Greek Islands Are Overrated (JK)

People always tell me that Athens is ugly or that it has no beaches worth visiting and that I really should go to the islands if I want to see a nice beach. While I agree that Greek islands are unreal (see my blog circa 2009), the area around Athens still offers great beaches—if you know where to go.

Well, there is nothing like having great Greek friends, who are locals and know this place inside-out. After sleeping in on this warm Sunday, we met up with Thanasis, who picked us up in his car. The plan was to hit up at least two different beaches, and off we went.

The first place we arrived at has crowds at the popular beach, but Thanasis knew of a "secret" beach that required some tricky terrain navigation on foot. When he asked if we were up for it, Brandon and I did not even hesitate in saying yes. No one likes crowds at the beach.

The mini trek reminded me slightly of walking through rural Guatemala, when our Task Force in 2010 visited a plantation and had to navigate some interesting landscape. But we made it no problem, and the water looked so refreshing!

'Twas.

I brought my underwater/waterproof camera, so into the water we went with the camera. Since Brandon had his goggles and could also swim better, I passed the camera off to him, and he went looking for cool fish and other things to take pictures of. Sure enough, he found a few schools of fish and an octopus, which unfortunately escaped being photographed.

At some point, I looked up and saw a guy rowing by on his surfboard with a puppy on board. It looked hilarious to see a dog running up and down a surfboard. Since I was in the water, it looked like he was running on water.

The weather around 4 PM was quite warm, so we got quite a bit of sun (don't worry, I had plenty of sunscreen). We also brought some ice cold beers, and Brandon and I shotgunned a beer each. I should've known not to race him. He downed that thing so quickly!

Thanasis thought it was so strange that we did these things, and he told the staring couple next to us that we were Americans. Haha. Yep. Thanasis wanted to learn though, so Brandon showed him the steps.

Back in the water, Brandon found other cool stuff, including these really brightly colored fish and lots of sea urchins. The sea urchins are actually quite painful, and he accidentally stepped on one. As we found out, he was supposed to pee on it, so he went off in the bushes to take care of his wound. Apparently, it doesn't only work for jellyfish stings.

We decided to head to the next beach, but not before stopping to pick up some food. I was actually really hungry, but the other guys were okay. So Thanasis brought us to a really great bakery, and we had these awesome sausage in a bun type things. They were delicious.

We also picked up a few more cold beers for the next beach, where Thanasis decided to try shotgunning a beer too. He did it beautifully. Haha.

Then we decided to wade into the water. Sadly, we discovered quite quickly and to our horror that the water was actually pretty dirty. It was the dirtiest water any of us had ever seen in Greece, so we left soon after. Honestly, it wasn't terrible, but there was just a lot of crap in it. The beach area itself looked quite nice though.

From there, we decided to just head to a third and last beach, even though it was already 7 PM. We figured we'd go out there, eat dinner at a seaside taverna, and go for a night swim—all under the Temple of Poseidon on the hill. Brilliant.

It was a bit of a journey though as it's about 65 kilometers or about 40 miles from Athens. No matter. The ride was beautiful since the sun was starting to set. Seriously, there is no place like Greece in the summer. There's a reason why this is the third consecutive summer I have returned...

The Temple of Poseidon was closed by the time we got there (it was nearly 9 PM), but we got pictures anyway. Looked pretty neat.

We were starving though, so we went to dinner at the taverna. We knew going in that it'd be somewhat spendy, but seeing as how we've been eating very frugally, we decided to splurge a bit on this night. Thanasis was also so nice that he said he would cover the fish, so Brandon and I decided to cover the rest.

You can eat cheaply in Athens, but if you start ordering fresh fish, you're talking about much higher prices. And the fish we ate was very fresh. In fact, Thanasis and Brandon handpicked it themselves.

They weigh it and price it before they even start cooking it. So we knew what kind of value we were expecting before eating it. When the food came out though, it was honestly one of the best meals I've ever had in Greece. I had delicious food eating with Taso during our program, but I have always also enjoyed going out with Thanasis or my other Athenian friends since they always know the best spots around.

We were in paradise with all that food, and Brandon was enjoying it all too. I made sure to stay away from the stuff I'm allergic to too, so there were no health problems. :)

After we wolfed down all the small plates, we waited for our fish. When it finally arrived, it did not disappoint. Thanasis skillfully handled the fish (much like another Athenian buddy, Tasos, did last year), and it tasted soooooooo delicious.

Brandon literally ate every part, which was not at all surprising coming from him. This picture still cracks me up though. (No, he didn't eat the tail...but he did eat the eyes, the tongue, and some other parts of the fish that I would've not touched. Haha.).

After a hearty dinner and hefty bill, we decided to move down the beach to chill in the water. It was already 11 PM, but it's warm enough outside that you can swim comfortably (though at first the water is a bit cold). We got a picture of the three of us in the water with the Temple of Poseidon in the far background. Brandon did a great job capturing it all after I failed twice.

I floated on my back in the water for a while and just stared up at the stars. With few lights out and fairly shallow water, it was quite relaxing to see so many stars. I only recognized the Big Dipper, but otherwise it was really relaxing. So much so, I almost fell asleep floating. Oops.

After an exciting day and truly a lot of fun, we made it home at nearly 1:40 AM. Poor Thanasis. He has to open his store tomorrow morning too, so Brandon and I are bringing him coffee and bougatsa, which are pastries from Northern Greece.

It has been an absolute blast hanging out with Thanasis, and I am so grateful to him for spending the time with us. He had wanted to go hiking or something with me last summer, but we never had the time, either because he was working or I had to do research. This summer, with me being in Greece solely for vacation, we found the chance to make it happen, and I'm glad Brandon could come along as well. We're having way too much fun.

Tomorrow, we'll meet Taso's group at the Acropolis after our morning pit stop at Thanasis's store. After a few days here, Brandon will finally do a real touristy Athenian thing. We'll tour the Acropolis and then go to lunch with Nancy, Taso, and friends. Then in the evening, we're having dinner at Thanasis's house, and he's already guaranteed the best food we'll have. Can't wait!

Still much to do and yet so little time left. Perhaps I will have to apply for a Fulbright to Greece sometime in the future. :)

Finally, just a special shout out to my father on this Father's Day. I wouldn't be who I am without you, and I hope someday to be even half as amazing as you are. Thanks for always loving and supporting me. See you in a few more months!

Sam

Good Times in Greece

With continued economic struggles and unemployment among the many challenges Greece faces at the moment, this blog title seems a bit callous. But Brandon and I are doing our best to help the economy by having a good time, which we have been doing successfully.

On Friday morning, I went to the airport to pick up my friend, Nancy, and her classmate, Alison, after their flight from Paris in the wee hours of the morning. Poor kids: they camped out at the airport in Athens until I got them around 8 am.

From there, I took them to their hotel near the Acropolis. Even though I should know that area very well seeing as how I've stayed there for a few weeks in 2009 and 2010, I somehow managed to take us in a gigantic circle. I felt bad since they both had their luggage. If I were them, I would've been pissed at me. They were gracious and nice about it.

They were somewhat tired, but they decided to come hang out with me and Brandon since it was early in the day. So we made our way over to Exarchia Square. Brandon was supposed to meet us there but he ended up getting lost for 45 minutes because he turned one street too early. Oops.

We were getting hungry, so we went to lunch at this co-op place in the neighborhood. Thanasis had taken me there last year, so I remember it being good and relatively cheap. We ate like kings, and the server thought we were so strange for getting some of everything. Normally, they only eat one main thing with sides. We all had a couple of main things. Soooo good.

Definitely filling though. In fact, Brandon helped clean off the girls' plates too. Pig! Haha. JK. That's normally my role, but I haven't eaten much on this trip.

Later, we went back to their hotel, and they found out that AAA had screwed up their booking. So they didn't have a room, and the hotel was already totally packed. So there was a lot of waiting and phone calling, because Athens is 10 hours ahead of PST, and they needed to talk to their rep in Las Vegas.

Long story short, they ended up not getting a room and crashed at Doros' place with me and Brandon. It worked out fine, but it was pretty funny having people just sleeping all over the place. We also went out last night with Thanasis, and it was definitely a long night.

We woke up this morning, and I half expected to see a chicken running around (like in The Hangover). In a very atypical move, I had another coffee this morning (had two yesterday). Crazy.

I also picked up some nice pastries from a Greek bakery to bring to Thanasis. He looked pretty tired from our night out too. Everyone else looked pretty refreshed. :P

Nancy, Alison, and Alex finally got a hotel room at a nice 5-star (Greek rating system) hotel near the Acropolis. It's a nice hotel and has the highest rating, but 5-star in Greece is not like 5-star in the U.S. I'd say this hotel is more of a 3 and a half maybe. But it's still nice.

We helped bring their stuff over and ended up swimming in the pool. Awesome. We all got a bit more tan today for sure.

For dinner, we met up with Taso, who treated us to a wonderful dinner since he felt so bad about their hotel troubles. It was really great to see him. Last time we saw each other was also in Athens for his wedding. The food was great as usual, even though I really didn't eat much.

In the evening, we went to a bar in Plaka to meet with a fellow Fulbrighter, who has been teaching in Athens this year. We met Stephanie at the Berlin Fulbright Conference in March, and we had chatted about Athens (I was quite excited when I found out she was living in Athens back in March). Anyway, she had a farewell party tonight, so we headed out there for a drink or two.

Doros also came along, and my friend, Georgina, also came. She brought her cousin too, so it was great to meet her. My other American friends decided to head back to their hotel early though so they could get a drink at the rooftop bar, and Brandon joined them too. So I stayed behind and caught up with Georgina after Doros had already left. Stephanie and her friends left soon after as well, so it ended up just being me with Georgina and her cousin.

I was feeling tired because of our late night last night, so I wanted to take the Metro before it shut down. However, Georgina offered to drive me home, so I hung out longer. I ended up feeling fine, even though I got home much later than I had planned originally.

Since I hadn't seen her since visiting her in Dublin in January, we took a picture with the Acropolis as our backdrop. But it was so dark that we had some troubles getting her camera to work. So we used mine, and it turned out well.

It was crazy to see so many people still out. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised: it was a Saturday night in Athens. Georgina and her cousin were really very nice to drive me home, but it didn't end without some adventure.

The protestors in Syntagma Square decided to sit in the middle of the main street, which caused a major traffic jam at 3 in the morning! We took pictures and waited for quite a while to get out of there. Pretty crazy stuff.

Anyway, I'm home now, and I'm ready to crash. Tomorrow, we go to the beach with Thanasis, so I'm pumped. This trip has been a blast, but it's flying by too quickly. I wish I could stay for Taso's program, but alas, I have a Fulbright research project to wrap up.

Till next time,

Sam

At Home in Athens

I've said this before, but if there are any places in Europe that I could actually settle down and live in for a few years, they would be 1) Berlin and 2) Athens.

I have traveled to nearly a dozen countries around Europe in the past few years now, and I still feel most "at home" (or most comfortable) in Germany and Greece. Germany is probably the easiest place for me to work and have a professional life, and Greece is most definitely my favorite vacation spot so far.

This morning, I woke up early and headed out to Schönefeld Airport to meet up with Brandon for our flight to Athens. We got there sort of early and made it through security with no problems at all. When we finished, we decided to have a beer before our flight. Good stuff.

I was pretty tired still from not getting much sleep the last few days, so I slept the entire two and a half hours on the plane. My first experience on EasyJet was actually not bad.

We arrived in Athens around 3:30 pm local time, and we headed straight for the Metro stop at the Acropolis to meet with my friend, Doros, whose house Brandon and I are staying at. It's really great to be back, and it really doesn't feel like a year since I've been here.

Doros was nice enough to let us have his whole apartment, while he stays at his girlfriend's place. Talk about great friends...seriously, the Greek people have one of the most welcoming philosophies toward guests in the entire world. Amazing. Philoxenia.

After settling in, we walked around the neighborhood, and we're frankly not even that far from where I used to do all my interviews for research. As we walked out there, we ran into some of the folks I'd interviewed in the past two years, and they recognized me. I assured them I was not back for more interviews this year. :)

I headed there though so we could go visit my friend, Thanasis, who owns a store that sells specialities from Crete. It's a brilliant place, and everyone in the neighborhood knows it. He's a very young entrepreneur, and he was recently featured in Athens News.

He was surprised to see me, but only because he didn't know when to expect me. I'd written to him earlier this month telling him I was coming, but he hadn't had time to respond. In any case, I'm excited because we're going camping this weekend!

We spent a good few hours chilling with him and our friend, Jenny, who lives across the street. I had interviewed her last year too, so it was great to see her again. Brandon and I had planned to pick up some graviera cheese from Thanasis's shop (my favorite Greek cheese, or as he would correct me, "cheese from Crete") and eat it with some bread for dinner.

Thanasis would have none of that. He broke out a gigantic platter of cheeses and meats and gave us tons of snacks to eat. Unbelievable. We also had coffee (yes, I actually drank coffee) and another bottle of beer. Our snack turned into dinner. And with great friends.

After that, we headed up the street and spent another hour or so sitting at the corner cafe and chatting while drinking a few more beers. The rain (unexpected) had passed already, so we sat outside and enjoyed the fresh air.

Doros and his girlfriend had invited us to a free rock concert in Gazi (party district) tonight, so we told our friends that we needed to head out there. Jenny offered to drive us, so we ended up not having to take the Metro. Seriously, having friends in other cities is amazing, and I hope they will come visit me in the States, so I can repay them for their generous hospitality. I'm glad I brought them all Ritter Sport from Berlin. :)

The concert itself was interesting, mainly because I don't really like rock music. But Doros is a friend of one of the musicians, so we went in support of his friends. He actually plays too in his own band. Pretty awesome.

We stayed for a while and chatted with Doros and his girlfriend, Anna. I had interviewed her last year too (I seem to have met all my friends in Athens through my interviews), so we spent the evening chatting about Greece, Europe, and the future of the economy. Clearly, it's been on people's minds.

All is well here though, and we feel perfectly safe. Honestly, you worry less when your local friends aren't exactly worried either. They know where it's safe and where it's not. They said we have nothing to worry about. Still, we're being cautious, and we're having fun.

Tomorrow morning, I'll wake up early to go back to the airport to pick up my friend, Nancy, and two of her classmates. Since they've never been before, I figured it might be nice to have someone guide them to their hotel. I remember first arriving in a new city, and it's difficult to navigate when you have no point of reference.

Our plan tomorrow is to also hit up the National Archaeology Museum of Athens, which is another of my favorite museums in the world. Other than that, we'll be eating some good food and partying it up with my friends. Looking forward to it!

Toodles!

Sam