I am now fully focussed on my time in Greece. I spent the day yesterday walking around Athens. It was amazing and I remembered where everything was. I got a bit of a late start as I didn't arrive at the hostel until after 8:00am and laid down for 20 minutes just to get a little bit of energy. I found I haven't been sleeping very much the last few weeks - something that probably comes along with travel and seeing so much.
I rode the metro into Syntagma Square (it was free yesterday in honour of Women's Day) and found the hotel I have to go to for my tour which starts this morning. Then I spent 5 hours walking through the streets of Athens. I went to Plaka and Monastiraki (the shopping areas) and sat in the Agora for a break. It was warm in the morning but in the afternoon it started to rain. It was wonderful to walk around in the rain - it was cool, fresh and not as busy!
I ate lunch in a small cafe in Monastiraki. I had Greek Salad (the real stuff and the feta was wonderful), tzatziki and to close Greek yoghurt (see picture below). It was a nice break from the walking and a taste of Greek cuisine.
When I got back to the hostel, I just vegged out and talked with some people in the hostel. One girl just got back from Egypt, where she travelled for 10 days on her own, and it was interesting to hear about her experiences. She did not have a good time and was glad to leave. It was upsetting for me to hear about her struggles and relief to leave as it was so different from my own experiences. But I feel that since I was immersed in the culture and was continually learning along the way (plus having the safety of being on a tour) I feel that I connected with the people and understood a bit more of why things happen the way they do. So I am really glad I went on a tour into Egypt. And it also has made me realize that I need to be open minded when travelling: I know I will encounter differences and struggles but I always need to remember that I am a guest in their country and I need to respect that. I feel that in order to fully appreciate my time away from home, I need to immerse myself and not be afraid.
So away I go to absorb Greek culture and see the sights in the Peloponnese (for those who don't know where that is, it is the peninsula attached to mainland Greece by the Corinth Canal). I will be ging to Corinth, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Olympia, Delphi and Meteora.
So until the next post, talk to you then.
Love, Lisa
P.S. Thank you everyone for the comments. I do read and appreciate them. Please stay in touch!
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1 comment:
Hi Lisa! I almost can't believe this is the same person I knew just a few weeks ago. Good for you! But. . fish eyes??
My favourite picture is the shadow of you on the camel - prize winning (if I had a vote).
Our vacation was great - and I would have commented sooner except that I'm too stupid to figure it out - until today, when your mom was here to show me how to do it. (Sonja says same for her).
I look forward to more good stuff!
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