GREECE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 298

seafood restaurants, the latter rimming its waterfront like pickets of a fence. Bus
No. 20 will take you to either of the smaller ports. Board it from the bus terminal on
the left side of the train station. Bus No. 20 stands in the far line, facing away from
the sea.
After skirting the main harbor, the bus passes through a built-up area before it
again sides with the sea at Zea. If Mikrolimano is your destination, ride four stops
beyond Zea and dismount. The Castella Hotel is on the left side at the bus stop.
From there, walk down to the harbor. If you're going for lunch, try to arrive before
1230, when the area is invaded by a horde of tour buses packed with hungry tour-
ists. At night the tables in the restaurants overlooking the sea groan under their
loads of fresh fish, luscious lobsters, and opulent oysters. Top off your evening by
climbing the hill behind Mikrolimano for a magnificent view of the Mediterranean's
Saronic Gulf.
Piraeus, main port of Greece, basks in the warm embrace of the Saronic Gulf,
just a few miles and minutes outside the heart of Athens. Piraeus today is one of
the principal ports of the Mediterranean and serves both commercial shipping and
pleasure craft. Most tourists go to Piraeus not to view its remains of antiquity but,
rather, to enjoy the picturesque atmosphere of its port and to indulge in some of
the wonderful seafood served in its restaurants.
Many restaurants employ solicitors to influence your selection of eating places.
You can ignore them. We have found that the better places lie to the right of the
harbor. Kanaris 2 is one of the more expensive restaurants, but it is well worth
it. While on the subject of price, a word of caution: Check menu prices carefully
before ordering. Many menu prices are given for 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of fish—a
price that the government requires the restaurants to list. Certainly, your platter
won't hold that much, but some places will try to charge you on that basis. Caveat
emptor —let the buyer beware.
During the summer, Piraeus is considerably cooler than Athens. Should the tem-
peratures soar during your stay in the Greek capital, take a quick trip on the Athens
subway to the seaside at Piraeus. In the evening the tavernas and nightclubs there
provide a resort-type lifestyle. The city's nightspots feature popular singers.
Lacking museums, Piraeus's archaeological discoveries are displayed in the
Athens National Museum. Of particular interest is a collection of statuary stored
and forgotten by General Sulla in 86 B.C. Perhaps the general lost his claim check.