I spent Saturday afternoon, after finishing the Coast Path, trying to decide what to do next. I originally planned to hop over to France after the walk but part of me really wanted to go somewhere I haven’t been. After doing laundry I spent time on the laptop mulling over options with varied indecisiveness. From London it’s easy to get anywhere in Europe reasonably.
I had intended to go to France for the Django Jazz Festival as I did last year but I was kind of aching to do something new. I then started thinking about money and questioned how much I’m really into traveling right now and thought of maybe cutting it short and returning home. I then pondered some other varied ideas involving more hiking etc. which started to confuse me. All along the thought of Greece was in the back of my mind. A switch from chilly windy English coast to warm and sunny islands seemed to strike my fancy the most. Within three hours I made a decision and booked a red eye flight for Monday night from London to Athens.
I was sort of having second thoughts Saturday evening but by Sunday morning I booked a hostel in Athens for two nights and started looking at ferry schedules for Island hopping. I guess my hesitation was in the switch from super easy travel with the simplicity of a daily hike to having to be a little more on my toes in a new environment. I didn’t much take into consideration the financial crisis which could throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing but I’m sure it will be ok.
I decided to layover Sunday in Minehead because it’s half the price of London and the bed at the B&B was really comfortable. Monday was a travel day with a late departure out of Heathrow to Athens. It all started with a bus from Minehead to Taunton then a train to London Paddington. From Paddington it was the tube to Heathrow where I arrived quite early figuring I’d take advantage of a United Club Pass. The club was a good idea but getting from my flight terminal to the club terminal is a bit of nightmare and complicated to I settled for a land side terminal 5 pub with a video fire place.
My flight on British Airways left on time and arrived a little early in Athens right at 3 am Tuesday morning. I collected my bag and went through immigration which was nothing, just a scan of the passport and a quick stamp. From there I figured I’d find somewhere in the airport to sleep until the sun came up as many were doing. I dozed a little here and there as I roamed about a bit. By 7am I was on the metro and by 8am I arrived at the hostel. I'm not really much of a fan of city hostels in particular but the one I booked is fantastic.
Check in wasn’t until 1 pm but I was able to put my pack in storage and was told to go ahead and have breakfast. Breakfast is included as is the case throughout most all of Europe when it comes to accommodation. The attendant told me to relax a bit and afterwards he would tell me where to go.
After filling up on fresh fruit, greek yogurt and museli. I got some advice from the attendant and went straight to the famed Acropolis. Well, the Acropolis with the Parthenon and all is pretty impressive but the boat loads of tourists really dilute the experience. Once I got past the fact that I was just going to have to share the site with half the world I began to appreciate it a little more. One real damper was all of the scaffolding and equipment that is currently set up doing restoration work. Of course being mid-morning on a Tuesday didn’t really mean any work was being done at the moment. It seems like half the time I visit similar sorts of places there’s scaffolding set up with no one working.
Anyway, the views of Athens from the hilltop upon where the Acropolis sits are fantastic so I took my time getting the most out of the $12 Euro entry fee. With the gazillions of people who visit the Acropolis every year I figure if Greece raised the entry fee to $20 Euros and the money actually went to the government, the Greek debt crisis could be remedied within a few years.
From the Acropolis I spotted a monument on a hill a short distance to the south. After exiting the Acropolis I walked over to the other hill where I hiked to the top to check out the monument. Just a few people were there, the views were splendid, and there was no entry fee.
I returned to the hostel around 1 pm to check in, shower, and take a nap before finding a nearby locals restaurant for lunch. As I sat at a table along a pedestrian way talking with a couple of Greek ladies sitting next to me I started to get a feel for Athens and Greece. The waiters were relaxed yet attentive and nice. I finished one dish and ordered a salad. The bill came and my change should have been $10.70 Euros but the waiter rounded up in my favor bringing me $11 Euros. In Italy it would have been shorted to $9 Euros. I didn’t notice anyone tipping but I tipped the waiter a Euro which amounts the standard 10% European custom when being served, however, I don’t think it’s expected at a locals joint during lunch in Greece. Anyway, I'm liking the vibe.
So, the general plan is to spend tomorrow in Athens and hop an early ferry on Thursday to some island. As far as the Greek debt crisis goes I don’t think anyone is too worried about it. I asked the attendant at the front desk of the hostel what he thought about the current crisis. He didn’t seem too concerned and stated how Greece really wants to work with Europe on the matter. As I sat outside the restaurant today I didn’t sense any tension or anything like that. It just appeared as though Zorba is still alive and well.
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