Greece!

Finishing up classes by lunchtime on Thursday, February 26th started off our first extended weekend. We had checked in for our flight the night before already and were really excited! I was traveling to Athens, Greece with friends, Brittney, Steve, John, Jenny, and Ben.
We were moving two time zones over and looking forward to some more sun in Athens. I had pulled out my pages on Greece from the ‘Lets Go Europe’ book and on the plane Ben sat next to a guy who travels from London to Greece every week for work and lives in Athens. He was able to make suggestions and notes for us. We got out of the airport in Athens probably around 2 a.m. and got a bus to get into the City Centre. On the bus we also met a Greek man that helped to tell us where we were going and even walked us down to the area we needed to be. Also gave us some good warnings like how drivers don’t respect pedestrians like they do in the UK and they’ll run you over. I’d say that was good advice!
We didn’t have anything booked for that night because we weren’t sure what we would be able to work out with arriving at that time. We called our hostel and there was room for us to get in that night. Now we just had to find it. This was interesting as there weren’t many buses running at the time and we didn’t really understand much of the Greek routes anyways. So we had been told that you can hail taxis, the yellow ones. We tried that but none of them went that way, or so they said. So we had the map from my ‘Lets Go’ and we walked around Athens hoping we wouldn’t have to find a park bench. Eventually we talked to some police who pointed out Damareos Street that we were looking for… we were actually very close by this point. We found the green door that marked our hostel.
Pagration Youth Hostel was in my ‘Lets Go’ book and the way they have their accommodations marked it was ranked a 1- which is the cheapest and even says, “prepare for things to go bump in the night”. For a first hostel experience, it was rather crude, but it worked for only 10 Euros a night. All six of us were in the same room, we had a balcony, we did get blankets and a sheet, and showers were 50 cents for 7-minutes of hot water. The first night, well if it qualifies as a night since we went to bed after 4 a.m., I heard our windows rattle whenever something went by on the street below. But, the next nights I moved away from the window and it wasn’t too bad, or we were really tired. I think what really attracted us to booking this hostel is when the boys saw that travelers could stay on the roof if they had a sleeping bag when they were full. I’m glad we got beds, because it would have been rather cold and the rooftop would be hard. We did hang out there one night though to enjoy it. We had been hearing how you meet some interesting characters in hostels from all over. Found this out to be true! The hostel is owned by an older Greek man and his wife, but we mostly saw Mario, nicknamed Michigan Man (similar to the Michelin Man??). He was the one who checked people in and out and was around. He claimed to be from Michigan and I don’t think he’s been in Athens for too long. We questioned his being from Michigan when was off on his geography of where Wisconsin and Minnesota were in relation to Michigan.
When we got out of the hostel on Friday we just wanted to get familiarized with the city and visit the Acropolis. When looking at the Temple of Zeus a girl came up to us and recognized us as being from the Midwest, she is from Chicago but working in Frankfort, Germany and was visiting Greece for the weekend. She was able to tell us that the Acropolis was closed for the next two days due to a strike! It would be open again on Sunday, so that became the new plan. That day we also saw Hadrian’s Arch and the Panathenaic Stadium, a marble stadium that the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. We walked on their High Street and stopped in various shops. It reminded me of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh but with the Parthenon instead of a Castle.
At lunch we discovered crepes. We went to Crepes of the World where they have salty and sweet crepes. On this occasion I actually got a baguette, but each entrée was themed on a country. They put meats and cheese in some of them and the sweet ones were Nutella and fruits and such. For being Greece, not France, there were several other crepe places that we saw around. I did get one another night at Crepa Crepa. We decided we want to start the chain up back home because it was amazing! At Crepa Crepa there were over 60 choices for the sweet and another 60 for the salty. I got one called Judy- strawberries, nutella, vanilla cream, and cookie. It was AMAZING! Brittney even had one with ice cream in it.
While exploring we found some different views of the Acropolis that we could enjoy while not being able to get in. One was a path with a painted sign that pointed saying ‘Acropolis’ and led us up a path between different buildings and houses. Here we actually found “Catopolis”, it was almost like the calf barn! There were actually a lot of stray animals in Athens. Cats all over in this area, and dogs around too! We also found a view from the Filopappou Hill which was a fun hike that we took with our new friend, Jack the dog. On our way back through the city we noticed a place for cruises and ferries. We stopped in to check out a possible trip out to some Greek island. We had two choices that would leave tomorrow morning. One to Santorini, the island where ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ was filmed with black sand beaches, or a three-island cruise to Poros, Hydra, and Aegina. They were comparable in price but the Santorini one was staying over on the island for a night and since we already had our hostel booked for the rest of the trip we went with the day trip to Hydra, Egina, and Pious. Where would also get to see more. We booked it and were going to meet at the Athens Gate Hotel the next morning at 7:40 for the bus to the port.
For dinner we found a Greek restaurant on the way back. We had fun communicating through another English-speaking customer because the ladies working there only knew Greek. We got to try some real Gyros and Pitas. It was very good! I didn’t realize that Gyro is actually the meat that goes into the pita. Gyro meat is on the spit and turns around then is shaved off. I tried a chicken one and a pork one.
Saturday was my birthday and I was spending it on a cruise to some Greek islands! How cool is that!? On the cruise we met up again with our friend from Chicago! Her name we learned is Angela and she is now Facebook friends with us all and shared some traveling stories with us.
On the boat they had a couple of activities going on. We went down to the lowest deck for traditional Greek dancing at 10:30. We watched the first round then Brittney and I joined in for the second one. Meanwhile, they had to mention it was my birthday so I got sung to in front of everybody!
The first island, Hydra, we went to was probably my favorite. It was just a small island that didn’t even have cars! But they do have lots of donkeys and ponies! I realized how much these little communities rely on tourism! That and fishing keeps them alive. At the first island I bought myself a sort of birthday gift. In one shop they had a stack of beautiful prints. They are painting of different islands done by art students from the Athens University that come out and have a competition. The one I liked is of an island, whose name I don’t recall mainly because it was very not English-sounding, that the saleslady grew up on and is very beautiful with flowers. It’s on canvas so I can’t wait to bring it back and frame it and hopefully keep it forever! I thought it was a pretty good souvenir. I pet some of the donkeys that they had right off the port ready to give you a ride for 10 Euros…”it very beautiful half-hour ride” I was told.
When we boarded we were served lunch. I don’t have any idea what it was! It was kind of like some type of quiche but had some strange vegetable/mushroom/something from the sea in it. Then we started cruising to the next one. Poroas was a very small island and we didn’t spend too much time there. We did notice the grills out where they wanted you to tried grilled octopus!
We ended with just less than two hours at Aegina, a bigger island. They had a really cute harbor with lots of fishing boats of various sizes. We got ice cream and walked to the beach. It had been a partly sunny day and probably in the upper 50s or so. I just stuck my toes into the Mediterranean, but John and Steve actually went in! We had some traditional Greek Ozou and said cheers with “Opa!” before leaving.
The sunset was absolutely gorgeous as we started off for Athens again. Got a few pictures of it and then my camera battery was done! I was glad I made it all day though with it because I took lots! It was a great 20th birthday especially when I got a call from home on the way back to the hostel that evening. J
Sunday the Acropolis was open again, and Sunday is free admission! We joined the crowd of tourists to see the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, and Theater of Dionysos. Again we saw all the stray dogs even on the top of the Acropolis! We also went to Agora, which was Athens marketplace back in the time of Hercules. ;) There we saw the Hephaesteion temple, the Stoa of Attalos and the Roman Agora. We could hear the buzz of the streets below and headed there next. We found a crowded and busy flea market. We had gyros for lunch again and then went to the National Gardens and Parliament. You could get pictures taken with the traditionally dressed soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Brittney, Jenny, and I went to get a picture taken, but I made the mistake of trying to stand on his left side. The guard slammed down his gun and we all jumped and I had to go to the other side. In the National Gardens and all around the city we kept seeing kids in costumes. It was actually Carnaval for before the Greek Orthodox Church starts Lent.
We got in a small siesta back at the hostel before we went out for dinner and decided to walk up Fillopappou Hill again for a night view of Athens. We stayed on the hill for some time enjoying the great scene and I tried to get my night setting to work, but it always is better first-hand than captured on camera.