Athens, the land of Grecian architecture, delicious gyros and a huge flea market! We have been exploring the city again, much like we did in Rome. We walk everywhere, which I love that we are able to do. Mark, who we met at the last hostel has been traveling with us so it makes for a good dynamic with the four of us...he usually keeps us on track to where we are going most of the time!
Yesterday, we slept in til about noon because we hadn't gotten into our hostel til about 2:30 am from the airport after flying in from Corfu. We had heard there was a huge fresh produce type market on sundays near the flea market til about 2 so we went exploring, as we usually do. We found the flea market fairly easy since it is huge and probably about 6 or seven different streets. We asked a few people but couldn't find it so we just trekked around the flea market looking at all the cheap, knock-offs there are to buy, like the NEKE (instead of NIKE) sweatshirts and Calvin Klain (instead of Klein) underwear that we spotted and had a laugh about. We found delicious souvlaki for about 2 euros (which is like a shredded chicken pita) and great capuccino freddo (sweetened ice capuccino) at a cafe off one of the main streets. Probably one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had, and we all know how much coffee I drink! I got addicted to them when we were in Italy. I love the street vendors everywhere that we go where you can buy peanuts, roasted corn or chestnuts, sugar donuts, and gyros or souvlaki. We've had souvlaki now for all our main meals and we definitely stopped at McDonald's for 1 euro coffee this morning!
Today we visted the Acropolis and surrounding ruins that were the main part of the city in ancient times. The structures are amazing and Mark told us that one of the reasons why ancient structres are still so intact is because of the pure mixtures used for their "cement." Also another little fun fact is that the columns that occur in most of the structures were put together in pieces, rather than the one huge chuck of marble I always assumed the columns were carved out of. Like Rome, words cannot describe and pictures cannot depict how these structures look. We also went through the Agorra below the Acropolis and also a museum that had different pottery, jewelry and statues. While the statues are missing parts, they are still huge pieces of marble, but it would be amazing to see their actual size if they were whole again.
We did a little shopping as well, since I needed to buy a few warm and cheap things for my trip to London in a few days! We are now at a 24 hour internet cafe and going to have another cheap souvlaki from a "dirty street vendor" as Erica likes to refer to them as, but they are the best we've had!
4 comments:
I keep trying to post stuff but it won't let me because the things I am posting are too marvelous for this blog.
On my third attempt I just want to say, have fun eating European tacos and buying cheap knock offs at an international swap meet. I love the idea of spending thousands of dollars so you can save 2 Euros on a pair of shoes that say Neke instead of Nike. THAT is a bargain!
Seriously though, can't wait to have you back and I hope the rest of your trip is great!
well another fun fact about those columns...some of those columns would take a mans entire life to construct. In addition, the stone mason would take each section from beginning to end. He would begin the shape and then bring it to the building site to finish forming it on the column. That's pretty crazy compared to todays standards where some people never see the ending product of what they start.
Brings an interesting perspective to Christ and to the passage in Ephesians about being fit together. Just a side note. =)
Enjoy the rest of your trip and learn as much history as you can! It's really rich over there.
Sounds like you are having a wonderful time, but reading between the lines, it also sounds like you are ready to come home and sleep in your own bed, ahhhh there is nothing like your own bed and the comforts of home.
Can't wait till you are back home. Enjoy the rest of your trip, we love you and miss you.
Grandpa misses you too.
Yeah so I was like a month behind cus I didn't know you had been posting this whole time! Haha good thing you sent an e-mail right now :) Wow I feel like I am there with you when you tell all your stories...everything so amazing!!! I am glad you are exploring so much and what an amazing adventure you must be having! I can't wait to see all your pictures!!!
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