So when my father insisted that I fly into Athens for economical reasons, I was a little hesitant at first. Greece is such a LARGE country with so many different areas that are must sees and with my tentative itinerary, I would only begin to scrape the surface. The flight there was like 200$ cheaper though, so I would just have to limit myself to Athens and the surrounding areas- the beautiful Greek Islands that EVERY Greek person I spoke with will have to wait until the next time :(
As many of you know, I studied in Valencia SPAIN (lol @ Nicole Robertson and Robby). I was part of the European student study abroad program, called Erasmus. It is normally just for European students, but since I was there for 7 months, I was able to slide on in. Besides party (a lot) and travel around, I met people from all over Europe! There were several students from Athens, and although I was not the closest of friends with them during my Erasmus, I decided to send them a message that I would be in their city and if they wanted to show me around or get a drink to let me know. They responded almost immediately and just like that, Ioanna was able and willing to host me!
Monday- July 20 2015
I returned from Delphi Monday around 1430 and had arranged with Ioanna to meet at the metro station Evangelismo. Since I had only my backpack, she was able to give me a ride on her motorcycle! I really felt like I was getting the true Greek experience since in Athens, the roads are so narrow and there are cars parked EVERYWHERE so motorcycles are really the best way to efficiently travel within the city. Don’t worry mother, I wore a helmet and held on tight. But for the record, Ioanna is a very conservative driver :)
When we arrived to her house, Ioanna gave me the back story. Her great grandfather moved to this location in the 1920s. When her grandmother married, he built her a home. When Ioanna’s mother married, another apartment was built the floor above. Most of Ioanna mother's siblings, except 1, have stayed in the area so much of her family lives on the same block! So when we arrived we stopped by the grandmother’s floor where her little cousin was also to say hello before going up to the floor where Ioanna lives with her mother. (Goes without saying, but in Greece it is very common to stay with you family until you marry, even more so now with the crisis).
Anyways, drop my stuff where they had set up a pull out bed for me with candies :)
And we go back to her grandmother’s for a late lunch! They fed me so wellllll and would not let me stand up or help! The real Greek salad is so good :D
Then Ioanna helped me research on information of the Acropolis and how to get there on buses and metro and where and when exactly we would meet after her doctor’s appointment…. So much better than trying to figure it out on your own using websites :P
So off I went, with some snacks that Ioanna insisted I take even though I was stuffed.
It was like 1730 at this time but Athens is so hot. At least it’s dry heat, but the whole time while I was there I feel like I was in a constant state of perspiration. I decided to do many of the Acropolis sites, and do the museum the next day since everything closed at 20h.
Sun was going down, but since Parthenon is on the top of a hill, it was sill hottttt. Plus you are walking straight up hill so it’s really quite the workout.
The building itself is quite impressive…. I think I appreciated it more once I went to the museum on Tuesday (7/22/2015) and learned more about the history and everything it has been under. In short: Athens has been through some shit. After being the most advanced and important civilization for a couple hundred years, it was invaded, looted, bombed, conquered… The only reason many of the most valuable sculptures (like Nike of Athena or the Archaic Koure- both pictured below) survived to present day is because the Ancient Greeks buried them so they would not be removed from the sacred rock!
This olive tree as importance for reasons that slip my mind...The view from the Acropolis is of course is amazing:
The Greek government, with help from the European Union, is putting a lot of effort into restoring and preserving the Parthenon as well as many of the other ancient buildings and sculptures of Ancient Greece. It is so crazy to think that many of the things tourists casually collect pictures of (more on that later…) is THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD.
I bought new chucks for my trip... my other ones have been to too many music festivals. I am writing the names of cities I walk through with them :)
A smaller archealogical muesuem in the acropolis area^
Fallen soldier.... lol ^
Once I had had enough of walking (literally walked over 10 miles that day and up 140 flights of stairs on my FitBit-- #killingit), it was time to meet up with Ioanna #2, Kostas, and Natasha- more Greeks that I had met during my Erasmus. I met them at a place called Couler Locale which is a rooftop bar in the center of Athens near Monastiraki metro station that seems to be very popular with young people (everyone seemed to be in their 20s).. I am 100% sure I was the only non-Greek here—this is a PRIME example of why it is SO WONDERFUL to have locals take you out! I would have never found this place on my own- nor would have been comfortable going solo!
From there, Kostas and his friend named Trifonas, decided we should go to a new bar for the next round of drinks- a hostal that was a block away- because their beer was much cheaper and the roof a couple stories higher! How Kostas learned of this place and just strolled in without showing a key is beyond me hahaha but really the breathtaking to watch the sun set over Athens with beer and friends I hadn’t seen in years was the best. Plus I learned all the important (curse) words and slang from the two boys, so really what more can you ask for, malaka?
Ioanna #1 (the one with whom I was staying) met us there and after a few beers her and Natasha wanted to take me for a walk around the center of restaurants and patio bars.
We said goodbye to Natasha and rode Ioanna’s motorcycle back to her neighborhood to end the night with some souvlaki.
Tuesday- July 21 2015
Ioanna had schoolwork so I went to the center on my own to explore the center by foot and of course visit the Acropolis museum. She left me a very nice spread of breakfast foods and snacks to take :P
I love exploring cities (the center obviously where there are things to see) without any real plan. You see interesting people, stumble upon pretty views (like the one where I had my coffee).
I just make turns based on what looks interesting..
Athens, unfortunately, is covered in graffiti. Like even places that it doesn’t make sense, such as street signs or the sidewalk. There are some cases though, that is amazing though:
Plaka, of course, was amazing. Ioanna and Natasha told me I must walk in the area and showed me where it was the night before. AH. Beautiful.
Every corner was a postcard and at the top of the neighborhood the view of Athens paralleled the one from Acropolis.
Once the heat become stroke temperature, I headed to the museum. I was able to use my student ID from GPC too so I got a discounted ticket :D
Once I had had enough of that, and Ioanna told me there was food waiting for me at her house, I took a few wrong turns and metros and eventually made it back to Ioanna’s.
Again, fed so well with a stew like meal called briam, Greek salad, and a cheese bread you wouldn’t believe- I will be getting this recipe to try to recreate at home even though I know it will not be as good as one made by a Greek grandmother!
Ioanna had planned another eventful night so off we went on her motorcycle!
we met with Natasha to go to Piraeus, where the ferries depart for the islands, to have a drink, seafood, and ouzo! (ouzo is their Greek liquor that is sort of licorice flavored and goes from clear to white when water is added)
July 22 2015
So I was originally planning to fly from Athens to Thessaloniki then train to Trikala but once I realized how big my backpack is and how strict RyanAir is on carry on luggage, I have decided to skip my flight and go by train directly to Trikala. I will spend most of my day on a train, I arrive at like 19h, but I have had such a jam packed couple days it’s nice to be off my feet! Plus getting to the airport and then a train would have probably been more exhausting and expensive..
I was treated SO WELL by Ioanna and her family and it was so lovely and nice of Natasha, Ioanna, Kostas, and Kostas to spend time with me on my brief visit to Athens! I was so lucky to experience Greek hospitality first hand. I leave Athens with washed clothes, many snacks, leftover ouzo,, and plans to come back! Ioanna and Natasha, as well as the rest- you have a place to stay in Atlanta :D efharisto poli !! :*
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