I had high expectations for Greece and even more for Athens. Learning about greek mythology in high school and college always excited me and took great interest to know a lot about the different gods. I knew coming into the country, that things won’t be like the ancient days of Greece but my imagination already ran wild and free with it.
I knew the country, now, has been going through some tough times economically and the influx of refugees was also on my mind. I tried not to let that cloud my mind and ruin the beauty and complex culture that Greece has to offer.
Here’s a list of things I first noticed when I arrived in Athens:
- Airport is super nice and clean
- Language, ok difficult to read and understand but they had phonetically labeled them for us foreigners (thank you Greece)
- People are a bit closed, no bull shit attitude
- City center is bare and empty
- Lots of graffiti (not street art)
- Though it was early Oct, it was super dry and hot
- Food was AMAZING: Freshest salads I’ve ever eaten
- Lots of tourist traps
- Natives want to reel you into their store/shop/restaurant
- Signs are hard to find for the magnificent landmarks around the city (get a tour guide to help)
I could go on and on but those were my initial thoughts the first day I was in Athens.
