the tin. 

After a pause to freshen up at the apartment, we dined at one of the cafes near the Acropolis, and would you know it, finished the evening at the ouzo bar.