Five days of Greece in three chapters. Sorry folks-- this is a long one.
Chapter 1: Piraeus
My first impression of Piraeus is that it was just like other port cities-- filthy, confusing, and frustrating. When we first arrived I went with Krystin, Kara, and Bonnie to purchase our ferry tickets to one of the islands. Finding the right ticket booth was difficult as most of the signs were completely in Greek. Once we found the line and stood in it for quite some time, we finally arrived at the front to discover there were only 2 tickets left. So the man pointed in a general direction, told us to go down 3 blocks, wait for ten minutes, and then we should be able to buy 2 more tickets. What? But we followed his loose instructions and miraculously arrived at a place that had 2 tickets left-- cabin tickets, which were slightly more expensive but worth every euro.
On my last day in Greece, I gave Piraeus a second chance. There were several things I had to do before leaving Greece, and I decided the only way to get them all done was to do them on my own. I often think it would be much easier to travel if I was a guy and I didn't have to constantly worry about "safety in numbers." I would be free to do exactly what I wanted to do, and I wouldn't miss out on a cultural experience just because my friends did not feel like going to a museum or play or festival. And as I was wandering the streets of Piraeus on a sleepy Sunday, I realized that it is much easier to blend in when you aren't traveling with a giant group of American college students.
On my way to find a coffee, I stopped into a beautiful Greek Orthodox church to take a few photos of the ornate decorations. The service was over, but there were still families that had lingered outside to chat on the marble staircase. I found a coffee bar, sipped on a frappe, and wrote a few postcards before conquering my next quest-- olive oil. Greek olive oil is supposedly the best you can buy, and it's a staple ingredient for nearly every dish they make. I told myself that I was not going home until I bought some, which was challenging since all the stores and markets were closed on Sunday.
While I walked aimlessly through the streets in search of an open supermarket, something really exciting happened. A man approached me and asked for directions in Greek. For those of you who don't know, it's always been a goal of mine as a traveler to be mistaken for a local. I told him I didn't understand Greek, and luckily he spoke fluent English. He asked me where I was from, and I told him about my hunt for olive oil. He seemed really surprised when I told him that many stores in the United States are open on Sunday, and he wished me luck on my search.
Before I got back to the ship, I stumbled upon a store called Asian Market and it was open. Fortunately, they had one type of olive oil. It was green and it was Greek, so I bought five bottles of it. Success. During the last few hours before on-ship time, I got very lost. But, I found a family owned restaurant nestled in the stalls of the fish market. The owners, a mother and father, didn't speak a word of English. Luckily their 11 year-old son did, and he helped me order something from the handwritten menu. I had a Greek salad, bread and olive oil, and a small glass of ouzo. It was simple. It was healthy. It was delicious. And it was 100% Greek.
You learn a lot about people by traveling with them-- their true colors begin to shine through. But I have also learned a lot about myself. For instance-- I always thought that I was the planning type that liked having things organized and figured out ahead of time. But in reality, I am much more spontaneous and laid back than that. My friends were panicked the night before we got to Greece and so stressed about not having ferry tickets or hotel reservations. How will we get there? What if the ferries go on strike? It's the peak tourist season and all the hotels will be booked! If chill pills were real, I would have been passing them out like candy. The way I see it-- if you go into something with no expectations or preconceived plans, you are less likely to be disappointed.
We took a midnight ferry to Santorini. I didn't even know that ferries could have cabins with beds, but I'm so glad Bonnie and I had one, because we got a full 7 hours of sleep while most people tried to sleep on the floor or lounge chairs. We got to Santorini, and there were plenty of people awaiting our arrival with cheesy grins and hotel brochures in hand. We hopped into a van with the first man who made us an offer-- an apartment for four in Perissa at only 70 euros a night. The apartment was just what the doctor ordered-- white with a blue door and shutters, across the street from the bus stop, and within walking distance of a pristine, black sand beach. It couldn't have been more perfect if we had planned it in advance.
I spent the entire day with the girls on the beach doing absolutely nothing. It was fabulous! The black sand was about 200 degrees and the water was as clear as a swimming pool. At night we took the bus to Fira and enjoyed the sunset from a restaurant on a mountainside overlooking the ocean. I tried the moussaka and it tasted like delicious warm comfort food. The next morning we came back to Fira, and shopped in souvenir shops, jewelry stores, and hip clothing boutiques. I rode up a mountainside on a donkey named Marco. We paused for snacks and drinks at cafe after cafe. There was a moment when we were all enjoying fancy snacks in a chic taverna overlooking the bay, when I realized that I am quite possibly the luckiest person in the whole wide world. There are not many people who get to enjoy the things I've enjoyed at such a young age. To those who have helped make this voyage possible-- thank you! I will forever be grateful for this wonderful opportunity.
We went back to Perissa that evening and enjoyed even more food at the tavernas along the beach. At the day's end, we took the midnight ferry back to Piraeus. I was sad to leave our little apartment #5. I could have stayed on Santorini for another month or two.
Chapter 3: Athens
On Saturday morning I attended a cooking class in Athens. The students were divided into teams and we had about ten minutes to make each dish. We were given a list of ingredients, but no instructions. Our only guide was the example dish they showed each table. I was the leader for our group so I had to wear a ridiculous looking chef hat and help make each of the dishes. I learned to prepare dakos, tzatziki, Greek salad, frappes, some kind of potato salad, and a dish with lentils. I love the Greek cuisine, and I have found myself eating things I never eat at home (cucumber, tomato, onion, green pepper, hummus, eggplant, etc.)
After the cooking class, Bonnie and I took the subway to the Acropolis. We went into the new Acropolis Museum which houses artifacts from thousands of years ago. Next we climbed the marble steps and visited the Ancient temples and the Parthenon. The 360° view of Athens from the top of the Acropolis is breathtaking and unbeatable. We came back to the ship and met our friends for dinner and took a long nap.
Later that night Kara, Bernadette, Krystin, Bonnie, and I took a cab to Gazi, which is the hub of Athenian nightlife. We went to bar that was hosting a concert, and the first band sang in English and the second performed in Greek. We got lots of stares, because we stood out everywhere we went. I thought it was strange that nobody came up to talk to us, but then I realized that the other places I went out to in other cities were very international and most of the people I met were travelers also. My night in Gazi was likely the most authentic nightlife I have experienced on this trip. It is more difficult to mingle with locals who are already enjoying good conversation with their close circle of friends at their favorite spot. So instead I ended up meeting a group of Albanians. Oh well-- it's all Greek to me!
I came to Istanbul with unrealistic ideas of what it would be like. I expected all the women to be dressed conservatively and it to be a very traditional culture. And though I was surrounded by the country's rich history and Islamic practices, Istanbul is very much a European city. It's home to over 16 million people, a huge advertising industry, hopping nightlife, and Westernized fashion. I left the city with a new understanding of Turkey's history and culture, some apple tea, a new friend, and happy memories.
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