Our trip to the Acropolis was my absolute highlight of the trip to Athens. And fortunately there was a vegan eatery not too far away from it! We went to Peas for our next bread, meat, and potatoes extravaganza and we were not disappointed. It’s a small, casual spot with very limited seating, but we were fortunate enough to get a seat.

There was quite a small menu, and Dr HH and I both ordered the same thing: two peas in a pod. It was essentially a sandwich made of two lovely fluffy round pitas, filled with seitan strips, smoked tofu, grilled vegetables, cashew parmesan, mayo, and a bit of lettuce. The giant sandwich was quartered, and topped with chips, which look very pale but were actually alright.

We loved it! The meat was extremely flavoursome, and I found the grilled vegetables a pleasing alternative to the classic salad. It was massive though, as you can see, and eating it as a sandwich was extremely messy. Maybe it would have been better if it were a traditional closed pita, but it’s hard to argue with that beasty portion size when you’re spending the whole day on your feet in the sun.

Later in the afternoon, we went for dessert in another part of town. Caravel had three clearly labelled vegan ice cream options when we visited: pistachio, vanilla, and chocolate orange cinnamon. We simply had to go for the latter! It was really decadent, creamy, and delicious. This is a really central spot (we walked past it a million times), and it was always quite busy, though there was limited outdoor seating so you might have to eat on the move.

Away from the food, you probably don’t need me to tell you that the acropolis is worth seeing. We loved it. The scale was really impressive – there was a lot to see, and some of it was spectacularly well-preserved. Prepare yourself for exposure to the elements if you visit, because nothing is under cover.

We also went to the nearby Acropolis Museum, which houses some more of the relics…and, of course, a lot of replicas because so many of the works are in the British Museum. Later in 2022 we actually did go to the British Museum to see the other half of the sculptures from the Parthenon, and it was really frustrating to see them out of context, so far from where they belong. Every few months there are stories in the news suggesting that steps are being taken to return them to Greece and house them in the Acropolis Museum – let’s hope it finally happens (and is the start of a bigger handover of stolen history).