A is for Athens

Athens is a slippery slope. Not only in the figurative sense for my wanderlust, but the sidewalks are ridiculously slippery. So much so that I saw a dog playing catch digging its nails in as it slide a good foot. I even saw a pigeon slide upon landing. Also, since the city is wedged between multiple hills, I can’t even imagine what it would be like post rain storm. I know you’re probably all expecting this to be a foreshadowing to me falling, but I fortunately avoided the inevitable.

Athens is insanely beautiful. And from some viewpoints it actually glitters in the morning and evening sun. Greece is almost too magical for it to feel real. And at the same time it feels like you’re in a time machine going back to see ancient ruins in all their splendor.

I started wandering. I had bought a 15€ ticket to see most of the ancient sites and after I figured out the general direction I would bask in the scenes and take pictures. This was initially a pretty good strategy.

And even though I slept on the plane and immediately once I got to the hotel that evening, jet lag the next day started kicking in. So after I saw the Parliament building, I decided to head back.

Growing up I had terrible sense of direction. My dad can attest to the dozens of panicked calls from me, crying and screaming like a baby toothing. But I swear ever since I went to India, I’ve been cured.

This trip has been all about my pleasure and just going where I please. One of the places I wanted to go to was Mount Lycabettus – this beautiful spot to view the sunset that overlooks all of Athens. As I mentioned earlier, my jet lag was kicking in and likely a food coma from a delicious gyro and had already decided to go to Mt. Lycabettus my last night. Because my hotel was under the acropolis I was using that as my guide, but some how got switched around. After wandering through rows of shops and unfamiliar streets I saw a bench in a park. I was wearing sandals since I had only planned on doing little walking, but at this point I was unknowingly at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus. After a small rest, I started climbing it to see if I could see the acropolis, but about half way up as the view began to get glamorous, I realized it had to be Lycabettus. For further context this is a 5 mile walk from the Acropolis, not to mention all the shops I looped around.

And of course, the sun was about to set. Which was simply adding to the dreamlike quality Greece has given me since I got here.

It was so cold on top of the hill so I started straight running down it the second I would forgive myself if I left. Once I reached the bottom the temperature was dramatically warmer since it wasn’t so windy.

And I continued to wander until I called a cab, turned to get in saw the Acropolis and rushed towards it. I did have a map, but at night it got a little difficult to navigate.

The Acropolis during the day is flooded with tourists, but at night it’s full of young lovers kissing and grabbing, street musicians playing lightly in warm pools of street light and that night, one exhausted tourist chowing down on a potato pie and taking pictures of the lit up Acropolis.

XOXO with Shanti,

Mel