Should we visit Athens? Part 1 – A Framework for Research

Part 1 – Deciding on a framework

Introduction

I have been advocating a trip to Athens for some time. However, with the recent EU dramas, I let the idea rest. Now I am keen to resurrect the idea. However, my wife (Katherine) is asking the question – why?

So, this series of blogs seek to answer the question: Why should we visit Athens?

Where to begin?

In this type of situation, I usually start by finding all the relevant websites. I do this using Google and clip the interesting websites to a folder in Evernote. My initial search resulted in 16 websites being clipped to Evernote.

The next step is to work through those websites and work out if we should go! Or, at least try to convince my wife we should visit Athens.

Using a Framework

To tackle a task like this, I usually like to work within a framework to analyse the question. In this instance, I quickly looked through the websites to see if I could identify a framework. Fortunately, there was an article listing 10 reasons to visit. This is exactly what I need.

The reasons for visiting include:

1. It’s full of monuments of the famous ancient Greek civilisation
2. Democracy was born here
3. Theatre started in Athens
4. Just three words. Modern Olympic Games
5. Want to have fun? You are in the right place
6. Sea, sea and sea again
7. The famous Greek cuisine
8. Day trips are so easy
9. Shopping here feels so easy
10. Greek hospitality isn’t a lie.

There is another useful website as well: Matt Barrett’s Athens Survival Guide, which identified the Top 10 things to do. Still another website provided 101 things to know before visiting Greece.

Already I can feel myself wanting to modify this list to reflect our interests more accurately. For example, a modified list might look like this:

1. Athens tours: Are there any interesting Athens tours – photography? Food? Historical? Street Art?
2. Historical Sites: What are the important monuments or landmarks we wish to visit?
3. Concerts: What theatre and/or concerts are available to attend?
4. Food: What restaurants cater to celiacs?
5. Markets: What markets can we visit in Athens?
6. Greek culture: Can we adequately experience this in Athens or travel to a smaller village? What are the key features of Greek culture?
7. Day Trips: Meteora? Ancient Delphi?
8. Travel: How do we get to Athens; How do we get around Athens?
9. Accommodation: Where can we stay? Are apartments in the city centre affordable?
10. Time: Is September or October a good time to visit? How long do we need?

The next step

Interested in our next post about planning for Athens? It can be found here: Should we visit Athens? Part 2 – Athens Tours

Return for more travel planning articles

Return for all of our travel articles