You can buy just about anything in Athens and even on a purely visual level the city's
markets and
bazaar areas are worth an hour or two's wandering. Among the markets, don't miss the Athinás food halls, nor, if you're into bargain-hunting through junk, the Sunday morning
flea markets in Monastiráki, Thissío and Pireás. The
Athens flea market spreads over a half-dozen or so blocks around Monastiráki square each Sunday from around 6am until 2pm. In parts it is an extension of the tourist trade - the shops in this area are promoted as a "flea market" every day of the week - but there is authentic Greek (and nowadays Soviet refugee-Greek) junk, too, notably along (and off) Iféstou and Pandhróssou streets. The real McCoy, most noticeable at the Thissío metro station end of Adhrianoú and the platía off Kynéttou near the church of Áyios Fílippos, is just a bag of odds and ends strewn on the ground or on a low table; dive in.
The Pireás flea market - at similar times on Sunday mornings - has fewer tourists and more goods. The market is concentrated on Alipédou and Skilítsi parallel to the railroad tracks about 500 metres from the sea. It is a venue for serious antique trading, as well as the sale of more everyday items.
In addition, many Athenian neighbourhoods have a laïkí agorá - street market - on a set day of the week. Usually running from 7am to 2pm, these are inexpensive and enjoyable, selling household items and dry goods, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, dried herbs and nuts. The most centrally located ones are: Hánsen in Patissíon on Monday; Lésvou in Kypséli and Láskou in Pangráti, both on Tuesday; Xenokrátous in Kolonáki, Dragoumi in Ilisia, Tsámi Karatássou in Koukáki and Arhimídhous in Mets, all on Friday; and Plakendías in Ambelókipi (one of the largest) and Kallidhromíou in Exárhia, both on Saturday. Finally, if you're after Greek plants or herbs , there's a Sunday morning gathering of stalls on Vikéla in Patissíon and plants and flowers on sale daily at the Platía Ayías Irínis near Ermoú.
For electrical gear, now about as cheap in Greece as elsewhere in Europe, the best place to look is in the streets off Patissíon, just north of Omónia square. The selections listed include some of the most enjoyable shops for souvenir-hunting, plus a few more functional places for those in search of books, music and outdoor gear
Books
Archeological Service Bookstore , Panepistimíou 57, in
stoa on left. Outlet for the high-quality if dry archeological service publications.
Compendium , Níkis 28 (upstairs), off Syndagma. The friendliest and best value of the English-language bookshops, with a small secondhand section.
Eleftheroudhakis , Panepistimíou 17. Five floors of English books provide space for an extensive stock; has internet café and excellent cafeteria with a large selection of vegetarian dishes and sweets.
Estia-Kollarou , Sólonos 60. Big Greek-language bookshop, strong on modern history, politics, folk traditions and fiction.
Iy Folia tou Vivliou (The Book Nest) , Panepistimíou 25, in the arcade and upstairs. The city's biggest selection of English-language fiction, with a good collection of recent academic work on Greece, and back issues of the Korfes hiking magazine. There's also a full-sized travel shop on the ground floor, with the complete line of Rough Guides and Anavasi maps.
Pyrinos Kosmos , Ippokrátous 16. The best shop in town for Greek and English books on philosophy, religion and mysticism.
Reymondos , Voukourestíou 18. Good for foreign periodicals in particular.
Road Editions , Ippokrátous 39. Has a good mix of English and Greek travel guides, plus their own and other companies' maps.
Crafts and antiques
Greek handicrafts are not particularly cheap but the workmanship is usually very high. In addition to the stores listed below, consider those at the National Archeological Museum, Benáki Museum and Cycladic Art Museum , which sell excellent, original designs as well as reproductions, and the cluster of antique shops at the base of Adhrianoú , near the corner of Kynéttou, which are good for Ottoman and rural Greek items like backgammon boards, hubble-bubbles, kilims, etc; the best is at Adhrianoú 25.
Amorgos , Kodrou 3, Pláka (across from the Acropolis House Hotel ). A small shop filled with tasteful woodcarvings, needlework, lamps, lace, shadow puppets and other handicrafts.
Athens Design Centre , Valaorítou 4. A highly original modern potter has her base here. Prices aren't exorbitant considering the quality.
EOMMEX , Mitropóleos 9, Syndagma, a Greek co-operative for woven rugs.
To Kati yia Sas , Iperídhou 23, Pláka. Eclectic stock of craft items.
Kendro Ellinikis Paradosis , Mitropóleos 59, Monastiráki. As the name suggests, this pleasant upstairs emporium has a wide selection of traditional arts and crafts, especially ceramics and woodcarving, and is mercifully free of the hard sell often encountered in the nearby flea market.
Lalaounis , Panepistimíou 6. Home-base outlet of the world-renowned family of goldsmiths, whose designs are superbly imaginative and very expensive.
Les Amis de Livres , Valaorítou 9, in a cul-de-sac. Prints and engravings.
Manos Faldaïs , Hariláou Trikoúpi 75, Exárhia. Unusual crafts like handmade puppets, wind chimes and scented candles.
Mazarakis , Voulís 31-33. A central outlet for flokátes , those hairy-pile wool rugs that are still the best thing to warm up a cold stone floor.
National Welfare Organization , Ipatías 6, cnr Apóllonos, Pláka. Rugs, embroideries, copperware - traditional craft products made in remote country districts.
Stavros Melissinos , Pandhróssou 89, off Monastiráki. The "poet-sandalmaker" of Athens. The sandals translate better than the poems but nevertheless an inspiring (and not especially inflated) place to be cobbled.
Health and speciality food
Herbs and herb teas are sold dry and fresh at most street markets and at the Athinás bazaar. Otherwise, the following central outlets are useful.
AB Vassilopoulos The three huge main stores are at Leofóros Kifissías, Psihikó and above Kifissiá on the National Road, but there are several other outlets throughout the city. Gigantic supermarket stocking esoteric ingredients (their well-known sales pitch is that they stock birds' milk) for just about every cuisine or diet.
Aralus , Sofokléous 17, central bazaar. Fruits, nuts, wholegrain bread, pasta and so on. Also supplements and vitamins.
Bachar , Evripídhou 31, central bazaar. Aromatic bags of teas, herbs and medicinal remedies in large sacks.
Kendro Fyzikis Zois keh Iyias , Panepistimíou 57. Headquarters of the Greek Green Party, but also a tremendously well-stocked store and vegetarian snack bar with a pleasant loft where afternoon snacks are served.
La Tienda , Mihalakopoulou 38, ground floor. Full line of Mexican and Asian staple condiments, from hot sauce to plantains.
Outdoor supplies
Aegean Dive Shop , Pandhóras 42 and Zamanou 53, Glyfádha, on the coast to the southeast tel 010/89 45 409. Diving lessons, equipment rental and good value one-day dive trips to a reef near Vouliagméni, sporadically during the week but regularly on weekends.
Alberto's , Patissíon 37, in the arcade; plus many others on same street heading towards Omónia. This is in effect the "bike bazaar", for repairs, parts and sales. For mountain bikes, try Gatsoúlis at Thessaloníkis 8 in Néa Filadhélfia (#18 trolleybus).
Alpamayo , Panepistimíou 44. Small hiking store which also stocks some Korfes back issues.
Mediterranean Dive Shop , Vas. Pávlou 95, Kastélla, nr Pireás (tel 010/41 25 376). Efficient and reasonably priced shop for the hire of reliable diving equipment.
No-Name Bike Shop , Trítis Septemvríou 40/cnr Stournári. Bicycles and accessories.
Pindhos , Patissíon 52. Extensive state-of-the-art hiking/climbing gear: Lowe packs, ice axes, stoves, water containers, parkas, foam pads, etc.
Survival , Kynéttou 4, on Ayíou Filíppou square. Good for ponchos, stoves, mess kits, boots, knives and survival gear in general.
Records and CDs
If you hear music you like, or want to explore Greek sounds of bygone days (or today), try the outlets below. When shopping, beware of records warped by poor stacking in the racks. The big advantage of shopping here is that the vinyl industry is still alive and well, having survived the CD onslaught; you may find pressings discontinued elsewhere.
Happening , Hariláou Trikoúpi 13. Good range of heavy metal and indie rock plus tickets, info and magazines.
Jazz Rock , Akadhimías 45. Specializes in just that with forays into rock and ethnic music, also a good source of information and tickets for upcoming concerts.
Metropolis , Panepistimíou 64. Strictly CDs; the branch at #54 sells just vinyl. Often has discounted items; a second branch has opened at the airport and sells CDs only.
7+7 , Iféstou 7, Monastiráki. This shop in the flea market has a choice selection of old and new rock and Greek music on vinyl and CD.
Tzina , Panepistimíou 57. Stop in here if Metropolis or Xylouris don't have what you're after; it has its own label of Greek folk.
Virgin Megastore , Stadiou 7-9, Syndagma. Large selection of Greek rock and folk music and foreign hits at reasonable prices. You can listen to most CDs before you buy.
Xylouris , Panepistimíou 39, in the arcade. Run by the widow of the late, great Cretan singer Nikos Xylouris, this is currently one of the best places for Greek popular, folk and (of course) Cretan music. Stocks items unavailable elsewhere.
