Event: Greece - Athens

Monastiraki Flea Market

When:	Daily
Where:	Monastiraki Flea Market
Opening Hours:	Daily 8am-2pm (but varies from store to store)

Like an Eastern bazaar, the open-fronted stores of Monastiraki Market stock copperware, backgammon sets, army surplus gear, leather goods and cheap jewellery. On busy Sunday mornings, the market sees the addition of antiques, bric-a-brac and books.

It may be your idea of a nightmare - a chaotic market with overpriced (and tacky) wares - but the Monastiraki flea market is bound to have something you can take back to your loved ones. Even if you don't plan to buy anything, it's interesting enough to scan your eyes over products made locally and throughout Greece (and Taiwan).

You name it and you can probably find it: furs (whoops - real ones we're afraid), gold and silver jewellery, traditional costumes, leather jackets, brass bits and bobs, leather shoes, Greek rugs, surplus military stuff, books, museum reproductions (can't fool anyone), records, old foreign books, unrecognisable food, religious icons, electronics, tools, musical instruments......should we go on?

Remember, as with every tourist market around the world, tourists pay more than locals. Don't be afraid to barter. On Sunday mornings things are usually less expensive, although not all stalls are open.

Monastiraki, actually means "small monastery" and quietly houses a tiny Byzantine chapel (Kapnikarea) right in the middle of Ermou St, which provides a welcome respite from the haggling and crowds. Monastiraki Square is also where you take the subway to Piraeus to catch a boat out to the islands and beyond.