Goodbye, Europe! G'BYE NEW FRIENDS!

So, what I didn't mention was that the previous night, we got back to our terrible hostel, and crashed. Morning came around, we all woke up, and got the hell outta dodge. Man, that place was the worst. We had our hungover goodbyes with the group on the way out. Nina and I got our stuff together, hailed a cab which took us to a hotel not too far away. We booked an extra night in Athens so we could explore the city more.

By explore, I mean we called up Pat and Alison, broke into their fancy hotel, and chilled with them on a rooftop pool for the majority of the day.

The struggle is real.

We were a little nervous to explore the city. Today was the day all of Greece was voting on the European Union's Austerity measures. To give some backstory, The EU and other institutions lent Greece a whole lot of money, and Greece could not pay back that money in time. So the EU decided it would impose Austerity measures on the country to ensure that Greece's creditors would get them damn moneys back! Greece decided it would put it to a popular vote, to see if the majority of Greeks were onboard with this policy. If they weren't, it could indicate Greece's final days in the EU, which would have serious financial and political ramifications.

Although the media showed that Athens was in a cesspool of violence and chaos, we hadn't seen any of that. And this pool had a complete view of Athens.

LIKE THIS ONE OMG HOW FORTUNATE I HAD THIS PICTURE WHILE I WAS TYPING ABOUT VIEWS.

And THANK GOD the pool had drink and food service or I would have DIED.

JUST FLAT OUT DIED WITHOUT A CLUB SANDWICH.

I saw in the distance another view of my favorite monument in Athens, the Acrapalips.

Apocalypse? Acropolis? No, Acrapalips sounds right to me.

After spending several hours relaxing by the pool, we decided to firmly stop our lazy and venture into the city for some dinner. We asked the concierge if it would be safe to go into the center of Athens. She laughed and said we had nothing to worry about. We were taken aback by her certainty. Had she not been watching the news for the past couple weeks? But our tummies were rumbling, and we wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves if we were here in Athens and didn't try to explore more of the city. So we walked cautiously a few blocks away from the hotel and into the Athenian subway system, which would take us to Plaka, a neighborhood filled with restaurants, bars, and nightlife.

We walked down into the subway stop.

There was barely anyone here...

We were glad we chose not to take a cab, since we didn't have to pay for a subway ticket. The government had put a cap on how much money the Greek people could withdraw from their ATM's. This prevented bank closures, but it also limited the people's ability to pay for basic things like food and transportation. To ensure that the economy could still function, the government made all public transportation free.

Technically, I wasn't even supposed to take these pictures.

As tourists we remained vigilant. There were police everywhere, which made us feel both safe and unsafe, simply because we had no idea what to expect. But we unanimously decided that the vote would not stop us from experiencing Athens. We found a popular public square, and sat at a restaurant nearby. I chose this one because I thought the host was flirting with me. Turned out he flirted with EVERYONE.

I respected that.

Unlike our previous terrible dining experience, this one was EXCELLENT.

The food was EVERYTHING. Fried cheese with honey, a spicy greek sausage patty, and, wait, there's even more...

An authentic Greek stew, roasted in... a bag...

And that's not all! I ordered more creamy pasta!

Thinking back, that's all I ever ate on this trip. What is my problem?

After our beautiful Athenian dinner, we saw some more ruins!

This looks like something that was important at some period!

Pat, Alison, Alex, Nina, and I then walked to the subway station. This was it. Pat and Alison would head back to their hotel, Alex to hers, and Nina and I to ours. From there, we would each move on to our next destination, but not together this time. It felt so weird, knowing that I wouldn't see these guys tomorrow morning.

We hugged and said goodbye as I held back tears.

I could not have asked for better travel companions.

A few hours later, it happened. The vote was over. We were there to witness Greece vote down the Austerity measure.

Well said, my friend, well said.

These photos were taken by my beautiful comrade, Nina, and it perfectly captured the climate of Athens while we were there.

The people were celebrating. Peacefully.

Though the news showed Athens in chaos, this was the Athens we saw:

A city filled with people who cared about its future.

I know, I know. Ultimately, a popular vote on Austerity measures had no legal bearing. A few weeks later, the Greek parliament had to accept Austerity in order to retain its status in the European Union. If it had actually rejected it, that decision would have plunged the country into further financial and political turmoil. The resulting humanitarian crisis would have been unprecedented, according to the politicians.

Though this trip was only a little over two weeks, it felt as if it were so much longer. Each day felt like two days because it was crammed with so many good times and good people. 

4 am hit, and it was time for us to go. We headed down to the lobby to meet the taxi that would take us to the airport.

The man at the hotel desk said breakfast was included, so he gave us a little bag with a sandwich and juice.

So. Cute.

Goodbye, Greece. Goodbye, Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania. And thank you.

The flight to Germany wasn't bad. During the layover, I had German meatloaf and eggs.

Don't ask me why.

Once we got back to NYC, saying goodbye to Nina was hard. A lot harder than I thought it would be. I wasn't only saying farewell to her, which shouldn't bother me as much because I knew I'd see her again later that week, but I was saying goodbye to the entire experience, the entire journey that we shared together.

The reason I write this blog is to showcase not only the places I go to, but also to chronicle the journey, the entire experience of traveling. It's not about checking off a shopping list of monuments and countries, it's about how you get there, who you're with, and in what ways you've changed. That's what has compelled me to keep this blog alive for more than two years now.

So though this is the end of my Adriatic Adventure, it's not the end of this blog.

The next travel adventure is just around the corner!

Athens, The Acropolis, & The LAST Night With Our Group!

Time for the airplane! Today we had to get up early, again, to catch a flight to Athens. Luckily, the airport in Corfu was ACROSS THE STREET. Weird we hadn't noticed a giant airport there before. We walked to the terminal and got our tickets for the flight. As we waited, I snapped this great photo of some of the clowns in our group.

It is too early, miss, to be looking so cheery.

We got on a small airplane, which made Nina very nervous. But she was so tired she fell asleep immediately. Then I woke her up because the flight attendant was offering drinks. I knew that if I didn't wake her up, I would get in trouble, and if I did wake her up, I would get in trouble. So I chose to wake her up. I got in trouble.

Admittedly, we were a little nervous to be arriving in Athens. All over the news we heard about the chaos that was going on. I was getting multiple emails from my parents freaking out. But all we observed on the ground was that the bus from the airport to our hostel was free. All public transportation was free until the austerity measures were decided. The only chaos that ensued was when Nina forgot to put the lid on her water bottle and accidentally poured water all over herself and the bus. She was too tired to even realize what was happening. She just... stared at it as it gently flowed all over everything.

We got off the bus and went in search of our hostel. It was somewhere on a street that didn't allow vehicles.

So this is Athens, eh?

We eventually were able to find our hostel and locate our rooms. We dropped our stuff off, and Nina and I decided to take a quick shower. Funny enough, our showers were communal, so we had to share with the entire floor. When we walked in... well... it was definitely a hostel. In short, it wasn't pretty. We took turns showering, and the door wouldn't lock, so one of us would stand guard for the other. All I really remember was my giant ass not being able to fit in the shower stall. The water would either be burning or freezing, and my big butt kept bouncing around in panic. Oh and the shower was clogged. Nina could not stop staring at the big ass mess that was me. That's why we're friends.

After the disaster in the shower, the gang and I went to look for some lunch. We found a place that was pretty empty and cheap. ...we should've known that was a bad sign.

I ordered a very sad looking Spanakopita as an appetizer.

The food was just... meh. It kinda tasted like it was microwaved and then put in the fridge before getting to our table.

Then I got a heaping pile of cold mess. Blegh.

Well. It was cheap! After our disappointing lunch, we went to look for the Acropolis to see its operating hours and prices. We climbed up a steep hill towards it.

Or at least, we guessed that was it... how many walled things on hills could there be in one city, right?

Then we found this really friendly sign!

Unfortunately, it wasn't really all that helpful.

We kept climbing the hill. It wasn't long before we could see how stunning the view was.

And we didn't even have to pay for anything!

As we kept climbing this mysterious hill, the views kept getting better.

I'm impressed, Athens.

Finally, we reached the base of the Acropolis. Butttt....we couldn't figure out how to get to... to... up there. To the place on top. It's like... right THERE. Right there. But we're here. And that's there.

So how we go from here to there?

We asked some passing tourists, who pointed us in the right direction. We quickly found the entrance. We were originally planning to visit the Acropolis the next day, but since we were here already, we thought we might as well just go on up!

And we did, we went up real good.

We climbed the stairs and walked onto the plateau. The Acropolis of Athens had signs of settlement dating back to 4,000 BCE.

So there's only been about 6,000 years of history here... no biggie.

The complex was huge. I had no idea how large it was and how many buildings and ruins lay scattered about.

The coolest and biggest one being, of course, this guy right here. Mr. Parthenon.

I couldn't take enough pictures of it. I was in awe.

Then Nina happened.

So as I tried to pretend I was a tour guide and give out ludicrous information like, "this was the birthplace of Yoda", Nina was busy photobombing EVERYONE.

There's just something about this place that really gets to you... makes you CRAZY.

We made our way over to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus Finch.

They still have live performances here!

We continued our tour of the Acropolis, taking in the different temples and ruins.

The other side of the Parthenon was under construction. I guess they want to preserve it or something?

The ruins of the Old Temple of Athena were haunting. The Erechtheion behind it impressed me, its columns were made of people!

People columns!

I couldn't quite believe that I was actually here. I'd been wanting to visit the Acropolis since, well, as far back as I can remember.

Considering all the citadels and castles that we had seen this trip... this was the winner. By far.

This structure, thousands of years old, had inspired countless other architects around the world.

So much of what we know about building dates back to this structure.

So, of course, the gang and I had to pose!

Aw, this picture makes me so happy.

Time was ticking, and we still had so much more to explore. We bid farewell to the Parthenon.

BYE I THINK YOU'RE CUTE.

Over the edge of the wall we saw the ancient amphitheater, where some of the first Greek plays were performed. The foundations of western theater were created in this spot.

I NEED TO GET DOWN THERE NOW PLEASE. MUST PAY RESPECTS.

We made our way down the hill, and saw this sign.

WELL IS IT OR ISN'T IT THE TEMPLE OF THEMIS??

It doesn't look like much of anything I'll tell ya.

We finally got to the theater of Dionysus.

This space, dating back to the 6th century B.C.E., was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysus.

Nina and I took seats in the front row, where the Athenian royalty and aristocracy would have been.

I couldn't tell you how much I was nerding out at this point.

I wanted to capture every detail of the monument.

I mean, how crazy is this? This is the location of Western Civilization's very first tragedies and comedies.

And so, the selfies came out.

Attempt #1. I guess the sun was too bright?

We tried again.

Attempt #2, ugh, caught her at a bad moment.

After some adjustments, we finally got it right.

There we go!

After a few silent moments, Nina tore me away from my beloved amphitheater. We then walked back into the city and picked up some delicious gelato.

Ice cream makes me feel better.

We walked back to the hostel to meet up with the rest of the group. Tonight was our last night with them, and to celebrate, we were going to have a spectacular dinner at an authentic Greek restaurant nearby. Along the way, we passed a busy square.

It was packed with people, tourists, and small shops.

We got to the restaurant, an unassuming establishment in the back corner of a random street. I never would have guessed to come here.

BUT IT HAS GIANT WINE BARRELS I LOVE IT YOU'RE MY NEW HOME.

The meal was covered by the company! We received course after course of delicious Greek cuisine. It was a seemingly endless parade of seafood, veggies, roasted meats, and wine.

Needless to say, we got prettyyy toasty.

After dinner, the night was still young. So we all decided to go hit the bars.

THEN I SNAPPED THIS PHOTO. Boy Toe taxi?? BAHAHAHA.

When I turned around, I saw our group standing in the street, as if they were some drunken mob.

Seemed to me the biggest threat to Greece at the moment was us.

We couldn't find any interesting nightlife places nearby, so we took a loooonnnggg walk to a different part of the city.

With my terrible camera phone, this was the last picture I took of the night.

And what a night it was! We all got way too rowdy. We went to bar after bar after bar. Someone grabbed my butt, which was very sweet, and then Nina and I got into a HUGE fight but then we started crying and hugging and made up immediately after, hahaha. There may have been some gay bars interspersed in there, as well.

It was an incredibly fun night. I was sad to say goodbye to everyone. They helped provide some fantastic memories. Luckily, it wasn't our last night with Alex, Pat, or Alison. We still had the entire next day to play!