May in the Mediterranean Part II: Athens and Aegina

After Thessaloniki we took the train overnight to Athens, thinking it would save us travel time in the day and let us get the sleep we needed. We were wrong. While most of the time I think of train travel as the most comfortable and quiet means of traveling, in this case the opposite seemed true. We boarded around midnight, and found that we had seats in an overcrowded car, with several groups of people constantly walking through the cars, talking in the corridors and across aisles. In addition, the bright overhead lights remained on for the entire 6 hour journey, which became longer as we faced delay after delay.
Our friend MK was stuck next to a smelly man whose face we never saw because he had completely hidden himself in a coat...it was awkward, but nothing out of the ordinary for a train or bus journey. My travel buddy and I had seats together, but his long legs and my broken seat kept us both uncomfortable enough to keep sleep just out of our grasp. In the end I may have napped for about an hour? In any case, despite the lack of rest we were groggily thrilled to arrive in Athens - partly because it meant we could get off the train, and partly because IT'S ATHENS!

I went through an obsession with Greek mythology around the age of 12 - as I imagine many other nerdy book worms did - and ever since have waited for the day when I could see the land where the Gods and Goddesses reigned, where the heroes were born and where the myths grew. I was not disappointed.

We refused to let our exhaustion get the best of us. We had just under 3 days in Athens, and didn't know what the weather would be like. It was a bit overcast and on the chilly side in May, and the day we arrived was sunny and hot, so we wanted to profit from it. On Day 1 we went to the Agora, the Acropolis, walked around Plaka a bit, and strolled through the marketplace. In the evening we passed by the Parliament and watched the changing of the guards as well.

For dinner we settled in at our Couchsurfers' place, along with another American woman who was Couchsurfing with them, and enjoyed Greek pizza and a football (soccer) game on TV. It was fun to meet such a wonderful group of people while traveling there, and we were so grateful again for the hospitality show to us by our Greek hosts. All six of us got along well, and it was fun to see the sights with them, and to just share good meals and great conversation. I couldn't have asked for a better experience in Athens.

On Day 2 the six of us headed to a nearby island, Aegina, where we could go swimming - IN THE MEDITERRANEAN! Another dream come true :)

We caught the boat for 13 euros round trip for the day trip, which was very affordable - especially compared to the more famous islands which people usually think of when they hear about Greek Isles. 

The boat ride was enjoyable in itself, seeing the land fade and the islands pass, sailboats and cargo ships passing by, seagulls flying around, and the bluest blue water swirling all around us. 

We had about 3-4 hours to spend on the island, and spent a good part of that time at the small beach, swimming, playing backgammon, and sunbathing. Even I picked up some color - and it wasn't red! MK, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. 

After our time on the beach we walked around the small streets, enjoying fantastic local pistachios and grabbing a bite before heading back to the boat for the return trip.

On Day 3 the group split up to see different sights, and our Couchsurfers headed to work. My travel buddy and I started the morning at Plato's Academy, a sight my travel buddy had a great deal of interest in since he studies philosophy. Sadly, the Academy, now mostly just foundations of ruins, has been neglected. It lies tucked away in a "bad" neighborhood, in a public park, rundown and mostly covered in weeds and hidden in thickets. It seemed a shame.

From there we headed back to the city center to explore the Agora more, and hiked up Filippapos Hill to get a fantastic view of the Acropolis. We made our way back down to the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Roman Stadium, the National Gardens, and the new Olympic Stadium. Then we headed through the city to pass by the university and library buildings.

In the afternoon, we took a trip to Kifissia, a neighborhood at the end of the subway line, in a fancy part of town. There is no attraction that brought us there, aside from a personal one: this was the area where my mother and her family had lived when they'd lived in Greece in the early 1970s.

This is the place I'd grown up seeing in pictures: dirt roads with donkeys, small mom and pop stores selling food and basic goods, my mom smiling with her long, straight blonde hair, parted down the middle, lanky and glowing tan in her patterned dresses. My grandfather, always with the same brushed back hair and Navy stance, my grandmother with her curled bob and cat-eye glasses, my uncle looking the part of the annoyed younger brother, forced to be along for the family trips.

This was the image I grew up with: so when I stepped off the metro into the Kifissia of 2012, I was shocked. There were no dirt roads or modest mom and pop shops; instead, the cleanest and newest paved streets I'd seen yet were lined with fancy name-brand stores selling high end goods - Prada and Gucci - with boutiques and specialized cafes in-between.

A beautiful public park with a gated entrance and fountains lay about 25m from the metro. We had been getting hungry, but the prices we saw here were high enough to make us almost lose our appetites, so we meandered a bit so that I could snap photos, before walking back to our Couchsurfers' place. 

I found the third day striking, an example of how much the passage of time can alter a setting. On the one hand you have Plato's Academy: once a center of learning and a place where people could exchange ideas, where Plato himself shared his own; now a run down park, unkempt and bordered by abandoned warehouses and worn-down apartments. On the other hand there's Kifissia: just 40 years ago, part of the outskirts of Athens where visiting Navy families and locals could find affordable and low-income housing; now an upscale suburb for elites who can afford to live just outside of the bustling metropolis. It left my mind full of questions about geography, place, time, memory, and meaning...The kind of questions great trips should leave you asking.

May in the Mediterranean Part I: Thessaloniki

May meant the end of classes and the beginning of the exam period and summer break. I took the opportunity to head down to Bologna, Italy to join my travel buddy for a trip to Greece thanks to an incredible deal on Ryan Air tickets (14 Euros round trip!!).

Thessaloniki

I took the overnight bus from Prague to Bologna. It's a 16 hour trip, but it's also the cheapest way to travel and I got lucky with my own 2 seats to (kind of) stretch out on. The last time I'd been to Bologna, it was covered in snow and had several blizzards hit. This time I actually got to see the streets. On my first trip to the grocery store I realized we'd spent a week in winter walking across the grass, but at the time we thought it must be the sidewalk because it was the most walked-on path. That's how deep the snow was!

Pizza

Tangerines

Hiking

Our flight was the next day, and my travel buddy joined our friend, MK, at the airport just in time to join the line for boarding. I was nervous, as always, but it (sort of) helped to have friends with me. The best part was looking out the window and seeing the Mediterranean.

Happiness :)

I calmed my fears by telling myself that at least if the plane crashed I'd die having seen that incredible sight. Morbid, right? This is how my irrational fear of flying goes...Luckily the thought was fleeting, and so was the flight. In no time we were off the plane and trying to guess what the letters said on the signs around us. I was so excited, I believe I may have done an embarrassing (for my travel partners, not for me) dance to express my joy at being in Greece.

The White Tower

Let me take a moment to give a bit of history here. Greece has a very special place in my heart. It is probably the first country I knew about outside of the USA, because I grew up on my mother's stories about her life there when she was in high school. My grandfather was in the Navy and was stationed in Athens for about four and a half years, along with my grandmother, mother, and uncle. One of my youngest memories is of looking at old slides they had of pictures from their time there. We ate spanakopita for special occasions (for years I ate the flaky Phyllo crust off the top and wouldn't touch the feta/spinach filling...now it's my favorite food). My mom showed me pictures and shared her memories of living there. I didn't understand heredity at the time, so I thought all of these things meant that I was partly Greek.

Shops

It was not until I was 9 or 10 that a friend questioned my Greekness. I think Americans in general (and I try not to generalize, so take this with a grain of salt and know that I recognize that there are exceptions, and also that this tends to be a habit

Streets

I've noticed most with caucasian Americans who have European ancestry) keep track of where their ancestors came from and then use this information to define their identities - even if the ancestors came generations before. I remember a time as a kid when my friends and I were discussing "where we were from" (silly since we were all "from" WI...) and I said I was "English, Norwegian, Scots-Irish, French, Belgian, and Greek." A friend replied, "Greek? You're not Greek, have you looked in a mirror?" I went home and asked my mom, who explained that my friend was right. We were not, in fact, Greek. But it didn't change the fact that her time there was an inspiration to me. I don't know if I'd ever have left my home city, let alone the country, if it hadn't been for her example.

Restaurant Alleyways

So, back to May 2012, Thessaloniki. I loved it. The city is a great size, with the university and the port helping to create a dynamic atmosphere. The waterfront is lovely, with the White Tower on the skyline, and the streets are begging to be wandered. We were in awe of the first tangerine tree we found...to the surprise of the locals who knew better than us that they grow all over. We walked across much of the city, and took a winding road up to the castle by bus, for an incredible view of the city below. From there we meandered back down via an inviting road through tall grasses surrounded by olive and tangerine trees, then down back alleys until we reached center again. We were treated to our own apartment, thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our friend XM. In addition, since he was out of town, we were guided through the city by his friend, SZ, who made us feel welcome and took us out for delicious rakomelo (honey raki). We only had a day and a half in the city before catching the night train to Athens, and a day at the end; it wasn't enough, but it was a start. I sincerely hope to get back there when possible!

On top of the world!

 

A Quarter of a Century

Petrin Hill on the left and Prague Castle on the right

Narodni Divadlo (National Theatre)

March was a pretty quiet month, filled with classes and job applications. In the beginning, my friend DR came to visit, after our trip in Vienna, when we went ice skating. But the rest of the month was pretty uneventful. Still, one day stood out as being more meaningful than the rest: my birthday. Not just any birthday, either. My twenty-fifth.

Happy Easter!

Prague Castle

Of course, this meant that I had a few quarter-life crisis moments ("What am I doing with my life?" "Did I make the right choices?" "Will this degree get me a job in my field - do I even still want a job in my field?" "Am I crazy for living abroad? I miss out on so many things at home!" "What do I want out of the next 25 years?") And so on...

Vltava River, with Petrin Hill behind on the left and Prague Castle on the right.

Still, my birthday - March 26th - turned out to be a "bright, sunshining day" as the song goes, and I bought a grill to BBQ (I know, a vegetarian having a BBQ birthday, hahaha). My friends and I - all late - met at Stromovka Park, on the northern edge of Prague's downtown area. It's the only place within city limits where you're allowed to have an open flame - though I've sensed since that these kinds of rules are often meant to be bent or broken, apparently.

On Vitkov Hill

Inside St. Vitus Cathedral

We had a lovely picnic, and the weather was incredible - I was born in a snow storm when it was probably 20F, and this year I enjoyed 20C - gotta love March. After my friend MO took some of us to a pub in the area with a great Porter - my favorite kind of beer, in case you were curious. All in all, I was thrilled to be surrounded by great people. I feel so lucky to have traveled so much, and to still manage to find people everywhere who make me feel at home wherever I am. I don't need much more than that to keep my hope in humanity alive and well.

Old Town Easter Market

At the end of March and beginning of April, my travel buddy came to visit, too, and we enjoyed being tourists for a few days in a city that I'd come to take for granted in some ways. It was a wonderful reminder of how privileged I am to be living in such a beautiful place, with its unique history and stunning panoramic views. I didn't remember my camera on my birthday, but this post has photos from my sightseeing days at the end of March and beginning of April.

View of Prague from Vitkov Hill: Old Town is center, Petrin Hill is on the left, and Prague castle is on the right.

The third time really is the charm.

When I got back to Prague, I was thrilled to get an email telling me that my visa was FINALLY ready to be picked up. This meant that, instead of settling back into normal life, I would need to head to Vienna asap to pick it up. Coincidentally that same weekend, my friend DR was planning to be in Vienna before coming to visit me in Prague. So we made plans to meet up in Vienna, and I arranged to stay with my CouchSurfing friends, SK and JM, again.

Vienna

I took a bus that arrived in Vienna at 5am, and my appointment at the embassy was at 8:30am. Since I was exhausted from barely sleeping on the bus, and since it was still dark and I was alone, I decided to head to the only thing open: the metro. I got on the Green line, and decided to spend the time sleeping and riding the metro all the way to each end and back. People must have thought I was nuts. But it worked! I kept my backpack on my lap, crossed my arms over it, lay my head on my arms, and dozed. Then, after about 35 minutes, I would get off, switch to the other side of the tracks, get on the train in the other direction, and repeat. Pathetic? Maybe. Dangerous? Not as much as wandering the streets alone in the dark. And by 8:30 I was better rested and very ready to get my visa. After so many months of anticipation, frustration, fear, and anxiety, I walked out of the embassy holding my visa, grinning from ear-to-ear, and singing "Feeling Good," by Nina Simone. 

Strudel, yum!

I decided to hop on a random tram passing by to see where it would take me (I love doing this kind of thing when I have no time restrictions or travel limitations). Then I got off and walked by a little Farmer's Market (I don't know anymore if they attract me or if I attract them, but somehow I always find them). I got a yummy rhubarb strudel for breakfast, and meandered down the street, stopping here and there to check out cute shops or to take photos. Eventually I got to the Rathaus, where I'd been in December for the great Christmas Market. This time there were several ice rinks set up in front of it, and it was a great day for skating. I had plans to meet another friend, LP, downtown, so I didn't lace up, but I enjoyed just watching everyone having a great time.

An ice rink at the Rathaus

 LP had been traveling in Morocco for awhile, but we met in Prague because he was living there with is sister, MP, who is one of my closest friends from school here. LP and I grabbed brunch and caught up on life; it was amazing to hear his stories about Morocco, and made me push it up on my list of countries I hope to visit someday. After brunch we headed over to see some alternative sights in Vienna: the Hundertwasser house and the Hundertwasser museum. Artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser designed the house and the museum, rejecting "normal" architectural designs and assumptions. He employs color, uneven floors, and nature in his designs, striving to create more dynamic and livable spaces. The results are incredible; I would love to live in a place like this!

I didn't go in because I didn't want to pay, but even from the outside this toilet was worth seeing.

Behind the Museum

Under the Hundertwasserhaus

Later we met up with DR, SK and JM for dinner at a wine restaurant, and tried some Austrian wine; SK had first CouchSurfed at my apartment in Ithaca in 2007, and had introduced me to Austrian Riesling then, and years later he still remembered! For anyone who travels on a regular basis, I cannot recommend CouchSurfing enough. I have met such wonderful people this way, and had great experiences thanks to taking the chance on a host or surfer. It's not for everyone, but if you're willing to put yourself out there, and f you are smart about using the site, the rewards are great!

Schloss Schonbrunn

 The next day DR and I headed off to sightsee a bit before heading back to Prague. I took her to Schloss Schonbrunn again, which I just adore, and with my visa in hand this time I was even happier to be there - unlike the first time when I sat in the gardens after being rejected and was afraid I might never be back. The second time I came was after my application was accepted, so I was hopeful but still unsure. This time I felt like I was on top of the world - or at least, high above Vienna.

That afternoon DR and I took the bus back to Prague. Later that weekend, since we had missed that chance in Vienna, we found an ice skating rink in Prague. I was shaky at first after so many years without practice, but after about 10 minutes I started to get used to it. I also attracted a weird little teenage admirer, who kept popping in front of me to say "boo" and poking me or pushing me as he skated by. I couldn't decide between being flattered or annoyed. And I was left wondering...do I look like I'm 15? I had to be about a decade older than him. But with skates on, I did feel like a kid again, in the best way :)

Me, skating (ish).

Eating my way through Paris

After leaving Italy, I took the bus up to Paris to see my friend AB, who has been living there for about a year now. When I arrived she was still at work, so I had brunch and caught up on news in a corner bistro. I love brunch, and the croque-monsieur I got was great, as was the atmosphere in the place.

The cute place where I got brunch.

 AB and I met in college, and used to have wine and cheese nights with our friends, so we were looking forward to catching up over some French wine and cheese! Luckily, just down the street from her place there were three stores in a row to suit our needs: 

Basically: "Cheese Shop" "Wines" "Bakery"

On Valentine's Day, AB and I found an adorable restaurant near her place. They had a special menu for the night, and the atmosphere was great! French food isn't the most veg-friendly, but I took the lack of options as an opportunity to push myself to try something new! So I ordered fish! It was pretty tasty, too :)

Valentine's Day Dinner

 The next day we walked around and saw some lovely sights...

Notre Dame

The Siene

 ...and went to the Marais neighborhood (4ème arrondissement), known for its past as the Jewish quarter, and more recently also for a growing LGBT scene. It is a very chic area, with lots of unique boutiques, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

A musical instrument shop we passed.

We were in search of great falafel, and planned to get some from a stand known for having the best in town; however, as we approached the stand it began to drizzle, so we decided on an indoor restaurant that also claimed to have amazing falafel - and it did!

My delicious vegetarian platter.

While I'm on the topic of great food, I was thrilled to be able to taste flaky and fresh French pastries. They melt in your mouth, no lie. Each morning I treated myself with at least one, usually brioche or pain-au-chocolat. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water...

Brioche!

Since I saw the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay, as well as other sights, when I came to Paris briefly in 2005, I wanted to see places I'd missed. AB recommended Sainte-Chapelle, and I'm glad I took her advice. The stained glass was absolutely stunning, and I spent a while just standing inside, appreciating the meticulous detailed beauty surrounding me.

Sainte-Chapelle

After leaving Sainte-Chapelle, I went across town to appreciate beauty's counterpart: love :) Near the Abbess metro station there's a wall of love, with "I love you" written in many languages. It's a great collage, and warmed my heart on a chilly day.

At the wall of love.

Just down the street I fell in love with a cafe where I got poached egg inside brioche (!) and a vanilla espresso. From my vantage point next to an upstairs window I also enjoyed a Parisian pastime - people watching.

The next day my travel buddy came to Paris and we did some more sightseeing while AB was at work. First we went to the Holocaust memorial, a creatively designed and somber place.

The Holocaust Memorial

The Memorial is behind Notre Dame, so we headed there next. In 2005 scaffolding had blocked part of the view from the front and side, and it was great to see the completed restoration.

At Notre Dame

Finally, we headed to the Eiffel Tower for sunset, and got to see the city lights flicker on across the city, for a spectacular night view. Plus, the tower itself lit up while we were on it, bathing everything in a warm glow. It was a fantastic way to end the evening, especially since it was my last night in Paris before heading back home to Prague.

On the Eiffel Tower