To be honest, the most I knew about Athens was from my limited knowledge of Greek mythology and the Disney movie, Hercules, so I was overwhelmed by the history and beauty of the city.
One Day
I definitely needed more than one day to fully appreciate Athens, but I made the most of what I had. I started the day off with a “Greek Breakfast” which consisted of and omelet with ham, peppers, and mushrooms, toast with cherry and peach jams, freshly squeezed orange juice, and my favorite, greek yogurt topped with walnuts and honey. It was to die for and I highly recommend trying the yogurt. I bought a multi-sight pass that let me in to the Acropolis and Parthenon as well as other temples and ruins. It was very cool seeing all the famous structures, but the Parthenon was extremely crowded and the other places had scarce remains of the buildings that used to be there. I know they’re thousands of years old, so it was unrealistic to expect full standing buildings, but it was not the glorious temples and statues I had envisioned. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the different attractions of the city.
One part of Athens that I loved was a place I accidentally stumbled upon. I don’t even know the name, but it is a park in the middle of the city that, once through the gate, you can hike in. I climbed what felt like a mountain and had a stunning view of the city. It was located just below the Acropolis (which is on an actual mountain and is quite the trek to get to). This park was full of ruins and greenery, and there were almost no people, so it was very relaxing and fun to explore on my own.
As for the vibes of Athens, I loved them. My first night, I didn’t get in until midnight, but as I walked the streets, they were alive with music and people sitting at restaurants. I was shocked. There are many places for souvenirs, and everything is relatively close, much more so than Rome or Florence. This was definitely one of the busier cities that I’ve been to, but apart from the Acropolis, everyone was pretty spread out.
Of course, I have to mention more of the food. I absolutely love Greek cuisine, especially the gyros. My favorite dish so far was a deconstructed gyro, so basically a plate piled high with chicken, pita bread, fries, and veggies.
Overall
I definitely want to go back to Athens for a longer time so I can focus on each attraction individually and work on understanding the history better. I think it would be cool to get guided tours of the monuments to get the behind the scenes information. I also want to experience the night life in Athens. I felt extremely safe walking the city at night and would like to explore more of that atmosphere. Athens, I’ll be back.