Athens

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I spent the early part of the afternoon at the almost non-existent temple of Zeus. You do get some really nice views of the Acropolis from there though. It was nice to spend the afternoon amongst such history. I caught up on all my blogging and journaling before heading towards the centre of the city. Making my way through the lush city gardens was a pleasure, taking in pleasantly cool weather. It was already pretty late in the afternoon by this stage. I stumbled upon the shopping district of the city, filled with bazars and flea market like shops. I took advantage of the cheap food on offer, a gyros and a piece of fruit for only 2.50 euros represents good value in my eyes. After stopping for a bite to eat I came across the famous ‘Athens Flea Market’. Perusing the little shop fronts was a real experience. Even though I didn’t get anything (because it’s hard to travel with anything extra) I still thoroughly enjoyed having a gander. I decided that instead of cooking, it would be both more enjoyable and more convenient to get some take out. That involved more gyros and some beer. An excellent choice. The night was uneventful. All of the people I had met in the last few days had left or were leaving early the next morning so I was left unto my own devices. I turned it in pretty early so as to get a good start the next day.



The weather was rather poor on the Saturday morning. This often means a day spent either at the hostel or at a museum. Inside activities are the order of the day. So I spent most of the morning relaxing in the common room, having a chat to an English guy running the marathon on the Sunday. After the rain abated for a short period of time I decided to head out. Unfortunately, as my rain jacket hadn’t been washed/aired since finishing my ride, it stank to high heaven. I had to keep mobbing so as to create an airflow, preventing the smell from settling within my nostrils. I saw the changing of the guard outside the parliament house which was interesting. While looking for the archaeological museum I instead found the Greek War Museum. They have such a rich military history, dating back thousands of years. While I’m not normally one who is riveted by the talk of war and military conflicts, this was extremely well done. They incorporated the war contextually, allowing one to see the social and political importance of each major conflict. The displays were engaging, incorporating informative video productions that allowed for swift and effective uptake of knowledge. The exhibition also included the conquests of Alexander the Great, who despite being Macedonian is claimed as Greek. What he was able to achieve in only 30 or so years of life is absolutely incredible. While ancient history is always interesting, I much prefer the relevance of modern history. The exhibition showed the Greek role in both the Balkan wars and especially WWII. They managed to double the Greek lad mass during the Balkan wars and were able to repel the Italian troops during the Second World War. The German’s eventually sent their own troops to try and break down the resistance. There were also displays of weapons used throughout the time. It’s amazing how intricate the designs were, some of them looking more like works of art then machines designed to eliminate life. After having spent a few hours leisurely taking in the displays I walked back into the city. As the weather was pretty poor, there was very little light. By the time I was back in the city it was time for Liverpool to play Chelsea. Again I got my hopes up, and again they were crushed in a typically Mourinho like manner. That left me in a bit of a rotten mood. So I went back to the hostel, armed with some pasta for dinner. Disappointingly the stove was out of order, so that meant boiling kettle upon kettle of water to be able to cook the pasta. It took probably three times as long as it should have. Still, if this trip has taught me anything, it’s that you can get things done without having everything that you need. So after finishing the pasta off, I hit the hay. Another great day filled with unique experiences.



I was privileged to be able to attend a Greek Orthodox church (in English) while in Athens. Although I am glad I didn’t decide to go for the whole thing, as it goes for the length of a Lord of the Ring’s movie. I caught the last 45 minutes, which for me was more than enough. I was invited, after the service had finished, to stay for a coffee and a biscuit. Everyone was extremely friendly, especially the Scottish Priest who had conducted the service both in English and Greek. The theory behind the bilingual service is similar to that of the Alice Springs Lutheran church. It enables the message to reach two sets of audiences. After graciously accepting the coffee I went and had a look at the marathon. If I were ever to run a marathon, this would be it. There would be something special about running the path from Marathon itself. The looks of pride and achievement as the runners crossed the finish line was somewhat inspiring. It finished in the old Olympic stadium, which is not far from the hostel. There was a real positive atmosphere at the finish line, with lots of families and spectators enjoying the accomplishments of others. I had a talk to Eb when I got back to the hostel, turns out he has got glandular fever, no good at all. After talking to him for a while I decided to climb the huge hill with a church on it. It rises above the rest of the city and gives you spectacular 360 degree views of Athens. It was well worth the work put into getting up there. The sun was slowly moving towards the horizon. It was a very tranquil spot to spend an hour or so. The cool breeze meant that, due to my sweating profusely, it got quite chilly. So I felt it would be good to head back sooner rather than later. On my way back to the hostel I stopped at the sports bar to catch the second half of the Arsenal v Swansea game. Arsenal let a lead slip and ended up losing 2-1. I also met a really nice English guy. He also happened to be a Sikh, and thankfully put up with my ignorant questions about his beliefs. We grabbed some dinner after the game and continued to have really interesting conversations. It was a great evening spent with someone who I normally wouldn’t approach. I hope I can catch up with him again one day. He had to leave early the next morning so he headed back to his hostel while I watched some NFL that was being played at Wembley. Another really interesting day for lots of reasons.



I often use my last full day in a particular place to plan for the next few days. This was no exception. I booked both my ticket back to Australia (2^nd of December, which almost takes me to four months) and my ticket up to Thessaloniki. The plan is to head to Bulgaria for a few days and then into Turkey, flying back to Perth from Istanbul. After I had gotten all of that out of the way I thought I’d better make use of the afternoon. I eventually got myself the National Archaeological Museum, which was something pretty special. That artefacts can have survived since 3000 BC is just astonishing. There were so many interesting things to see but the things that really caught my attention were the Cycladic statues. Very otherworldly looking. The rest of the museum was just as interesting. Although I do think I’ve probably seen enough Egyptian artefacts to last a lifetime. It seems as though any museum worth their salt needs an exhibition on ancient Egypt. I was able to pass a few hours there, a fascinating way to spend my last full day in Athens. The sun had disappeared amongst the buildings during my time in the museum, so it was high time to make my way back. I picked up some pasta to make back at the hostel. I needed to get an early night, having an application interview for Notre Dame, at 8am on Tuesday. So after making a delicious batch of carbonara, it was time for bed, my last night in Athens.



I was up earlier than I had been in a while to make sure I was aware during my interview. Everything was going well enough during the interview (he also had his problems dealing with Centrelink) until my phone dropped out. We had about 10 minutes of interview time, hopefully it was enough to satisfy them. They didn’t try and ring back, which I thought a little odd. Nevertheless, I’m sure it will all work out. After finishing up there, I’ve since talked to mum and dad (and Aunty Steph) printed out some tickets and got organised to leave tonight. I’ve really enjoyed Athens, but I’m ready for something new. Thessaloniki should be interesting. I’m taking the overnight train, leaving at 11:35 tonight and arriving very early the next morning. I’m looking forward to my last few weeks of this incredible trip.







Cheers,



Tikka

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