Athens Central Market
If you walk down Athinas street towards Omonia Square you will get to Evripidou Street where you will discover the Agora, Athens Central Market, bordered by Athinas, Evripidou, Eolou and Sofokleous Streets. The Agora on Athinas Street, otherwise known as the Athens Central Market is my favorite place to shop. Even when I am not shopping I seem to get energized by just walking around there. The Central Market is the most exciting place in Athens and a must see for every visitor.
Morning is the time to be there. It's a mob scene but lots of fun and a reminder that the true wonders of Athens may not be in the dead past but in the very alive present. The Fish market is my favorite part. I suggest wearing shoes, not flip-flops. The ground is wet and fishy. Wander around and look at all the fish, some fresh, some frozen, and listen to the voices of the merchants as they call out their prices. Any fish you can find in the Aegean and Ionian seas and even some imported from as far away as China, Portugal and North Africa are here. You will know what fish are in season and what to order in the restaurants after a short walk through the fish market because there will be a lot of those kinds of fish and they will drop in price as the day goes on. You will certainly be impressed by some of the creatures of the deep blue which are revealed. You may also be in shock at the variety and the noise! Fish vendors know how to holler.
The Meat market surrounds the Fish market. The weirdest animals are found in the meat section, though this depends on the season. I have seen giant woolly animals that looked like either a giant wild boar or a mastodon. Some of the butchers come from generations of butchers who have had stalls in the market for a century. In the last few years the EU has made the market obey their standards and now meat is kept cool in refrigerators and the whole market, basically, got a facelift. But the atmosphere is still the same and the experience is certainly what shopping was meant to be.
Across the street from the Fish and Meat markets is the Fruit and Vegetable market where you will find the biggest lemons, peaches and some of the most colorful fruit you will ever see! There are also Russians and Greeks who have returned from the former eastern block countries selling cigarettes, tissue paper, lighters and just about anything. There is a Polish food shop, like a deli, on the right hand side near Sokratous Street. You will also pass shops that sell nothing but eggs, or feta cheese and some shops that have smoked meats and sausages. There are also people from the villages who don't have stalls, just sitting on a box, selling garlic, wild herbs, or wild greens from the mountains. At the bottom of the Fruit and Vegetable market is the beginning of Athens' China town which is also India town, Pakistani town and also the Arabic section of the city. These back streets are exciting to visit and you actually feel as though you are in a different country, other than Greece.