I was going to do another post on my trip to Crete, but I really don't think there's much to add to my initial post. Chania, the city I stayed in, was picturesque, but I didn't actually DO much of anything there. Then I spent two days on a ferry waiting for it to be cleared by the Port Authority to return to Athens because of the crazy snow the area was having. (My attempts at travel never go smoothly. Did I post about my lengthy stay in the Frankfurt airport? How about barely making my flight out of Budapest?) Anyway, my sister just posted about her trip to visit me in Athens, and I have been shamed into hurrying up my own post on the subject. So, here it is: the story of a North Carolinean who attends college in Birmingham, AL (but is currently studying in London) in Greece!
We also walked through the Panormou laiki, or market, on Saturday morning. We ended up buying a few tangerines so that Halie could taste the amazingness of Greek citrus fruit, but of course the fruit vendor tossed in several free items, and we ended up lugging the bag of produce around all day! We almost got in trouble for having strawberries at the Acropolis; apparently the fruit can stain the marble.
My sister arrived quite propitiously on a Greek holiday - the last day that those who strictly observe the Greek Orthodox calendar are allowed to eat meat before giving it up for the 40 days of Lent. We almost decided to stay in, but we were so glad that we took a chance when we sat down in a happening taverna in Monastiraki, a district near the Acropolis. There were colorful streamers decorating the taverna and napkins papering the floor - the latter, we discovered, a result of an exuberant staff member who kept flinging them about. I made Halie replace one that had fallen on her head for the picture below. Look!
Confetti guns popped, people danced, and the live music was so loud you could hardly hear the person across the table. It was everything that you would see in a Greek movie, and totally unlike what a usual dinner in a taverna would be!
My sister's to-do list for her trip was very short: see Acropolis, eat gyro. I'd been in the Acropolis Museum, but I hadn't actually climbed up to the Parthenon. Believe it or not, after living in Athens for several months, you kind of treat the Acropolis like a decorative piece of furniture. "Wow, it's the Acropolis!" a tourist might say, and your reaction is "And...?" I once likened it to never seeing Graceland if you lived in Memphis (it's a tourist thing, not a resident thing) - and then I realized that I was comparing an ancient monument to Elvis's house. Oops. But it was fun to be able to see the Parthenon up close for the first time with my sister.
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| Climbing the Acropolis. You can see the bag of fruit at our feet! |
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| Wait, wasn't Halie wearing the hat in the first picture? |
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| Requisite tourist picture. |
On Saturday evening, after a very full day of touring, I was determined to take my sister to my favorite new taverna. Unfortunately, I had left my carefully mapped out directions at home. Any of you who knows me know that I am directionally-challenged and that this move spells disaster. My sister was a very good sport as I proceeded to drag her through half of Athens trying to find the taverna. None of the cab drivers seemed to know the place we were looking for and we wandered in circles for... let's just say a very long time. Finally, hungry and dispirited, we stopped for gelato. And the employees gave us directions. Thanks, gelato guys! If I can ever find you again, I'm totally coming back for more gelato.
Sunday, we vegged. I know, I know. There were so many places we still hadn't seen! But sleeping in late and catching up was actually some of the most fun I'd had all weekend - so much better than trying to rush to an island and back or cramming in more touring. We made a quick stop by the Agora and grabbed a gyro, then headed to the airport, where we discovered that I had mistakenly booked my sister's return flight for March instead of February... Clearly, my subconscious was at work to keep her in Athens. I did, however, return her to London - and I get to visit her there in April!
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| First Gyro. A Historic Moment. |
P.S. Pop on over to Sweet Tea and Crumpets, Halie's blog, to see her pictures from the weekend!
http://hyork-sweetteaandcrumpets.blogspot.com/
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