Athens Road Trip

The school was closed Friday and Monday for the national elections in Greece, so Emily (my fellow Teaching Fellow) and I hopped a train to Athens. It was an amazing excursion and a well needed break from campus. I enjoy my daily routine at AFS, but it was refreshing to spend a few days away from the cafeteria food, the laundry room, and the hickey epidemic that is rapidly spreading around campus.

We selected the overnight train on Thursday to maximize our time in the Greek capitol. Several of our students, returning home to Athens, were on the same train. Being our first trip to the train station, they helped significantly with the process. At the station as we waited for the train, they also contributed to the copious amounts of second-hand smoke that I inhale on a daily basis. Smoking is a serious issue in Greece. In between puffs, the school administrators try to discourage smoking among the students, and the teachers slip out back for a cig or four between classes. As I write this, cigarette smoke is wafting into the library window.

On the train, smoking is outlawed but smelling like cigarettes is a roaring trend. I was lucky enough to sit next to a hairy, obese old woman who enjoys hogging arm rests and leg room. She also "snored" throughout the duration of our seven hour train ride. Her "snoring" was unique and cyclical; after approximately five wheezes that sounded like a muffled steam whistle, she cranked out the jackhammer-esque inhales followed by the exhales, which sound like the world's largest garbage disposal grinding a load of glass. After seven glorious hours next to the world's most repulsive human alive, we arrived in Athens.

Strung out and delirious, we had six hours to kill before the hostels opened for check-in. Thankfully, one of the AFS students invited us to visit her sister's apartment for a nap and breakfast. Her sister, a nursing students at University of Athens, was a gracious host (I'm in love with an angel) and the nap was a life saver .

Like New York City, Athens is crowded and dirty in an endearing way. Unlike big cities in the States, there are no skyscrapers. Athens is built around the Acropolis, which can be viewed from almost anywhere in the city due to the lack of tall buildings. On the flip side, the view from the Acropolis is breathtaking: mountains to the South and East and the sea to the West, not to mention the actual monuments themselves. The Parthenon and other structures are massive. It is mind-boggling to think how, 2500 years ago, people constructed them without the conveniences of modern equipment. Although most of Athens is overrun with tourists and identical mind-numbing souvenir shops, it somehow maintains authenticity. On day two, I walked all over the city and saw several more historic sites: the 1896 Olympic Stadium, the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, the national gardens, and a few others. Athens is very walkable plus the metro is easy to figure out. You can't proceed a block without running into an amazing monument; it's a bit overwhelming but a great city.

We stayed at the Hostel Zeus which is located about a mile from Ministraiki Square, a bustling area that sits at the foot of the Acropolis. At 12 euros a night, it was the best deal in town and we met some cool travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and England. After bonding at the rooftop hostel bar, we all went out to one of the bar districts and had a good time (I'm in love with several angels).

On Sunday, one of the hostel employees took a group of us to the beach. It was about 40 minutes on the bus and it was awesome. There were ancient ruins sitting in the middle of the sand and Greek trout splashing around as far as the eye could see. After a full day there, we headed back to Thessaloniki on a midnight train, sunburned and oh so content. Now it's back to the grind on campus after a perfect weekend. I must admit that I missed my routine a bit and of course I missed Shimosh.

Good Things.