Marble Paradise

Enza Costa tee (c/o Shopbop)
Aritzia skirt (similar)
Adidas sneakers
APC bag
Ray Ban sunglasses
Leah Alexandra ring

We didn’t visit Athens just because the city is a marble paradise. I know that sounds farfetched. After all, my obsession with all things marble is well-documented. From marble print notebooks to marble side tables for my apartment to marble earrings and marble walls, I love it all. But I imagined the Greek capital as a city built mostly of creamy stone. What a beautiful surprise it was, then, to arrive and discover the reality; historic Athens is mostly made of white marble.

There is a lot of concrete in Athens, mind you. From what I understand, an influx of rural Greeks moved to the capital in the 60s and the city built many residential buildings in a hurry to accommodate them. They needed places to live; concrete homes were quick and relatively inexpensive to build. Most of those concrete buildings still stand today; the apartment building we stayed in was one of them. And I admit, it wasn’t much to look at, although the apartment itself was a beauty.

But the National Library of Athens is a veritable palace. The first time we drove by it on Panepistimiou, I had to do a double-take. Admittedly, since I started my blog, I am constantly on the lookout for beautiful photoshoot locations – even if I’m not conscious of it. And when I saw the National Library, I threw out all of my other location ideas. In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have come up with such a beautiful staircase. If the Parthenon weren’t enough to make me admire Greek architectural ingenuity – and it was – the National Library would have convinced me instantly.

Since I love books, I admit that I have a soft spot for the National Library and its staircase because it leads to an enormous collection of books – and not just because it’s gorgeous, though that doesn’t hurt. I know that libraries don’t normally rank high on tourist attraction lists, but if you love books – or marble, or both! – the National Library of Athens is a must-see when you’re in Greece. And a perfect location for outfit photos, too.