It’s All Greek to Me… Including Me?

Athens tends to be a bit out of reach for many American tourists. Most would prefer to visit London, Paris or Rome, but I decided that being so close to Greece, I should take advantage of one of the most historical cities in the world (I just tend to visit historical cities: Jerusalem, Cairo, Istanbul).

I arrived Saturday morning and boarded the quite modern Athens Metro bound for downtown. The people seemed nice, although I clearly was a foreigner, since, like the infamous Gucci Corner at AUC, I wasn’t quite dressed up to par. Don’t worry – I stepped it up during the remainder of my stay. After checking in, I wandered around my neighborhood a bit, getting to know the lay of the land. Upon any traveler’s first awe-inspired gaze at something historically or culturally important, that moment tends to be ingrained in one’s memory for quite some time. I will always remember the moment I first saw the Eiffel Tower, or the Western Wall in Jerusalem, or even seeing the Statue of Liberty or U.S. Capitol Building for the first time, and as soon as I thought about when I would get to see the Acropolis for the first time, I glanced to the left down a side street and there it was. In all its glory. A huge outcrop of land jutting into the Athenian sky, impressing thousands of years of history down upon its mere visitors.

After a quick siesta, I climbed Lykavitos Hill, which is another random outcropping of mountain in the middle of Athens, although this is taller, and offers a spectacular view of all of Athens: from the mountains surrounding the ancient city all the way to the Aegean Sea beyond and islands kilometres away. Being the avid climber I am (Masada, Mt. Sinai, Red Canyon), I hiked the fifteen minutes to the top, which afforded amazing views of the entire city. Despite sunset occurring behind the clouds, I left a bit early to catch the lights of the Acropolis from halfway down the mountain. I caught this BEAUTIFUL shot of the Acropolis at dusk, which, seriously, should be a postcard.

I have a slight obsession with the Acropolis at night, so after I walked down the mountain, I sat in a Greek cafe for a few hours, talking with some locals. Most of them speak English and they couldn’t believe that I wasn’t Greek. This one lady thought I was her best friends nephew and prodded me for about fifteen minutes telling me to stop lying. I got that pretty much all weekend. “You look like my friend” or “I know someone who looks just like you” etc. Am I Greek??? Maybe.

After a long night of talking with one of my roommates, who was Israeli and possessed an amazing outlook on life, I slept throughout the night with the door to our balcony open, breathing in chilly air, which was a nice relief from Cairo.

The next day, I got up early and went to the National Archaeological Museum, which possesses the largest collection of antiquities in the world. Some of the prehistoric pieces were incredible, especially Agamemnon’s Mask (he was the Greek King that led the attacks on Troy). Also, some recognizable pieces that I had studied in art history made appearances during my tour…

After that, I went to several ruins sites, including Hadrian’s Library & The Roman Forum (both built during the Roman occupation), the Ancient Agora or marketplace, which was the centre of Greek life in Athens. There was an incredible Temple that is practically intact, and despite it being very heavy and dark looking, it is incredible.

I then stopped in at this extremely cool bar in the area of town where I had lunch.

After lunch, I stopped in quickly to the Jewish Museum of Greece (clearly) and saw artifacts from the Greek Jewish community, which dates back thousands of years (although no artifacts exist). It also describes the situation of Greek Jews during the Holocaust since Greece was divided three ways: between the Germans, Italians and Bulgarians. 87% of the Jewish population was killed during the Holocaust, but it also explains some of the stories of local Greeks who did their part against the resistance and hid Jews from the Nazis.

I then journeyed to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which at the time, was the largest Greek Temple in the world at it’s standing. Now there are a dozen pillars still standing, with one that recently fell… recently as in 1852… haha. I walked to the original Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympics were revived in 1896. From there, I walked to the Southern Slope of the Acropolis and saw the Dynosian Theatre and the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, before walking up to the top of the Acropolis. On the first day I went, it was overcast and dark, but I went back the next day. So all of these photos are just the best of both days.

At the entrance to the Acropolis is the Propylaia, which unfortunately is under major scaffolding. At the top, the largest, and by far most famous structure is the Parthenon, which is one of the most impressive Temples anywhere in the world. Parts of it have been destroyed, but seeing it in person is unlike any photo can ever describe. Just the sheer size of it, standing the tests of time, is just incredible. Some of it is still under restoration, as there has been speculation that the Parthenon is under immenent danger of collapse but several restoration of the columns have secured it for now. Which is why I recommend getting there as soon as possible… also at the top is the Erechtheion, which is a small temple where worshipers prayed to Athena (for whom the city is named after – Athena in Greek is Athens in English.

After exploring the Acropolis for the second time, I took the Metro to Pireas which is the port town located on the Aegean Sea. Everything I have read said it is beautiful; it simply isn’t. Tons of boats and ferries and fake purse/jeans/watch dealers lined up everywhere. I just got back on the train and headed to a random neighborhood to sit, drink some tea and wrote postcards.

Overall, seeing the sites was amazing… but the food was equally as great. I tried all the good stuff: a Greek Salad, a few Gyros (amazing), Souvlaki, Dolmas (grapeleaves), pita, Moussaka, which is lamb and eggplant, a variety of vegetables, and all of these come, usually topped with feta. Amazing. I also had great apple pie (purely American, haha) and Greek coffee, which is surprisingly refreshing, since I am not normally a coffee drinker.

Also for my fellow Sigma Chis, I searched long and hard for our letters, only to discover that the Sigma & Chi are not normally combined in the Greek language. The “S” sound and “Ch” sound are rarely found together, except in proper names, which I eventually found:

My journey on my own to Athens was one of the most memorable and worthwhile experiences. I was skeptical at first traveling alone, but I grew comfortable quite quickly and met tons of friendly people, both Greek and foreigners. I needed a few days to get some things in order and I needed a break from everyone at AUC (don’t worry – I still love y’all). The city far exceeded my expecations, despite it being a little seedy and rough around the edges, but I love cities like that. Perfection isn’t always a good quality, and Athens offers what I love: European charm, a sense of pride historically, a friendly atmosphere, and beautiful surroundings. If I had to choose a place to live in Europe, it has suddenly shifted from London or Paris to Athens. Since I do know the Greek alphabet (thanks pledging), I was able to navigate quite easily. Now all I have to do is learn the language. Most people already thought I was Greek so it shouldn’t be too difficult to return!