After a quick 24-hour stop in Rome, I headed to Athens for
two days. Visiting cities with such rich history was mesmerizing, and finally
seeing historical sites that I had only seen in my art history classes was such
a thrill (Carly wish you were here!)
In Rome, our hotel was a short walk away from the Spanish
Steps and the Trevi Fountain. My parents and I all threw in a coin to ensure
that we would return, and since I’ll be going back next week to further explore
the city, it looks like the coin toss worked! We went to a small little
restaurant on a relatively quiet side street, and the food was fantastic! I
always want to take pictures of the food that I order, but when it actually
gets to the table I get distracted by, well, eating it all. But I want to
definitely try and make an effort in the coming days. It’ll be a great exercise
in self-restraint!
From there we flew to Athens, where the completely different alphabet had me more than a little bit confused. Luckily, like the rest of Europe, most Greek people all spoke English and were super friendly! The hotel was up on Lycabettus hill, which overlooked almost the entirety of Athens. The view from our balcony was incredible!
We walked around the city, doing a bit of sightseeing, but apparently all of the stores and museums and what not closed early since it was Monday. I love how relaxed the pace of life is in Greece, because despite the severe economic crisis here, all of the people seem so happy. On the walk back to our hotel, we found a cute restaurant, where, once again, my stomach beat my mind and I forgot to take pictures of the food. So you’ll just have to take my word that the veal that I ordered was simply divine! And so was the chocolate cake…
Yesterday we hit the typical tourist hotspots. We visited the Acropolis, and, despite it being packed with people, was an incredible site to see. Eleni, our tour guide, told us that the Parthenon was built in 9 years! The fact that the ancient Greeks could build something so precise in such little time, and apparently not using slaves, is astounding. Afterwards we walked the city center, browsing through flea markets, and everywhere you turned, there was something old and historic. My mom and I got these handmade sandals in one of the markets that I'll be sure to point out when I wear them next.
And finally, today we head to Mykonos! I am so excited to see the beautiful island, especially after all of the people in Athens have raved about how gorgeous everything is there. Luckily we have an early flight to get to enjoy the majority of the day there. I have a feeling my camera might break from all the pictures I'll be taking..
--Maria
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