Athens

I am thankful I got to see the city of Athens, but I think we all agreed that it was our least favorite city of the trip. It was a big city. It was hot and it was difficult to get around. Street signs and maps were hard to use and finding someone who spoke English was less likely. I was excited to see all the historical spots there, but I don’t think anyone on this trip is a huge history buff. I think we were right in scheduling the least amount of time here. Here’s what we saw:

Day 1, Saturday

We flew from Santorini to Athens on Saturday afternoon. A very quick flight. Driving into the city, we were all pretty amazed at the vastness of Athens. It looks very flat, so you can see quite a distance and it is completely covered in buildings. We arrived at our hotel – The Marriott (thanks to Sean, PWC and Marriott points) and were pleased with our accommodations and the free happy hour that was about to start! We hit-up the free food and drinks then set out to explore Athens as Elizabeth only had 24 hours in the city. We took the subway to see our first glimpses of the Acropolis. We also spent some time hanging out on Mars Hill – this is the rock where Paul gave the sermon that is recorded in Acts 17. Paul is probably my most favorite bible character – I love the books he wrote. So, to stand where he once stood and imagine him preaching to the masses was pretty exciting! Plus, climbing around the rock was pretty fun – and a little scary as it was completely made of marble and quite slippery!

We explored the area below the Acropolis which was full of cafes that were full of people. I had been recommended a restaurant and we had an address and a map, but it took us FORever to find the place. We almost gave up several times, but managed to press on and Elizabeth pulled through when she discovered the street we were looking for curved in a different direction. The restaurant was non-touristy and all locals eating there, which I love. All the seating was outside and it was a great evening for that. The food was good, too! Afterwards, we walked back towards the Acropolis to see it lit up at night – so pretty!

Day 2, Sunday

Our big day to see the sights of Athens. We explored the stadium where the very first Olympics occurred in 1896, the Temple of Zeus, and Hadrian’s Arch. Next it was on to the Acropolis. It took some time to see the ancient city – there are 2 theatres and many old buildings. The views of Athens from up there were great…you can see the city with the mountains in the background on one side and the ocean on the other. Afterwards, we walked down to one of the little cafes to have Elizabeth’s very last lunch. We were confused this entire trip about the tipping customs and sometimes tipped and sometimes did not. At this restaurant, we tipped. Next thing we knew, they brought out a massive chocolate/ice cream dessert. Nice! After lunch, Elizabeth had to leave us to head back to the USA. We were sad to lose our 4th travel partner.

Tonya, Sean and I pressed on. We first went to see the "smaller Parthenon". I liked this a lot because it really looked old (not restored) and was still pretty well put together.

Later, we went shopping in the Plaka…Tonya and I had been looking to buy olive oil the entire trip and found tons of it in the Plaka! I also bought a rug from a Greek lady who had lived in Manhattan for a while and treated me to some free Santorini wine!

After being on our feet in the heat all day, we were ready to head back to the hotel. We took it pretty easy that night and once again enjoyed the free food and drinks at the hotel happy hour!

Day 3, Monday

We got up on Monday super early, hoping to go to Corinth for ½ the day. I wanted to see a little more of the land where Paul once walked. Unfortunately, our tour never showed up. I’m still not exactly sure what happened with that. But, we made the most of the day anyway. We went back to bed for 2 hours! Then, we headed towards the shore. We had heard that the communities along there were nicer and less-touristy, but I don’t think any of us were impressed. We did eat lunch at a restaurant on the water, which was nice. We also had fun watching all the old people who were swimming way out into the ocean – the water was so clear and calm, I was jealous!

After the ocean, we headed towards Kolonaki. This is an area that I had been told was more upscale and less touristy. We happened to pass by Parliament on the way and were there just in time to see the Changing of the Guards. It was fun to watch! Kolonaki was a nice neighborhood with good shops. Unfortunately, many shops close super early on Mondays! We did get to go in Zara Home – didn’t even know it existed. We need one in the states!! They had some great home décor and it wasn’t too pricey. I could go nuts in there. I enjoyed walking through this nicer neighborhood where locals live, eat and shop.

Next, it was back to our hotel to pick up our bags to head to the airport once again!


See my Athens pics HERE!


Next blog: Dublin!