72 Hours in the Greek Capital

21-23 April 2018 | £66 RT - British Airways | Hotel: Athens Way

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ONE rainy November night led me to book a quick trip to the Greek sun. Sure, London's not very cold compared to my home state of Minnesota, but being on an island means we get the chilly breeze of the sea...so 24ºC (75ºF for you Americans) sounded heavenly. Having been to Greece before, I somewhat knew what to expect and prepare for, but it was a very different experience from my trip to Santorini back in 2015. Visiting the capital city alone led to…me getting lost a few times and being very confused (Greek is NOT easy to understand...or read).

Athens is famous for being the heart of Ancient Greece, and is composed of 5th-Century BC historical landmarks including the Acropolis (containing the Parthenon, Theatre of Dionysus, the Temples of Zeus, Athena & Hephaesus, and much more), the Olympic Stadium, and dozens of ancient museums and other attractions. As many local businesses and attractions are closed on Sundays, I was able to see the Acropolis (incl. the Parthenon, etc.), the Olympic Stadium just before a football (soccer) game (imagine being on the metro with hundreds of fans chanting and singing, and you can’t understand a SINGLE thing), the port of Piraeus, and of course the city centre. I was warned dozens of times before I went to be “extra safe,” but I felt pretty safe walking around the city and neighbourhoods even at night. Of course it's important to be cautious when abroad, but I'd rather walk through Athens at 3am then anywhere in America. Being a solo traveller, you have to have a mindset that the world isn't out to get you. Don't be afraid to walk around places and explore, and don't be afraid of travelling alone. It's one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences. Having just turned 20 prior to this trip, I felt a bit better knowing I'm not a teenager wandering around, but I never felt intimidated or afraid while walking around...it helps a bit that I don't really look like a girl. I did however get incredibly lost trying to find my hotel. The address online was one thing, then was different on the map - so I wandered around with my little suitcase playing MAJOR tourist. Obviously I eventually found it, even had a little suite with a kitchen and balcony - all for £42 (~$55) per night.

Athens Olympic Velodrome

<--- Enjoy this photo of the entrance to the Olympic stadium, and the sea of black and yellow. Guess what colour I was wearing? Not black or yellow, but of course a stand-out maroon...luckily the other team wasn't that colour.

One of the many glorious things about Europe is that many popular attractions are free for EU students/residents, and I happen to fit both categories (for now – pending Brexit). With this lovely perk, entry to the Acropolis and all of its’ sights was free - saving €20-30. I also walked through the Athens flea market, which had your typical souvenirs and those stores that have all of the phone cases and other junk, but still fascinating. Everything was pretty cheap too, I ended up getting a new phone case...only to lose it on a flight back to the US 3 weeks later...but worth it.

On my last night, I took the metro down to the port of Piraeus to have dinner on the oceanfront, only to get sucked into a restaurant with a chatty employee waving around a tray of fresh fish, making me think their menu was fresh…oh, I was wrong. You’d think a restaurant that’s literally on the water would have fresh seafood, but nope. That...was a bit disappointing, but the view was lovely. This made me laugh as I remembered what an American woman said on the flight to Athens - probably mid/late-20s, and she was asking a British man sitting next to her if Greece “had a lot of fish, or is fish like a thing there?”…I sat there wondering if she realised that Greece is, in fact, a sea-side country.

Overall, Athens is a great destination for a quick getaway. The weather couldn’t have been better, the food is incredible (and really cheap compared to the UK and other European cities), and the locals are very friendly and helpful. And yes – Greek yogurt IN Greece is really that much better. I always have to make a food comment, I know – but it was authentic and free! Pro tip: add honey to the yogurt - you won't regret it. Along the topic of food, any visitor of Greece needs to try: Gyros, Fava Bean, Greek salad (their feta is to die for), and definitely enjoy some pita and tzatziki dip.