Finding My Way

Well, the intention of starting the blog was to document the adventures I was having abroad and sharing it each day.  But, clearly I've been having way too much fun and haven't had a chance to write anything aside from the first day and right now as my trip is almost coming to a close.

I will admit, I assumed and expected that I would have time each night to write a summary.  I try not to have expectations and assumptions about anything but hey, I'm human and it happens.  At least I've updated my Instagram and FB album.  Truth is, I've been staying up to the wee hours of the morning with my new found wonderful friends on this trip.  We have so much fun together that the nights turn in to mornings and mornings turn in to nights before we know it.  Looks like I'll have to do a recap from memory when I return to Florida.

After what seemed like an eternity of airplane ride after airplane ride I FINALLY arrived to Athens.  I can't really complain though.  Delta was great and all flights were on time.  Adding that extra stop (making it 2 stops instead of 1 to get to Athens) saved me about $400 and if you know me you know how much I love to save money.

Normally upon arriving to a completely new place I would have to have already figured out the bus or metro system to get to my hotel/hostel/B&B.  Thankfully I didn't have to deal with any of that to get to Piraeus, the port of Athens, where my hotel is located.  My new friend graciously offered to pick me up and take me wherever I needed and gave me a bit of the tour of the city.  Of course, he was in a Smart Car.  I wouldn't expect anything else from a European :-)

For the first bit of fun, his car had a mini-breakdown and we had to pull over on the highway! 

Normally this is a situation that would cause high stress and panic, especially to people in my family. If my dad was here he would be raising hell and if my mom was here she would be shaking her head.  Thankfully, neither of them were here to stress me out.  I honestly just laughed and didn't really care since I didn't have to be anywhere that day. As long as I would be somehow able to get to the port tomorrow by 7am to catch my ferry to Mykonos, I was cool. After calling a friend and speaking a language I cannot even begin to decipher he got it up and running in just a few minutes.

We continued onward and he gave me a tour of Piraeus and the port area before taking care of my ferry tickets and hotel check-in.  Nothing really too spectacular here at the port area although it is nice being so close to the ocean.  We also passed the Parliament Building at Syntagma Square to take a peek at the guards.  We were in the car so we didn't see the guards change or see them close-up but apparently the changing of the guards is fun to watch.  After spending most of the time talking about traveling, where we have been, where we would like to go, and the correct pronunciation of "gyro", he suggested that we get souvlaki from a local spot and take it to the base of the Acropolis for lunch.  What a fantastic idea this was!  The view from Plaka of Mount Lycabettus and the Acropolis was spectacular. I loved the fresh air and feeling the warm sun and cool breeze.

It was a bit hazy today apparently from the dust/sand/wind brought in from Africa.  He said it was only about twice a year that this happens and it isn't crystal clear.  Maybe when I return from the islands it will be cleared up.

After munching on our delicious souvlaki at the exact spot pictured above we continued to drive around Plaka, the base of the Acropolis, to check out the surrounding area.  Lots of shopping, pedestrians, and cafes.  When I get a chance to walk around I hope to get lots of pictures!  There were so many great photo spots of the architeture, alleys, and shops but since we were in the car I couldn't really take any good ones.  I wouldn't have had the energy to walk around that place due to the lack of sleep from flying over from the US and multiple connections so I'm thankful it was a car tour.  It's definitely a place I would enjoy wandering around and getting lost in.

The Acropolis itself looks awesome and I can't wait to explore when I return from the islands.