ΑΘΗΝΑ

The school took the study abroad students to Athens this weekend. It was fun, but not all the time—something I ate day one made me sick all weekend; I’m only now getting fully over it. Plus, the bus ride to and from was almost too long to justify what we did, which was surprisingly little.

We spent Friday on the way to Athens and stopped at the New Acropolis Museum before going to our hotel. It was a pretty cool museum in that it was built over ruins and has glass floors, so as you look down you can see the remains of ancient buildings below. It makes you think, everywhere in Athens there must be something amazing hidden below the surface, but what are you to do, tear up a whole city to find it? Additionally, it has an amazing view of the Parthenon from the top floor. It was interesting to see the Friezes on display next to the copies—one of the main reasons the New Acropolis Museum was built was so that there would be a suitable place to house those in the British Museum, and it was interesting to see the feud from inside the Greek museum.

That night the school proposed anyone who wanted could go out for a night at a traditional taverna and should meet in the lobby at 1030, and for 18 euros we would have unlimited food and drink. After waiting for an hour, during which everyone was getting more impatient and grumpy, they finally announced that they didn’t have a taverna and were still in the process of trying to find one. I was so upset at this, I couldn’t believe I just spent one hungry hour, having already paid, only to be told to keep waiting. Most people didn’t. My group of friends went out by themselves, but I stayed in Friday because whatever I ate that was bad that day suddenly hit me.

Our hotel was located right beside Monastiraki and Plaka, two really nice, cute, touristy districts that were really fun to walk around. Unfortunately, Athens is much like New Orleans in that there are really nice areas of the city right next to really bad areas, and on the other side of us was Omonia, where there are a lot of illegals and crime and we were warned not to head over there. (And on the other side of Omonia is the nicest and most wealthy neighborhood in Athens). However, a group of five girls went the wrong way that first night and they were jumped by about seven guys. They were all fine, but it was just a scary thing to have happen.

Day two we stopped at the first modern Olympic Stadium and then went on to the Parthenon. It was cool, but I’d already seen it and the weather wasn’t that great while we were up there—it was warm enough, but cloudy and windy. I’ll post a couple of pictures, but they really aren’t that great and it would be better if you just googled it. Afterwards we walked through the Plaka to visit the folklore museum, and then had lunch in Monastiraki. It was so delicious, with live music, but there was just too much food brought to the table; it was impossible.

Afterwards, we had free time and my friend Abby and I walked back through Plaka and Monastiraki, popping in stores to look and pick up a few souvenirs. This was probably my favorite part of the whole trip; the areas and stores we walked into were so cute and fun! I only really bought a pair of gladiators and some postcards, but it was fun to just look around. The best was in Monastiraki, on the way back to the hotel. Monastiraki is sort of like a big flea market where they sell antiques (or things that look close enough to antique), and we found this little tiny store on the far side that was just filled with old crap, but the best kinds of old crap. This old man’s store was filled with old books, pictures, postcards, posters, toys, knick-knacks, pots—you name it, he had it. I got two really cute posters and Abby got some old black and white family photos that were so cool; it was just fun to look around. We also got some drachmas and more old postcards walking along the streets.

Abby started bartering with one guy for this handmade pipe with a drachma on the bottom, and the vendor kept pointing out the drachma as proof it was old—we just kept pointing out the pile of drachmas he was selling to indicate it meant nothing. He was getting frustrated and said, “Look, it’s handmade! My friend made it….twenty years ago and left it for me….” Which just goes to show you all the stuff we got was probably made this year, but I’m OK with that!

We also walked through this park where all there people were making/selling jewelry. There was one guy running a stall who was from Argentina. He didn’t speak English and asked if we spoke Spanish. I said “Nei”. He kept talking to me in Spanish and I understood what he was saying, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember any words in Spanish and gave all my answers in Greek!

That night we went to a club not far from the hotel that was really fun, but the next morning I was up way before everyone else. I was starving to I went into Monastiraki and, craving a waffle, found this cute little ice cream place run by this old couple (Greeks only seem to eat waffles with ice cream, and I think they thought it was weird I wanted one so early until I said I didn’t want any παγωτό). I got to practice my Greek and then sit outside and watch as all the shops got ready for the day. The old couple loved me and called me κούκλα, doll.

Once everyone was awake we went to see the changing of the guards at the Parliament building. I wish we had skipped this and just gone straight home. The bus ride took forever and we didn’t get in until 930, and we I really could care less about that kind of stuff. On Sundays they have a little parade of soldiers and a band that accompanies it, but I don’t need to hang around for an hour to peep through some other tourists’ elbows to see guys in funny uniforms take really big steps.

Athens was fun and I’m glad I got to go again, but the school-trip setting wasn’t the best. We didn’t really have tour guides to explain things properly, and because we were such a large group even simple things took forever and we didn’t do nearly enough with our time to make it worthwhile.

In other news, we found a kitten today at school. There was a γατάκι under a car that some girls tried to get out for ages and finally managed, but then couldn’t find the mother. We spent a while cuddling this dirty, mangy, adorable kitten and feeding him milk-soaked bread, asking all the Greeks who passed if they could house a kitten. We finally found someone whose parents can take her, but until then Panepistimiou building will have a secret visitor for a few days…

Here’s some pictures! Not many, because I didn’t take many and also there aren’t that many good ones.

The top floor of the New Acropolis Museum, with all the Friezes and a panoramic view of the city and the Parthenon (I wasn’t supposed to take pictures inside, you’re lucky I snagged this one!)

On the way up to the Acropolis, an adorable little boy in the Greek old man hat.  The view by the amphitheater, Abby and I together. After that is a shot of the Coryatids on the Erechtheion (those are copies, we saw the real ones in the NAM). The next four are just shots around the Parthenon. I didn’t mean for the one of me to be so cheesy, it was just really windy up there!

Someone setting up their wares in Monastiraki. I loved walking around there and could have spent a whole extra day just there, looking at all the “antiques”, bartering in Greek with the vendors.

Shots from the changing of the guards. They took ridiculously huge steps with shoes with pom-poms on the end. Not super tough-looking. Lastly, some friendly αστυνομία in front of Parliament.

P.S. Do you like how much Greek I snuck in this one?