![\"Parliament\"](\"https:\/\/www.fred-hart.uk\/greece2014\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/07\/020720141863-1024x768.jpg\")
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My first full day in the city was spent exploring Central Athens. After breakfast in my hotel, I headed to the underground to get my 7 day all-Athens travel pass. For \u20ac14 I have unlimited travel on the metro, busses and trams in the city.<\/p>\n
I headed straight for the heart of Athens: Syntagma Square<\/a><\/strong>, from where I could see the Greek Parliament. The building itself is closed to the public, but I was able to stand outside it and take some photos of the Presidential Guards (the Evzones\/\u0395\u03cd\u03b6\u03c9\u03bd\u03b5\u03c2) by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.<\/p>\n Next to Parliament lies the\u00a0National Garden \u2013 originally the Royal Garden<\/strong><\/a>: Just like the UK Parliament, the Greek Parliament is in fact a Royal Residence. Parliament didn\u2019t move in until as recently as the 1930s. There\u2019s plenty of shade; plenty of space to sit. It\u2019s like a maze in there: I had to stop and look at the map several times to find my way around it! There\u2019s a central lake, there are turtles, there\u2019s a playground for children, there\u2019s a caf\u00e9 where I sat and had a drink.<\/p>\n Before returning to my hotel, I walked down the pedestrianized road leading away from Syntagma, and it wasn\u2019t long before I got my first glimpse of the Acropolis<\/strong><\/a>. I\u2019ll be doing that on Friday, after my visit to the NERIT TV and Radio studios in Agia Paraskevi.<\/p>\n On arrival back in Metaxourgeio, a cheese pie was on the menu for lunch, before tuned to the and took a nice 3 hour long siesta.<\/p>\n Later in the afternoon, I returned to the underground \u2013 this time heading towards Victoria station and the National Archaeological Museum<\/strong><\/a>. I took my University of Gloucestershire ID card, allowing me free entry. Even abroad, I am getting my money\u2019s worth from the university.<\/p>\n This district of Athens is quite different compared where I was earlier in the day. After changing trains at Omonia station, I noted that the train was packed (more so than the ones I was on earlier in the day). The social class of the people on the train was different: Gone was the mixture of tourists and business people. It\u2019s easy to see why the Piraeus to Kifisia line is the one with the biggest pick-pocketing problems. I\u2019m glad I\u2019ve booked a taxi for my journey to Piraeus in a few weeks I think! (On that note: The money belt I wear under my shirt is rather comfortable. Thanks for asking).<\/p>\n