Arrival in Athens...
Four airports and 35 hours later I'm finally settled into a six person apartment in a part of Athens called Pangrati. The only word to describe my current state would be "exhausted". I've never felt so physically drained. Usually on the plane ride into a new place, I would have anxiously gazed out the window looking for any sign of the new land. This time around, my fatigue caused me to violently knock my head into the window only jolting me into a state of discomfort. In my foggy state, I attempted to regain my composure in order to enjoy my arrival into Athens.
From the air, Athens looks like a pebbly beach. No grass, no space, no air. Buildings cushion each other on either side and the streets twist and turn with no hint of a grid-like pattern. After managing to snag a taxi from the Athens airport, I navigated through the winding streets to the place of our residence. The Athens Centre can only be distinguished from other chaotic buildings by its distinct Greek look. Iron gates protect a stone-covered courtyard while trees bearing luscious fruits sprout from the cracks in the floor.
We had an orientation walk around Pangrati today. For lunch? How about a gyro? Or--as we call them--a "pita gyro katalopoyein". Pita gyro with chicken. Delicious. Did I mention it had french fries in it? We also had the pleasure of dining with our Athens Centre employees at a tiny family-owned Greek restaurant called the Ep'Avli taverna. Greek people eat late. Like, 9-11 p.m. is prime food time. Children of all ages run around the restaurant with little supervision into the late hours of the evening.
Fortunately, our apartment is close to many supermarkets, small restaurants, and cafes, so we'll never run out of food. Grocery shopping has already become a problem because nothing seems to be in English. Go figure.
Tomorrow we walk through downtown Athens. Athens. I'm here. I'm safe. More to come...
From the air, Athens looks like a pebbly beach. No grass, no space, no air. Buildings cushion each other on either side and the streets twist and turn with no hint of a grid-like pattern. After managing to snag a taxi from the Athens airport, I navigated through the winding streets to the place of our residence. The Athens Centre can only be distinguished from other chaotic buildings by its distinct Greek look. Iron gates protect a stone-covered courtyard while trees bearing luscious fruits sprout from the cracks in the floor.
We had an orientation walk around Pangrati today. For lunch? How about a gyro? Or--as we call them--a "pita gyro katalopoyein". Pita gyro with chicken. Delicious. Did I mention it had french fries in it? We also had the pleasure of dining with our Athens Centre employees at a tiny family-owned Greek restaurant called the Ep'Avli taverna. Greek people eat late. Like, 9-11 p.m. is prime food time. Children of all ages run around the restaurant with little supervision into the late hours of the evening.
Fortunately, our apartment is close to many supermarkets, small restaurants, and cafes, so we'll never run out of food. Grocery shopping has already become a problem because nothing seems to be in English. Go figure.
Tomorrow we walk through downtown Athens. Athens. I'm here. I'm safe. More to come...
