Hello all!
It’s been absolute ages, but
final year has been crazy and I have had no time at all to update the blog.
Fortunately, today I officially finished my degree, which means I now have time
to inform you all of the amazing stuff I’ve done this past semester, aside from
all the crazy work and deadlines.
So first up, many of you might
know I decided to go to Athens on a solo trip for 4 days over the Easter break
to meet up with my penpal Ioanna ( who I hadn’t seen since 2012), get some much
needed sun and also explore a new city which had been on my bucket list for a
while. It was my first time travelling solo to a country where I don’t speak
the language, but I am proud of myself for booking the trip and taking on the
challenge! And I had a great time!
Here’s a breakdown of what I
got up to – I managed to do everything on my to-do list and at the end of the
post you’ll find my personal faves, in case you decide to pay Athens a visit
yourself! Enjoy!
I spent the first day (which
was not really the first day), Monday the 2nd of April, travelling.
It turns out Greece is quite a long way away… I was pretty nervous, but the
trip was alright. Despite an hour delay on the flight from Bristol, the plane
ride was fine. I was slightly thrown off by the fact that people spoke a
language I couldn’t understand (the reality of being a language student lol),
but I spent most of the flight relaxing and trying to get some sleep (after
failing to do work and also realizing the only music I had to listen to was the
Made in Dagenham soundtrack… #fail). Fortunately, getting from the airport to
my hostel went quite smoothly. I always find arriving in a new place in the
night time really strange and disconcerting since I have no references to work
with – are there mountains? Are there towns or cities around Athens? All I
could see out of the bus window was the highway… Eventually I arrived in
Syntagma Square, which was the last stop. I used the X95 bus connecting the
airport with Syntagma which is quite a cheap and easy way to get to and from.
It worked really well and you can find all the info online! Don’t forget to
scan your ticket when you get on (which you purchase from the stall by the
stop). Good old Google maps helped me reach my hostel from the square. I stayed
in Students and Travellers’ Inn in Plaka (booked through hostelworld). It was
dead-centre in the old part of Athens and super close to all the places you’d
want to visit, so if you are a young person, I’d definitely recommend. It was
not the best hostel I’ve stayed in, with average facilities, but it was good
enough! I was sharing a room with three other women who were all sleeping when
I arrived, so after checking in I literally just crashed in bed.
DAY 1 – TUESDAY
Even though I’d planned on
sleeping in for a while, I was woken up by my roommates early in the morning so
I decided to make the most of it and start early. Breakfast wasn’t great, I’ll
tell you that, so for the next few days I just snacked on some bananas and
biscuits instead. I was meant to be meeting Ioanna that morning but she was
running late, so I packed my bag and set out to explore on my own. Let me tell
you, everything you’d want to see in Athens is super close together in the
centre, so you can definitely walk everywhere (and the weather in April was
warm and sunny but not too hot that it’d be tiring to be walking loads).
Anyhow, in that morning, by just roaming around, I covered Plaka (the old
district in Athens, which literally looks like a fake town built for tourism
full of souvenir shops), Hadrian’s Arch, a few random orthodox churches (AMAZING
inside, covered in gold mosaics), the change of guard by the Parliament, I
dropped by the tourism office to grab some maps and info on museums, visited
the Olympeion from outside, went into the National Gardens and the Zappeion. I
loved the gardens; they weren’t particularly taken care of, but it was a lovely
sunny day and my pale af person was just glad there was a piece of grass under
the sun where I could sit (and also over 20ºC? What is this madness?), so it
should not come as a surprise that I spent quite a long time chilling in the
park and soaking in the sun. I also found a random quirky jewellery shop near
Syntagma square and could not refrain myself from buying a pair of coin
earrings…
I met Ioanna around 2pm in
Syntagma Square, after observing how similar Greek and Spanish people are
(like, the clothes they wear, the cadence of their speech, everything, it’s
actually insane) and we headed towards Monastiraki to find Eva – Ioanna’s
friend in Athens- so she could suggest a place for us to eat. We ended up
having lunch by the Ancient Stoa, in a place called Antica restaurant. It was
just one of the many restaurants along the side of the Ancient Agora, but the
food was 10/10. We ordered Greek salad (my love), traditional meatballs
(keftedes) and zucchini croquettes (kolokythokeftedes) – all absolutely delicious!
After that we took off again and walked by the Roman Agora through Plaka and
onto the trio of the Library, Gallery and University. From there we walked up
the stairs to get to the cable car to go up Lycabettus Hill. There are a lot
of steps and you don’t actually need to get the cable car – you can simply walk
up the path – but I’d walked so much that day the investment in the cable car
ticket (5euro) was worth it. We got there around 5ish, so it was not too busy
yet (the hill is a popular spot to watch the sun set over Athens, but we
arrived slightly earlier so we enjoyed the place without itbeing too crowded
yet still got to see the sunset – top tip!). I absolutely loved the
views over Athens. I was surprised by how big the city is, how close it is to
the sea, and the contrast between Ancient Athens and modern Athens, along with
the different hills dotted around the city. It’s a bustling city but Lycabettus
Hill was a lovely relaxed spot, away from the city noise. After that we walked
down the hill and stopped by a supermarket to buy snacks. I was absolutely
knackered so that was the end of the day for me – shower and dinner, short chat
with roommate Charlotte from NZ- and off to sleep!
DAY 2- WEDNESDAY
Wednesday was my designated archaeological site day. In the morning I
got up early to head to the Acropolis before it got too hot. Lucky for me,
entrance was free for EU students (woop woop!) and I absolutely loved
roaming around the ruins on my own. It was breathtakingly beautiful and
incredible to think the buildings have been standing there for centuries! I
started by Dionysius Theatre and made my way up by the Stoa and Herodes Atticus
Odeon onto the Acropolis and Parthenon. By going early I managed to avoid the
crowds, get some nice lighting (photo geek alert) and overall avoid getting
(too) sunburnt! It was crazy to be walking by the Parthenon, which I studied
back in high school. I’ve made it somewhat a personal challenge to visit irl
all the works I had to study for my History of Art A-level Spanish equivalent and
I have to say so far, so good! The temples are massive and the views of Athens
from the hill are incredible too.
I then walked down and visited the Roman
Agora and Tower of the Winds, along with the Ancient Agora, which holds the
best preserved Ancient Greek temple, the Temple of Hephaestus which was pretty
impressive. Overall, I’ve never seen such well-preserved ruins before. After
the ruins I walked to Kerameikos which is the old city’s cemetery and roamed
around there before returning to Monastiraki for lunch. Then I walked to
Hadrian’s Library, which had some pretty cool mosaics, and to Olympeion. Sadly,
it was already 3pm when I got there so it was closing for the day, which meant
it got shifted back in my schedule. Most archaeological sites close at around
3pm, except the Acropolis, which is another reason why you should head out
early if you’re planning to visit them all in a day. I nearly managed, but I
think I misjudged my itinerary. Instead of the Olympeion, I decided to go to
the Acropolis Museum. It was super interesting and I loved how the third floor
is laid out as the Parthenon itself so that you can understand where the
friezes fit in. Sadly, a lot of the original sculptures are in London (hurray
for British colonialism…), but they have reproductions. I also loved the
collection of Korai in the first floor and the videos about the restoration of
the Caryatids, and they have archaeologists around too in case you have
questions! And Eduroam, just putting that out there! Overall a pretty solid
museum. After my visit I was starving so I decided to pick up some snacks at a
supermarket and sit on a bench under the sun along the road bordering the
Acropolis. I honestly had a lovely picnic, entertainment included as a girl set
up her acrobatics number right opposite me. Simple picnics are the best. I was
then exhausted from all the walking so I called it a day and retreated to my
room, where I met Katy from the US who was pretty cool.
DAY 3 – THURSDAY
On Thursday morning I had a
chat with Cass from Canada, the third roommate for the week. Then I got ready
and headed out to explore. I started at the Olympeion, Zeus’ Temple, which was
absolutely impressive. A lot of the structure is missing, but one of the
corners of the temple still stands and it is grandiose. I then decided to walk
to Aristotle’s’ Lyceum and stumbled upon the Stadium of the first modern
Olympic Games on the way. The Lyceum was really interesting, mostly thanks to
the information panels dotted around the site. I really enjoyed following the steps
of Ancient Greek philosophers around the city, not going to lie… After the
Lyceum I visited the Cycladic Art Museum which houses objects from the Cycladic
islands. It was really interesting to see how the art from the different parts
of Ancient Greece diverged. There was also an exhibition on the daily life of
an Ancient Greek citizen and a really big collection of Cycladic figurines
which I am sure Dad would’ve loved. By the time I finished at the museum I was
starving, so I headed over to Greco near Syntagma and ate a whole Greek salad
and chicken souvlaki by myself. I think the waiters were quite amazed that I
managed to demolish all that food on my own because they gave me a
complimentary brownie lol I then met up with Ioanna again and we went to Benaki
Museum. I thought this one would house more statues, but the collection is
quite broad and I particularly enjoyed the traditional costumes and exhibitions
on the more recent history of Greece when it was part of the Ottoman Empire.
Pro tip, entrance is free on Thursdays! After that we took the metro to visit
Plato’s Academy, but it was in the middle of nowhere and Ioanna had to go. To
be fair, I didn’t feel too safe in that area walking on my own because it was
the outskirts and not a great-looking neighbourhood, so I opted to take the
metro back to the centre. Sometimes you have to put safety first and be
flexible with your plans, particularly when travelling alone as a woman. So,
instead I went to Monastiraki flea market. I really liked it, there was a
really wide range of stuff sold: from antiques to souvenirs to all kinds of
clothes. I ended up buying some harem pants and a top from a hippy shop,
perfect for my summer interrail adventure! I then walked back to Plaka and had
some baklava at a café enjoying the fresh air and sun, before grabbing some
dinner and going back to the hostel. Not a bad day.
DAY 4 – FRIDAY
Friday was my last day in
Athens, as I was flying out in the evening. I got up late and checked out of my
hostel leaving my suitcase in the storage space they offered. Unfortunately, I
hadn’t taken into account it was Orthodox Good Friday, so a lot of places were closed or had reduced opening times. This
proved to be quite a challenge. I had initially planned on visiting the Jewish
museums, but it turned out it was closed so instead I walked to the Acropolis
to use some of that Eduroam from the Museum. I had a long chat with Sofía and
Megs on the phone, while I figured out what to do. I was considering whether to
go to the Archaeological museum but it meant taking the metro to Omonia which I
had read was not a very safe area (and, to be honest, I felt I had had my fair
share of ruins and ancient objects by that point). I ended up just roaming
around the Acropolis. I met this weird man who I will name Modern Socrates,
selling souvenirs and handing out leaflets on free links to information about
Ancient philosophers in order to earn a living. He was quite a character and quite
nice to chat to. Then I decided to go to Philopappus Hill, which I had seen
from the Acropolis. I visited Socrates’ alleged prison, a house carved in the
stone on the hillside, and then walked up to Philopappus Monument. The view of
the Acropolis was amazing and the hike wasn’t too strenuous so I would
definitely recommend going up during the day (however, be wary about going
there during the night-time as many people have been mugged). On my way down
from the monument I stopped by the church near the bottom of the hill and
explored a few more spots like the Deaf Man’s Cave and the Seven Seats Plateau,
which was actually a really peaceful place (it is quite unknown so not many
people were walking around the area). I opted out from Pnyx Hill and headed
towards Monastiraki going past a few more caves and sanctuaries along the way.
I had lunch at Antica again (if it’s good, why not?), this time moussaka and
grilled veggies, because I couldn’t leave Athens without having moussaka. It
was a lovely way to round up my trip before swinging by the hostel to pick up
my suitcase and make my way to the airport. I had quite a lot of time to spare
before my flight, but that meant I wasn’t rushing around and there is nothing
some Wi-Fi and a power socket can’t fix, right? The trip back was long and I
arrived back in Bath at around midnight, but it was totally worth it. Four days
well spent if you ask me.
MY THOUGHTS
Overall, I think Athens is an
interesting city with a lot to offer, particularly if you are interested in
Ancient History. It is quite cheap in comparison to the UK, although the more
touristy areas hike up the prices. If you are an EU student, definitely bring
your ID and ask about student discounts; as I said, I got into all the ancient
sites for free with my student card! Athens is also a very easy city to
navigate and you don’t really need to take public transport as pretty much all
the places you’ll want to visit are in the centre, within walking distance (and
the city is quite flat aside from the few hills dotted around, which are quite steep). If you do want to go
further afield, the metro is easy to use and if you wanted to do tours of the
islands, the hostel I stayed at organize their own but there are tons of
tourist agencies who can sort you out. Safety-wise, it is a capital city like
any other in Europe so be aware of your surroundings (pickpocketing, etc.).
Overall I felt quite safe, even at night, just be cautious of where you are. As
I said, the only time I felt unsafe was when going to Plato’s Academy, because
I had to walk alone from the metro stop for like half an hour in a very remote
area, so I decided to give it a miss. However, generally I found Athens to be
quite safe and locals quite helpful and welcoming, so definitely give it a
shot, even if travelling solo as I was! Athens is definitely a place to visit
once in your lifetime!
Without further-a-do, my favourite things
I did in Athens:
·
Olympeion – the
grandeur of Zeus’ Temple’s ruins was breathtaking!
·
Hephaestus
Temple at the Ancient Agora – impressive to see a temple so well-preserved.
·
Eleutherion in
the Acropolis – what can I say, I loved the Caryatids!
·
Antica
Restaurant (25, Adrianou, Athina 105 55, Greece) – they serve a wide variety of
Greek and Mediterranean food at a good price, with a view onto the Ancient
Agora, what more could you want?
·
The view from
Lycabettus Hill (and extra points if it’s during the sunset).
·
The view of the
Acropolis from Philopappus Hill (which also means you don’t have the sun behind
the Acropolis during sunset, as happens when going to Lycabettus).
·
National
costumes in Benaki Museum (I’m a sucker for costumes)
·
A picnic, you
can choose the place. Have lunch at the National Gardens or dinner by the
Acropolis. There’s something voyeuristic about watching strangers go on about their
day.
I’m really sorry it
took me so long to write up this post, but I have been super busy this past
month. Hope you’ve enjoyed it and keep your eyes peeled for more updates. Don’t
forget to follow me on social media for more photos!
Snapchat: zoeamma
Zoe x
