cream of athens

We've been in Athens, Greece for a little more than a day and I already know I want to come back. For one, the weather turned and we've had clear blue skies and t-shirt weather. 2nd, we don't have time to see the farther islands like Mykonos or Santorini, so that will have to be another time.
We're staying in Plaka, a pedestrian/shopping/restaurant area. The hotel sits off the main drag between the Acropolis and the Stadium, and the National Gardens stretch to the Northeast. We saw more Americans here than anywhere in Turkey, and vacationing Europeans too.

Sat down for dinner at a place credited in the Rough Guide, but the waiter told me one by one that they didn't currently have any of the 5 dishes involving vegetables. I settled for the 'frozen squid' (we half-hoped they would come on lollipop sticks-it turned out to be fried calamari), and Jordan tried the traditional moussaka. Despite the walls covered in photos of the owner posing with dozens of visiting celebrities, the food was bad. The Grecian bread came in a metal tin similar to the ones I used to wash myself in the Turkish bath, a crusty half-loaf of tasteless flour-water mixture. The eggplant salad turned out to be eggplant puree mixed with tartar sauce--I'd recognize that tang anywhere. At least it came in handy with the calamari. The waiter's only redeeming moment was when he reemerged at the end of the meal with a plate of Greek yogurt dribbled with honey. The yogurt was as thick as real sour cream or heavy ice cream--almost like a creamy paste, and slightly sweet. It goes down smooth and the honey adds a touch of mellow flavor. We then decided to tip.

Down a side street south of the Acropolis, we walked into an outdoor night club--just off the main drag, the street was lined with bars and cafes and a din of music and chatter. We pushed through the crowds and found a pair of chairs at a popular outdoor cafe. We sat back and surveyed the scene over an Amstel and soon realized that others were just drinking coffee, preparing for a long night of clubbing. Most were our age, some younger, and a majority were helping the air stay thick with cigarette smoke.