August 6, 2008

Today was our last day in Greece and I’m about to crash (I think part of that has to do with the fact that I just hit my head on the corner of my bed…so clumsy!). I woke up a little before eight to catch breakfast and then my two friends, Alex and David and I headed to the station to get the metro to take us into town. We transferred at Omonia to get to Panepistimio, which is where the University of Athens is located. There was a Starbucks right there and I took the opportunity to bond with fellow baristas and get a pomegranate peach frappucino, which I’ve never seen in the States. Maybe it’s new this summer. We’ve seen Starbucks EVERYWHERE. Obviously, it’s not like New York or DC but there are a lot in Athens, which is interesting.

The three of us wanted to get to the top of Lycabettus Hill, which is the highest peak in Athens (277 meters). It’s visible from many parts of the city and I was particularly intrigued when I saw it from the top of the Acropolis. We had heard about a funicular going up but decided to hike it instead. I’m still debating in my mind whether this was a smart thing to do or not. Luckily, it was in the morning so it was not as hot as it could have been. However, it was still really, really, really, really, really, really warm (get the picture?). Seriously. I wore this big flowy dress I bought a couple of days ago and thank goodness it was light and airy (and large too…one size for all kinda thing). It was a really steep climb but like always, the view was totally worth it. At the top of the mountain stands the 19th century Chapel of St. George, which is very small but cute. I, of course, went in to kiss an icon or two. It was a really amazing panoramic view of the entire city. The Acropolis looked even more remarkable from up high. I’ve seen so many awesome views on this trip…collectively, they have been probably my favorite sightseeing activities. The mountain is such a peculiar shape and right in the city of Athens…it seems completely out of place! And in fact, as the myth goes, Athena supposedly just dropped the mountain there (naturally there’s more to it but I forget the rest of the details). Perhaps the most peculiar part was the difference in the scenery of the actual mountain itself…all around the base of the mountain were amazing pine trees but about halfway up, everything became arid.
Before we headed back down, we walked over to where Likavitos Theater is but weren’t able to go inside. It’s a completely modern outdoor theater now, and shows still go on here. When we climbed back to the bottom, we came to Syntagma Square. Syntagma Square is a hub of activity, where many protests often take place (the Parliament building is right there) and where transportation is readily available in various forms (metro, tram, buses, trolley buses, etc). Syntagma Square is also near many of the big touristy locations, such as Lycabettus Hill, the Acropolis, the Agora, the Plaka, the National Gardens and so forth. We didn’t feel like walking so got on the metro to take one stop to Akropoli. After getting off, we walked around a bit, and stumbled upon the Arch of
Hadrian, which like many other things in the city, is made completely of marble. It is thought that the Greek citizens constructed the arch in honor of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Not much else to say, it was a nice arch.
Athens is wonderful because it’s easy to find ruins of historical or ancient significance almost anywhere you go. One can just be walking along and bam! Right before your very eyes is a ruin you have only seen in history books. For a history buff, it’s spectacular. After a quick picture, we continued on through the Plaka, stopping at shops along the way, and making it back towards Monastiraki station. I bought some souvenirs and gifts and my friend David actually bought armor! By the time we were done, all three of us wanted to go back to Piraeus. The heat and walking up Mt. Lycabettus exhausted us. On the way back from the station, we even took a bus back towards our ship. There was still so much I didn’t see in Athens but I’m quite sure I’ll be back soon enough.

I can say without hesitation that I enjoyed the city of Athens more than any other city we’ve ported in. Bergen was charming and quaint, St. Petersburg intrigued me right off the back, Antwerp was a funky little location that had spunk, Naples was just…I don’t know how to describe Naples, compared to other cities there aren’t many fine marks or positive adjectives I can use…Egypt was simply the best three days of the trip…but Athens felt like home. Greece felt like home. Even though I can speak only a little of the language, (SIGH) everything was so familiar. The sounds, the faces, I had all seen them before. I was more comfortable in Athens, as if it were a city I know well, like DC. After using the metro for several days, I feel confident that I could have gotten anywhere in the city I wanted to go with particular ease. Athens was not the cleanest, nor the prettiest, perhaps not even the friendliest city I’ve encountered, but it felt right to me. I really think I could pack my bags and move there. It felt like an enclave from the rest of the world. All the history, the pride-there were more flags flying here than in any other country we’ve visited (like the States). But I just loved it. The only thing that could have made it better is if I were with my family or Greek friends…but that will be for another time. It’s hard for me to write down impressions like I do with the other countries…because so much I found here I had already encountered…the culture is the complete same. There’s a joke that Greek Americans are even more “greek” than the Greeks themselves. And there’s definitely some truth to that. Because there were no eurekas for me here, no surprises. I think the main thing is I just came away feeling even prouder of my heritage (which I didn’t think was possible) than before. I want to go back so badly…and stay longer. Four days was not nearly enough.