Athens

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We've been in Athens for about 3 days now and it's been quite a shock from the islands! We're just so unused to being in a busy, bustly, noisy and dirty city after a month cruising around the breezy islands.

Athens is quite a lot like what people say it is. An awful lot of it is run down - apparently due to the massive expansion in the 1960s which saw the city go from a population of 250,000 to 4 million. It's very polluted and very dusty - you can actually see the smog hanging in the air! It's got quite a charm in places however. Plaka is the old town where we have spent a lot of our time, which is a mass of winding streets with lots of tavernas and shops surrounding. Needless to say, the Acropolis towers over this part of the city.

We've seen quite a bit in our two days here. Yesterday we were going to attempt the Acropolis but unfortunately didn't make it as the temperature has soared to close to 40 degrees and we were out in the middle of the day. So we decided to spend the day ambling around the city, mainly jumping from shade to air-conditioned shops and cafes! We went to the National Gardens, which is made up of a warren of narrow paths, surrounded by trees and shrubbery, including some of the biggest palm trees I have ever seen! We also went to the parliament building where there are the famous Athenian guards, complete with pom-poms on their shoes and a rather strange ceremonial walk (VERY much like John Cleese goose-stepping in Faulty Towers). We also went to Syngmata square where we kept coming across riot vans and hoards of policemen, meny with guns. This really mystified us, until we saw a huge demonstration walk past. The square is massively busy with traffic, but once we came back from lunch, it was deserted apart from all these students - 1000s of them! A strange sight. Last night we went briefly to a free concert showcasing all sorts of music which was being held in the Roman Agora, with huge ruins and pillars all around. It was really nice to do something different.

Today we went to the Acropolis (tip for anyone who might be going to Athens: use a student card even if its outdated and claim you're under 19, you get in free!). It's amazing to see, despite the sheer number of tourists surrounding it. The views across the city are stunning, you really can't see anything but buildings for miles. The Parthenon at the top unfortunately was covered in scaffoling but still a really good sight to see. We also went to the Theatre of Dionysos where the first Greek plays and tragedies were held.

Tonight we're just chilling around the hostel, then off to Kefalonia tomorrow. Will be nice to get some breeze for once! It's true what they say about Athens, it really is insanely hot compared to everywhere else!

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