It is important to have good transport to the airport and equally important to have hotels for travelers using the airport as an East-West hub. What is more significant, though, is that the plain of Mesogia provides fresh air and is the chief source of agricultural wealth for the Athens area. Off the main road the terrain is green and lush. In summer the terra-cotta coloured earth blends with the olive groves. This ecological sanctuary is replete with birds, wildlife, extended cross-hatched vineyards, acres of pine forests, sheep and solitude.
Byzantine churches blend into the undulating landscape.
The churches, which are scattered over the whole area, are most numerous on the lower slopes of Hymettus. Most are in a grievous state of disrepair. Grass fringes their eaves and valarian sprouts from the stones. Some are whitewashed, some have polygonal domes, some round. Most are cruciform, and there is even one with two apses.