http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34292 The prices are extremely reasonable with turquoise or coral bracelets retailing from €7 upwards.
Very friendly service with no hard sell.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34292 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22331
Part treasure-trove, part bizarre bazaar, you'll find trinkets and old junk you never knew you needed, as well as antique shops that are are here all week. Rub shoulders with the locals who get there early to scoop the best buys, and bring your haggling skills.

Cafes and bars bordering the market overspill onto the street at weekends, and add to the festive ambience as you sift through the stalls.

It makes for a colourful, slightly manic morning, and your rummaging may be rewarded with a treasure or two - I came away with some antique pink Turkish bottles, and bags of old ornate jewellery - I managed to resist the ancient gramophone that I was told still works!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22331 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22328
Instead, there are two brilliant places to pick up local and traditional Greek handicrafts.

Oikotexnia is run by the Institute of Social Protection, so you will be helping to preserve and promote traditional Greek handicrafts as well as scoring some top quality souvenirs. Best buys include knotted carpets, fluffy Flokatis rugs, embroidered cushions and tablecloths.

The Centre of Hellenic Traditions is a haven from Plaka's mass-produced tat and sells Greek art, icons, pottery, wood carvings, embroideries, and prints. Best of all, there's a charming cafe on-site for enjoying a view of the Acropolis]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22328 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22326
If you really want to eat like the locals, and fancy some cheap and filling fare away from the overpriced restaurants in Plaka, brave the tavernas in the centre, feeding hungry workers and hung-over clubbers with steaming bowls of 'Patsas', tripe soup.

Epeiros and Papandreou are the most authentic, with stoves simmering over with huge pots of chickpeas and all manner of tripe soups, which the cooks swear are cholesterol-free and have medicinal properties.

The science behind that may be sketchy, but a bowl of the soup blasts hangovers away after one too many glasses of ouzo, and the restaurants are incredibly atmopsheric, with tables crammed with loudmouth market workers day and night. I opted for the Mayeritsa which is a tripe soup made with an egg-lemon sauce, and after a few nervous spoonfuls, found myself licking the bowl clean.

If you can't face the tripe, pick from plates piled high with lamb so tender it falls off the bone, roasted potatoes and bottles of delicious red wine.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22326 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20587
The average high temperature in April is 20.2 C/68.4 F and many locals swim in the sea year-round. There are low-cost flights available from the UK. It's a great place for a long weekend in Europe.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20587 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12618 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12618 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5674 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5674 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5667 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5667 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5618 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5618 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4802 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/4802 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5697 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5697 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5694 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5694 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5668
Chios' Mastic is a unique product, granted a PDO (protected destination of origin) from the European Union.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5668 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5642
The other shopping experience is the very impressive The Mall, just north of the main Olympic complex, in the northern suburbs of Athens. It’s a massive shopping centre with 200 shops, a 15 screen multiplex cinema and numerous restaurants. It opened last November and it has already proved very popular with the locals. Very good public transport access.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5642 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5616 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5616 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5568 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5568