If
you want to buy a few gifts for friends and family at home
or a souvenir for yourself, Plaka and Monastiraki are the places
to be. You will find a lot of shops that sell the same things
and you can compare prices but you will find they do not differ
much. Don’t forget to bargain on the price.
There
are a lot of vases, statues, plates, etc you can buy and you
will find that the price of exact copies of the original are
more expensive. These always come with a certificate and a
seal. There also is a price difference in handmade or factory
made pottery.
Apart
from a few knickknacks you want to put in your living room
to show off to your friends, you may want to consider buying
a good photo book on Athens. Ok, you intend taking a lot of
photos and that is good, you should, but it always is nice
to read up afterwards on the history of the things you have
seen and photographed. These books are available all over Plaka
in different languages. Some (internet) research before you
visit the home town of the cradle of democracy, can't hurt
either and we hope the Athens Info Guide is of some help to
you. The very best souvenirs one can bring home however, are
memories of a very enjoyable stay in Athens.
Komboloi (worry beads)
Prayer beads, worry beads or fidget toy; at
that moment, komboloi fulfills all three purposes. Wherever
you first notice them, they are bound to be strangely compelling.
Like most Greek folk art, the history of komboloi is confused.
Probably komboloi are derived from the knotted prayer strands
(komboskini) used by Greek Orthodox monks. As the word komboloi
means "group of knots", this may be the true origin.
Until
recently, komboloi were the special province of men and were
rarely seen in the hands of women. Melina Mercouri was an exception,
often handling a silver strand in public as she fought for
recognition of Greece's cultural sovereignty. Modern young
Greek men would disdain carrying them. But now, as they transcend
cultural tradition and become a fashion accessory, both men
and women are carrying them. Beautifully crafted strands are
appearing in fine jewelry stores and older strands are becoming
prized collector items. Most komboloi are strands of about
sixteen to twenty beads with one bead tied and set off, usually
adorned with a tassel. They can be strung on leather, string,
or fine metal chain.
Prices
vary widely. Most souvenir stand strands will cost a few Euro
and you will still pay much too much even if you bargain down
on the price. Lowest prices will usually be for plastic beads
but glass or ceramic beads are much more satisfying to handle
and are often the same price as plastic.
Travel
delay? Break out the beads. Temperature too hot? Swirl those
beads, you might start a breeze. If a butterfly flapping its
wings in the Amazon can start a storm in the Atlantic, why
not coax a breeze to yourself with komboloi?
Athens
Info Guide offers you the rare chance to buy hand-made komboloi,
begleri and Greek key-rings that are unique.
No two are the same. No mass-production, no misrepresentation
of materials used. And, as you buy directly form the source,
prices are very low! See our komboloi
pages and the wide choice we offer.
Shopping
The
busiest shopping street of Athens is the pedestrian-only Ermou,
off Syntagma Square, where shoppers can pick up the season's
latest souvenirs, clothing and accessories. The most up market
shopping district in Athens is nearby Kolonaki, where designer
boutiques (such as the Italian Versace and the newest Greek
talent Eleftheriades) rub shoulders with coffee shops and chic
restaurants. This area includes Tsakalof, one of the most expensive
streets in the world. Thankfully, Athens has not adopted mall
culture and no massive retail emporiums taint the city's shopping
scene. The city's best bookshop is the vast seven-story Eleftheroudakis
on Panepistimiou street, which stocks an excellent selection
of English-language fiction, non-fiction and travel guides.
There
is a long tradition of silver and gold craftsmanship in Athens
and jewelry made here can be of a particularly high quality.
Jewelers are concentrated in chic Kolonaki, with the expensive
international outlets, such as Bulgari, lining Voukourestiou,
while up-and-coming Greek designers, such as Elean Votsi, have
shops in the surrounding side streets. Byzantino (who created
the Official Olympic jewels for Athens 2004) is worthwhile
visiting at 120 Adrianou in Plaka. A new big department
store called Attica, opened in 2004 at the beginning of Panepistimiou
Street. It sells 800 brands in gifts, perfume, cosmetics, men's & women's
fashion, jewelry, travel accessories etc. You will also find
a café-restaurant on the top floor.
Other
good-value items include spirits, ceramics and leather goods.
Typical Greek gifts include hand-woven rugs, known as flokati,
copper coffee pots, virgin olive oil and honey, all of which
can be found in the souvenir shops in Plaka. In Athens, there
is a big market in reproductions of museum pieces and religious
icons. The best places for visitors to buy these are at the
shops in the museums themselves.
In
the Monastiraki area, on the edge of Plaka, shops sell everything
from combat army boots and second-hand books to fake designer
sunglasses and ancient coins. Shops open out directly onto
the street, bazaar style, while Sundays bring the Monastiraki
Flea Market, 08:00 to 14:00, where goods range from carefully
restored antique furniture to rather dubious bric-a-brac. Kentriki
Agora (Central Market) is housed in a huge 19th-century metal
structure near Omonia Square and
is open early morning to early evening, often taking a break
for siesta during summer, selling fresh fish, meat and fresh
produce. Smaller markets radiate out from the central building.
Household items, fresh fruit and vegetables are sold weekly
in laiki (people's markets) all over Athens.
Shops
generally open Monday and Wednesday 09:00 to 14:30, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday 09:00 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 20:30 and Saturday
09:00 to 15:00. Small, family-run shops may stay open as late
as 22:00, for the sale of food, drinks and newspapers. Bargains
can be snapped up at the sales in August and January. Haggling
is standard practice in the tourist areas of Athens and is
essential in order to avoid paying extortionate prices.
Visitors
from outside the European Union who have been in Greece for
less than three months can claim back VAT of up to 18% on purchases
over 120 Euro. A tax-free cheque will be issued in the shop
to be presented along with the receipt to customs when leaving
the county. Global Refund (www.globalrefund.com) can provide
more information.