Amygdalia's Blog

Greece, part 1

While I did keep a daily journal during my trip to Greece, I’ve decided that it will be more interesting and entertaining for everyone else if I share my experience in a slightly different way (who needs to read about what time I woke up, and whether I had breakfast before showering, eh?) 

The time leading up to the trip was incredibly stressful for me.  I’ve been yearning to return to Greece for almost 16 years (last visit was our honeymoon in Sept of ’93).  Being devastated after having to cancel a trip to Spain 3 years ago, my anxiety level over this trip actually happening was extreme.  I worried constantly about getting sick, and became somewhat obsessive about it.  Fortunately, though both Liz and I had sick family members in the week leading up to our departure, we both managed to stay healthy!

The trip itself was everything we’d hoped for, and more.  We arrived in Athens on Friday, March 6th, at around 2:30 PM.  Utterly exhausted, but giddy with joy, we filed into our hotel room and opened the curtains to find a few of the Acropolis with the Parthenon front and center.  Relief and joy mixed with disbelief that we’d actually made this happen, and I came very close to tears in that moment. 

It’s difficult to explain the connection I feel to Greece, except to say that in many ways I feel like it’s my home.  After being away from home for so many years, of course I was expecting many changes.  What I was not expecting was that I would immediately feel like I’d never left, despite those changes.  While my language skills have languished from disuse, and I did not spend as much time polishing them as I should have, my comfort level increased quickly.  There were a few times when I could easily have said something in Greek, and ended up relying on English instead.  Can I blame it on fatigue?  Like the time I went down to the hotel lobby, the entire ride down the elevator repeating to myself “dia nerakia, parakalo.  Dia nerakia parakalo.  Dia nerakia, parakalo . . .” only to get downstairs and says “two bottles of water, please.”  Interestingly, though, when I DID speak Greek, I was invariably asked #1 - where I was from and #2 – were my parents Greek?  My accent is still good . . . my professors would be proud!  Liz learned a handful of words in preparation for the trip, and did a fabulous job picking up more while we were traveling.  Which she apparently spoke with a French accent, because every time she said something, she would get a reply in French!

One of the most fascinating changes that I noticed during our trip had little to do with construction.  While I was studying in Athens, we did not have telephones in our apartments.  It was explained to us that it was very difficult to get telephone service, and it often took a couple of years to get a phone.  As a result, most people would use the telephones provided (for a fee, of course) at the peripteros (corner kiosks) if they needed to make a call.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that people in Greece now use their cell phones more than we do here, in the United States.  Everyone was talking on their cell phones, walking down the streets, in the shops, while sightseeing . . . it was utterly pervasive. 

Nonetheless, I still found the people to be as warm and friendly as I had during my previous experiences.  A simple “evxaristo” (thank you) would invariably bring a big smile and genuinely grateful reply.  We were remembered, as well.  There were a few shop owners and taverna proprietors whom we visited more than once, and we were always greeted so warmly upon our return.  For anyone planning to travel to Athens, I highly recommend To Xani taverna in Plaka, on Adrianou Street, and Emblem jewelry store on Makrigianni Street, just down a few doors from the Acropolis Metro station. 

We went to To Xani for dinner on three different occasions.  The first evening we enjoyed a small meal, but were blown away by how good the tzatziki and xoriatiki salata were.  As a result we decided to return a few nights later, and ordered a larger meal.  Again, the food was excellent, and the waiters clearly remembered us and spent time chatting with us.  There was live music and I’ve had one of the songs echoing through my head ever since.  We also returned on our last night, to find a much busier dining room.  The waiter apologized and said they had a large group coming in that evening, and asked if we’d mind sitting in the smaller back dining room.  We had a wonderfully cozy table right next to a beautiful statue (which Liz kindly took a photo of, at my request).  Our waiter was impressed when Liz ordered the meal for us.  At the end of the meal, she gestured to him and asked for the bill (in Greek – GO Liz!) . . . and he brought over 2 glasses of wine for us, on the house!  We hadn’t told him it was our last evening; what a wonderful gesture to express his appreciation of our return business, and what a wonderful way to end our final meal!

The jewelry shop was about 3 or so blocks from our hotel, and we passed it each time we headed to Plaka.  One evening we stopped in, and were greeted by the owner who asked “how many thousands of Euros would you like to spend?”  We laughed and started chatting with him, and just thoroughly enjoyed being in his shop.  I found a beautiful pair of earrings with a Greek key design, and although I had really wanted a pendant (sadly, the matching pendant had already been sold to someone from Alabama, I was told) I bought the earrings.  His son (who was about 7, I think) came over at one point, to ask his dad a question . . . he was the most adorable little boy!  So goofy me, I decided to go back the next day and bring the little boy a pack of gum (really the only thing I’d brought with me that I could have brought him).  It was gratefully accepted, and we laughed about the fact that he could get the very same gum right outside at the periptero – but THIS gum was from America!  We returned to the shop on our final night, to say goodbye, and ended up chatting with the owner for at least half an hour.  He has beautiful jewelry, and also painted wooden signs.  Check out his website.  http://www.emblemgr.gr/

So far I’ve not described any of the sites that we visited, or the day trips that we took.  I’ll get to those, but for now stop, having hopefully shared a bit of my experience that will leave you with a little sense of the country that is Greece.