Athens & Paros
Every place on earth has its own unique charm, but I have to admit I struggled to find words to describe Athens. I'm sure the charming words to describe Athens are out there somewhere but since I couldn't find them, I'll settle on describing it as sweaty, run-down, and chaotic. Athens can't really help the sweaty part so I will chalk that one up to me not making a wise choice and visiting in the middle of summer. Driving through Athens, the majority of the buildings seem like they are buildings straight out of the early 1970s and most are painted white. Mixed in with these are a few completely abandoned buildings with a few modern buildings scattered in and the occasional Greek ruin thrown in for good measure. Apart from the main tourist shopping areas, the streets are relatively dirty and the street lights sporadically work. All this being said, they still make amazing food. From gyros and baklava to my personal favorite moussaka with a side of pita and tzatziki, the food is something else. It's really cheap too thanks to Greece's struggling economy.
High above the white buildings of Athens stands the Acropolis on a mountain top. This main attraction of Athens used to be the center of ancient Greece and held the temples dedicated to their many gods. The most notable of these that still stands today is the Parthenon which of course was under restorations as all major monuments this trip have seemed to be. The 360 degree view of Athens from the top definitely makes the sweaty hike to the top worth it.
In recent years, Greece has been known for some pretty intense riots against the government as many Greek citizens are unhappy with the current system and they don't know any other way to make their voice heard. One evening in Athens I had the experience of being caught in one of these violent riots. While walking to dinner, I walked by a few hundred people demonstrating outside of a government building. There were a few people who were yelling at police officers but nothing crazy; however, you could feel the tension that something was going to break out soon enough. It was actually kind of comical to watch as some people were yelling at the police while wearing motorcycle helmets and holding baseball bats and every once in a while they would leave the mob, go to a near by coffee shop and walk out with a coffee and a water like they were just out for a stroll with a motorcycle helmet and baseball bat. As dinner was finishing a couple blocks away, I heard what sounded like a grenade going off. I did what any smart person would do - quickly paid the bill and ran towards the riot to see what was happening. When I got there, the scene was completely different. There were now lines of riot police with shields and gas masks shooting tear gas canisters into the crowds of rioters along with rubber bullets and bean bags. At the same time, the people in the crowd all had masks over their faces and were attacking the police with bats and throwing anything from beer bottles to lit flares at the line of police. As I stood a block away from this violence I suddenly started to cough pretty hard and my eyes were watering like my dog just died. It took me a second to realize that the tear gas had actually drifted over to where I was standing. Again, I did what any smart person would do - I just covered my face and kept watching. After a while as the crowds were getting larger, I turned around to find a line of riot police who somehow snuck up directly behind me. I had rioters on one side of me and riot police aiming tear gas cannons on the other side of me. Finally I got the message that it was time for me to leave. I talked with a local reporter during this who told me they were rioting about the name change of Macedonia. I have no idea why so many people are that passionate about it but it was amazing to see.
After all that adventure, it was time to head to a Greek island and hit the beach. The first island I went to is Paros. It was a typical Greek island - desert like terrain with very blue water surrounding the island and the white houses dotting the island. It had a very relaxing vibe to it with great seafood as a bonus. It was the perfect place to hang out on the beach (although if you are looking for sand like a Hawaiian beach this is not the place for you), go for a boat cruise, and just enjoy life.
