The front door of a home in Athens situated directly on one of the marble sidewalks of a main street.
Easter celebrations were in full swing the morning I arrived in Athens. Pigs roasted on spits adjacent to the marble sidewalks, as local restaurants put out sandwich boards with holiday specials.
I met my lovely guide, Irini, at the foot of the Acropolis a few hours after my red eye flight. She had kindly agreed to delay her Easter celebrations to show me Athens from her perspective. We began at a lookout point halfway up the Acropolis hill that overlooks the city. Ancient ruins were scattered among a maze of colorful neighborhoods, minimized by the height. We took to the streets afterwards, and Irini explained the historical side of Athens in detail over a piece of homemade spanokopita; a flaky, layered, spinach and feta philo pastry she had thoughtfully brought for me, correctly assuming I hadn't eaten breakfast.
One of the most interesting neighborhoods I encountered while on this tour was Anafiotika. Located in the greater area of Plaka, the oldest part of Athens, this neighborhood was built by people from the island of Anafi. Thus, the architecture resembles that of the Greek Islands: stark white buildings accented with vibrant gardens and hints of cobalt blue. Property in the neighborhood can’t be bought or sold, only passed down through family. As a result of familial conflicts on who would take over the home, many of the houses have been abandoned. Irini introduced me to a friend of hers that is currently in this scenario; his property is grand, but has an eerie feel to it considering no one lives there. We caught up with him while he was sipping on coffee in the kitchen. He stated that he didn’t have much purpose for being there, but he comes every now and then anyways to remember his parents. It seemed to be a bittersweet location.
The streets of Plaka.
We climbed up many flights of stairs that wove in between the houses of Anafiotika to reach an outlook point. Here, Irini instructed me to look at the small patch of shrubs behind us to see if I spotted anything unusual. I was incredibly confused for a moment before noticing that one of the rocks was not like the others. I picked it up to reveal an officially registered geocache site!! Geocaching is an activity that people around the world participate in. The sites are normally not in touristy areas, and a geocache usually consists of a small to medium sized container that holds an object. When you find one, you have the option of taking or leaving the object that is currently in the container, but if you take it, you have to leave something. It could be anything you want to leave! You can also write your name and the date on the log that should be with the geocache to tell the world you’ve been there! In the one that I found there was a roll of film, and I’m not sure why but it seemed too personal to take, so I left it for the next explorer to come across. I had only vaguely heard about geocaching before this experience and while I probably won’t be scheduling flights solely for geocaching purposes, it would be fun to keep my eye out for more in the future.
The geocache Irini led me to!
After hanging around Plaka for a bit, Irini was kind enough to take me to the beautiful neighborhood of Koukaki and welcome me into her home for a few more snacks before parting ways. She is truly a gem, and I would highly recommend taking her tour if you ever find yourself in Athens!
My jet lag caught up to me after the walking tour ended, so I began my first solo day in the morning, beginning at the ruins of Hadrian’s Gate. Also known as the Arch of Hadrian, it speculated that the structure was built around the 4th century B.C. to honor the Greek God Zeus. Today the area is free to visit for students, and since it isn’t far from the city center, it is an easy way to fit in a quick dose of history during your visit. Waking around the perimeter of the enormous columns almost makes one feel insignificant. Though they have been fallen for centuries and overgrown with wild greens, they still hold a sense of power that commands attention.
One portion of the ruins of Hadrian's Gate.
It was approaching mid-day, so to escape the sun’s strengthening rays I headed into the Acropolis Museum. The museum’s modern design is a foil to the ancient artifacts it holds. One of its coolest features is a peek into an excavated artifact site via a glass floor as you head into the entrance of the building. Unfortunately, once you are in the museum there are few places where photography is allowed, so I enjoyed my time observing the relics of ancient Greece without the disturbance of technology.
By the time I was finished with the museum the sunlight was beginning to be replaced by ominous looking clouds. Despite this clear warning from Mother Nature, I decided to make my way up to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. To preface this portion of my adventure, I must say that I adore hiking, it’s one of my favorite activities - when I’m prepared for it. On this day, the description of the path to the Acropolis stated that it was a “walk”. I soon realized my path was increasing in incline by the second and it split off into two directions that both led up the cliffside. This wasn’t a normal walk. Even though my footwear of choice wasn’t the best, I went onwards as the sky grew darker, passing a few picturesque lookout points before reaching the top. The Parthenon was under reconstruction but its significance was not overshadowed by the scaffolding. Construction of the temple began in 447 BC, in honor of the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, the patron of the city. If you break down the construction of the building, it is amazing to see how much detail went into its planning. For example, while it may seem that all of the columns on the front and back of the building are evenly spaced, in reality the columns are spaced with the slightest variations, with the outermost ones having the most difference in spacing. This was done on many other buildings besides the Parthenon as well, in order to correct the natural visual distortion of the human eye.
Storm clouds rolling just beyond the Parthenon.
I was admiring the ivory toned masterpiece against the sky when I realized how violently the grey clouds were beginning to roll. Suddenly a torrential downpour appeared out of nowhere as if by the command of Zeus himself. You would think after getting caught in the rain in Lisbon just a few weeks prior that I would’ve remembered to bring adequate clothing, or at least an umbrella, but no. I decided to accept that no matter how I went about descending from the Acropolis, I was going to be drenched. So I started my way down, taking extra care to make sure my damp hike didn’t turn into a tumble. The raindrops landed densely upon my body, surreally slowing time and blurring my surroundings in a soft, romantic lens. By the time I reached the marble sidewalks I was doused, so I thought it was best to have an early night.
The surprisingly calm sunset after the rainstorm, as seen from the rooftop of my hotel.
The next morning was my last in Athens before flying to Santorini. I began my day with brunch at Telaro Tasting Culture. Although this tiny gem is on one of the main tourist strips and surrounded by overpriced restaurants, it was empty when I walked in. Normally, that would be a sign to try somewhere else, but I was extremely happy I decided to eat at this restaurant. The food was fantastic, with lots of vegetarian options (a rare occurrence since Greek food is mostly based on meat), and the service was amazing as well. Right after brunch I popped into a quaint shop called Forget me Not to pick up some souvenirs. This boutique has uniquely crafted items made by Greek artisans. I chose a colorful quirky mug, and a notebook also designed by a local artist whom I got to briefly meet! It is clear that all of the items in the shop are curated with care, which in my eyes makes it one of the best spots in town to pick up a souvenir.
After shopping around, I was going to head back to my hotel and get to the airport early, but my driver suggested I quickly visit the new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center before I left Athens. I took his advice, and ended up spending a blissful hour wandering around the olive tree and lavender lined gardens of the cultural center. The actual building is a stunning piece of architecture. An observatory deck overlooks the city of Athens from an uncommon perspective, and the bottom floor houses an exhibition of Bréal’s Silver Cup (the trophy awarded to the marathon winner at the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens). It also holds an extensive, well-lit library and study area. With all of these features, as well as an ideal waterfront location, it is certain that this center will become a hub for Athenians in the upcoming decade.
A peaceful seen in the gardens of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Someone had left behind a small bouquet.
Although I only spent a short time in Athens, it is easy to see how present the Greek culture is in this capital city. Even while existing in a modern world, the people are still able to live simple lives and hold onto traditions, which is a quality to be admired for sure. Visiting this city was a great introduction to a vibrant country that I’m sure I will return to explore more of in the future.
A cute corner in the neighborhood of Koukaki.