You may be wondering why I haven't posted in ages. Or you may not.
I have---
To study for:
1 Final Exam in Art History
1 Final Exam in Contemporary Greece
Write:
7-10 pages on Politics in Greek Art
Visit:
2 Museums -Byzantine and the New Acropolis
Do:
Last minute shopping.
Pack:
All my crap.
In 48 hours.
Ready.
Set.
Go.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
7/1 Sorry
I'm so bad with posting. Internet hates me here.
I'm headed to Santorini for four days!! Don't expect anything til Monday. And yes, Santorini is where Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed.
Love you all and wish you all were here with me! <3
I'm headed to Santorini for four days!! Don't expect anything til Monday. And yes, Santorini is where Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed.
Love you all and wish you all were here with me! <3
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
6/30 Too much
Plaka can be so overwhelming at times. We wandered in today to get some last minute souvenirs. Of course, when I say we were getting souvenirs, I mean we were distracted by the jewelry stores. And by we, I mean some of the girls... I was perfectly happy just eating my gelatto. We were warmly welcomed into this one store... maybe a bit too warmly?
Walking in, we initially were just talking to the owner of the store. Lexi wanted to find a bracelet with an evil eye and a cross with white saphires set in. Immediately they promised they could custom make one for her. We just had to wait for the designer.
So we waited. And waited.
......
And waited.
......
No, no, just wait.
Meanwhile we were introduced to the owner's brother and his son. Let's call the owner's son "Uncle" Gah. Talk about awkward situations. He immediately set about asking for our ages. Going down the line... 20? 21? ....18? 18? Perfectttt~ What?! Liza and I were immediately pulled up from the rest of the group and we were seated next to the son. I was literally pulled by my arm even though I tried to push the uncle away. The son looked wicked embarassed. Sitting awkwardly there, I couldn't even say "hi". Not because I was shy, but because I had a mouth full of gelatto.
Uncle: "Talk to him. I'm sure he will like you"... "Jerry, you think she's cute right?"
Me: "..... *silence: ice cream in mouth*....."
Liza: *runs back to where she was sitting*
Me: *thinking "crap, you ditcher"*
Jerry (son): "Hi?"
Me: *thinking "wtf"* Hi....
Uncle: "Isn't she so cute?"
Me & Jerry: *both thinking: wtfffffff*
I learned more about the son from his uncle than from the son himself. He's a gymnast. 23. Likes to go to clubs. Has a porsche. Apparently that's all I needed to know? Eventually while we were waiting, I decided to at least make use of the situation. I found out important things about greek life....Best club in Athens? Akrotiri. In Greek spell it: AKPOTHPI and a cab can take you there. Jerry told me that it opened Thursday nights, and that he would be there. When I said we might go, he said we would see him there that Thursday. Too bad we're headed to Santorini. Don't get me wrong, Jerry was a cute kid. Maybe kid isn't the word. He's older than me. But... not my type.
Meanwhile, this uncle keeps going back and forth between the group of girls and where Jerry & I were sitting. He keeps pinching my cheek and going "Oh my goodness, you're so cute". What am I? Five years old? Sure I act like it around my friends... but he didn't know me.
He asked us to guess his age, at which time I made a dash towards the group of girls. Lexi guessed 62. To be polite, I guessed 42. Corey guessed 50? Liza refrained. He was 38. Damn we were off. Not only that, but we saw a picture of his wife? ... She's 21. The same age as Lexi. This is when we were all significantly creeped out. A man that looked 62 had a 21 year old wife? He tried to convince us this was normal in Greece. He was NOT 38. I wish I had taken a picture of him so I could prove it. When I looked up, I asked Jerry with my eyes if what his uncle was saying was true... He looked mildly embarassed and nodded yes. Jerry's uncle was dating someone younger than him... How weird would that be for you? If my uncle was dating a girl younger than me? I'd flip.
After waiting a while. And after being creeped out. We made a getaway saying we'd be back in 10 minutes. They had kept us there a good half hour just waiting for the designer. Making a dash we kept going... Liza got her antitragus pierced, I got another cartilage piercing (so now I have two in a row on my left ear), and Corey got her nose pierced. It was a day for spontaneity. It's my last piercing I swear. It was only 10 euros, I couldn't resist. They charged me $40 in the states. Plus, they didn't do it with a needle but with a gun? A click thing. Painless and quick. Could have gotten a tattoo too.... but let's save that for another trip, shall we?
While waiting for Corey and Liza to get their piercings... I started talking to a guy that owns a leather store right across from the piercing place. Interesting guy... About mid 20's, tall, Greek, and had glasses. I have a thing for guys in glasses. He was an East Asian Studies Major at his university. He stayed in Thailand for six months and has traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia. He just got back from Thailand two weeks ago. We talked for a while about traveling and languages. He said Vietnamese was a beautiful language. Brownie points. Plus brownie points for traveling to Southeast Asia. I was impressed.
I told him I would come back next week if I had money left for the purse I had been eyeing. He invited me back to talk to him even if I didn't want to buy the purse though. He said that he knew I would spend all my money in Santorini (and not on the purse) but he wanted to learn more about where I've traveled and my opinion of Greece before I left for the States. It was too bad I was dead tired and wanted to go home, or I would've stayed to talk for a bit longer. He was interesting. I want to pick his brain about Greek politics. I wonder if he knows anything about it.
Dead tired by the time we got back. That's the end.
Walking in, we initially were just talking to the owner of the store. Lexi wanted to find a bracelet with an evil eye and a cross with white saphires set in. Immediately they promised they could custom make one for her. We just had to wait for the designer.
So we waited. And waited.
......
And waited.
......
No, no, just wait.
Meanwhile we were introduced to the owner's brother and his son. Let's call the owner's son "Uncle" Gah. Talk about awkward situations. He immediately set about asking for our ages. Going down the line... 20? 21? ....18? 18? Perfectttt~ What?! Liza and I were immediately pulled up from the rest of the group and we were seated next to the son. I was literally pulled by my arm even though I tried to push the uncle away. The son looked wicked embarassed. Sitting awkwardly there, I couldn't even say "hi". Not because I was shy, but because I had a mouth full of gelatto.
Uncle: "Talk to him. I'm sure he will like you"... "Jerry, you think she's cute right?"
Me: "..... *silence: ice cream in mouth*....."
Liza: *runs back to where she was sitting*
Me: *thinking "crap, you ditcher"*
Jerry (son): "Hi?"
Me: *thinking "wtf"* Hi....
Uncle: "Isn't she so cute?"
Me & Jerry: *both thinking: wtfffffff*
I learned more about the son from his uncle than from the son himself. He's a gymnast. 23. Likes to go to clubs. Has a porsche. Apparently that's all I needed to know? Eventually while we were waiting, I decided to at least make use of the situation. I found out important things about greek life....Best club in Athens? Akrotiri. In Greek spell it: AKPOTHPI and a cab can take you there. Jerry told me that it opened Thursday nights, and that he would be there. When I said we might go, he said we would see him there that Thursday. Too bad we're headed to Santorini. Don't get me wrong, Jerry was a cute kid. Maybe kid isn't the word. He's older than me. But... not my type.
Meanwhile, this uncle keeps going back and forth between the group of girls and where Jerry & I were sitting. He keeps pinching my cheek and going "Oh my goodness, you're so cute". What am I? Five years old? Sure I act like it around my friends... but he didn't know me.
He asked us to guess his age, at which time I made a dash towards the group of girls. Lexi guessed 62. To be polite, I guessed 42. Corey guessed 50? Liza refrained. He was 38. Damn we were off. Not only that, but we saw a picture of his wife? ... She's 21. The same age as Lexi. This is when we were all significantly creeped out. A man that looked 62 had a 21 year old wife? He tried to convince us this was normal in Greece. He was NOT 38. I wish I had taken a picture of him so I could prove it. When I looked up, I asked Jerry with my eyes if what his uncle was saying was true... He looked mildly embarassed and nodded yes. Jerry's uncle was dating someone younger than him... How weird would that be for you? If my uncle was dating a girl younger than me? I'd flip.
After waiting a while. And after being creeped out. We made a getaway saying we'd be back in 10 minutes. They had kept us there a good half hour just waiting for the designer. Making a dash we kept going... Liza got her antitragus pierced, I got another cartilage piercing (so now I have two in a row on my left ear), and Corey got her nose pierced. It was a day for spontaneity. It's my last piercing I swear. It was only 10 euros, I couldn't resist. They charged me $40 in the states. Plus, they didn't do it with a needle but with a gun? A click thing. Painless and quick. Could have gotten a tattoo too.... but let's save that for another trip, shall we?
While waiting for Corey and Liza to get their piercings... I started talking to a guy that owns a leather store right across from the piercing place. Interesting guy... About mid 20's, tall, Greek, and had glasses. I have a thing for guys in glasses. He was an East Asian Studies Major at his university. He stayed in Thailand for six months and has traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia. He just got back from Thailand two weeks ago. We talked for a while about traveling and languages. He said Vietnamese was a beautiful language. Brownie points. Plus brownie points for traveling to Southeast Asia. I was impressed.
I told him I would come back next week if I had money left for the purse I had been eyeing. He invited me back to talk to him even if I didn't want to buy the purse though. He said that he knew I would spend all my money in Santorini (and not on the purse) but he wanted to learn more about where I've traveled and my opinion of Greece before I left for the States. It was too bad I was dead tired and wanted to go home, or I would've stayed to talk for a bit longer. He was interesting. I want to pick his brain about Greek politics. I wonder if he knows anything about it.
Dead tired by the time we got back. That's the end.
Monday, June 29, 2009
6/29 Soundtrack
of many mornings. I thought I would share with you, what I wake up to now.
The music in the background is from the man playing the accordian that I zoom up on towards the end of the video.
Love it? I do.
Class again. Presentations again. Passed in my takehome midterm. In class, I was able to identify some of the artifacts in the powerpoint because I had seen them in the Louvre. My personal favorite? The Venus de Milo. If you're close to me, you probably already know why I love her so much. If not, just ask me sometime if you're a friend.
I can now somewhat identify the time period in which a Greek piece was made (up to the Hellenistic period). I can definitely tell the difference between Hellenistic and Classical pieces. Maybe not practical knowledge, but definitely made me happy. Crazy the things you pick up in classes... If I could I'd spend my entire life learning. Is that a crazy thought? I think if I could, I'd like to be a professor and spend my entire life researching... Hm, I'm not sure that's a normal thought.
Spent most of the day after class reading Greek mythology. I rationalized that I was doing research for my paper... but really, those myths are just addicting. Plus, the fact that I'm reading about Greek myths in Greece? That's pretty cool to me.
All the names of places they mention, some of them no longer exist, but I know what the present day sites are known as. Many stories, you can find two-three depictions of in various sculptures, reliefs, and paintings. Heroes that are glorified in stories? I've met face to bronze face with them. Goddesses and gods? I've also met face to marble face with them. Sometimes I don't know if reading the myths remind me of the sculptures I've seen, or if the sculptures I've seen remind me of the myths I've just read about. I've been to so many museums that it seems like these myths are coming alive. They've permeated.
Connections keep my mind busy. Plus knowing the myths... It's as useful as knowing bible stories in the United States. Not completely necessary (excuse me, I'm Buddhist) but very handy when a politician, a movie, or a book alludes to them. Plus if there's a story to a piece, you can always remember it better, right? Reading myths is a great way to study. This is me rationalizing.
Does art reflect life? Or does life reflect art?
The music in the background is from the man playing the accordian that I zoom up on towards the end of the video.
Love it? I do.
Class again. Presentations again. Passed in my takehome midterm. In class, I was able to identify some of the artifacts in the powerpoint because I had seen them in the Louvre. My personal favorite? The Venus de Milo. If you're close to me, you probably already know why I love her so much. If not, just ask me sometime if you're a friend.
I can now somewhat identify the time period in which a Greek piece was made (up to the Hellenistic period). I can definitely tell the difference between Hellenistic and Classical pieces. Maybe not practical knowledge, but definitely made me happy. Crazy the things you pick up in classes... If I could I'd spend my entire life learning. Is that a crazy thought? I think if I could, I'd like to be a professor and spend my entire life researching... Hm, I'm not sure that's a normal thought.
Spent most of the day after class reading Greek mythology. I rationalized that I was doing research for my paper... but really, those myths are just addicting. Plus, the fact that I'm reading about Greek myths in Greece? That's pretty cool to me.
All the names of places they mention, some of them no longer exist, but I know what the present day sites are known as. Many stories, you can find two-three depictions of in various sculptures, reliefs, and paintings. Heroes that are glorified in stories? I've met face to bronze face with them. Goddesses and gods? I've also met face to marble face with them. Sometimes I don't know if reading the myths remind me of the sculptures I've seen, or if the sculptures I've seen remind me of the myths I've just read about. I've been to so many museums that it seems like these myths are coming alive. They've permeated.
Connections keep my mind busy. Plus knowing the myths... It's as useful as knowing bible stories in the United States. Not completely necessary (excuse me, I'm Buddhist) but very handy when a politician, a movie, or a book alludes to them. Plus if there's a story to a piece, you can always remember it better, right? Reading myths is a great way to study. This is me rationalizing.
Does art reflect life? Or does life reflect art?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
6/28 Tourists
would never travel more than 50 feet to get to a site. Which makes us different from tourists. We're students. And we were dragged. We did not go voluntarily. We would have rather gone to the beach... but I'm glad we were forced to go, or else we would have no idea what we would have missed.
It was the most gorgeous sites I've been to yet. I know I keep saying that, but this time it really is true. The Ramnous site holds not only the Temple of Nemesis, but also a huge citadel right by the sea with a view of the island Euboea? (sp?) Yet again, the citadel had the most gorgeous view. Starting to notice a pattern?
One word to describe it: Breathless.
Two reasons: It was breathtaking and because we had a ways to hike and I was out of breath at the end.
Good point to the day: Professor Leonard kept his lecture short! Woo~ We weren't in the hot boiling sun for that long. It was the one site I wished we could've stayed a little longer though, despite the heat. Other people were really excited to head to the beach, but I wouldn't have minded staying another half hour there. I mean we hiked all the way there, we might as well completely savor it, right? I felt rushed. I'll be back one day though. I hope. Knock on wood.
Yesterday night?
Went to Monastiraki Square again. Had a fun time. Got hit on by Greek guys that could speak French? Walked quickly away with Corey.
I feel like Greek guys think they can spit game, but they really can't. I always have a feeling of disgust when they approach me. I'm pretty sure it's because I always have a gut feeling that they really have no respect for women whatsoever. Maybe because they don't even bother to ask for my name and just ask where my apartment is? Maybe because they don't want a conversation? They blatantly stare and whistle. I'm talking about guys of all ages right now. From 20-50 years old. Ew. They really just don't care though.
Now don't get me wrong. I love meeting new people. But it's just the vibe is all wrong. Don't look at me like that... like... I don't have thoughts. As if I'm easy just because I'm American. Ugh, there I said it. I want to throw up now... But maybe it's guys at all clubs and bars. But really, is asking for my name too much work? And SMILE, don't smirk as if you know me. I'm so aggravated just thinking about it. Fyi, I'm not a self-declared feminist or anything. Just a girl. This is not a rant to all guys, or even just Greek guys. I'm sure there are nice Greek guys. This is a rant to guys that act like... all of the above details. I'm just meeting the wrong Greek guys, I guess.
Walked home because the taxi cab with the other girls were too full. Walking through Greece at night is quite nice once you get away from the hubbub of the bars. Generally most places in Plaka you have a view of the Acropolis lighted up at night. There's little food vendors out at night for the drunkards (I suppose UD's version of DP dough) and random Greek music playing everywhere as you pass the clubs and outdoor weddings. There's always a soft scent of flowers as well. I wonder if Greece always has fragant flowers all year round. Not going to lie though, I walked a little faster by those dark alleys. It's safe, but not that safe. Just like any other city.
It was the most gorgeous sites I've been to yet. I know I keep saying that, but this time it really is true. The Ramnous site holds not only the Temple of Nemesis, but also a huge citadel right by the sea with a view of the island Euboea? (sp?) Yet again, the citadel had the most gorgeous view. Starting to notice a pattern?
One word to describe it: Breathless.
Two reasons: It was breathtaking and because we had a ways to hike and I was out of breath at the end.
Good point to the day: Professor Leonard kept his lecture short! Woo~ We weren't in the hot boiling sun for that long. It was the one site I wished we could've stayed a little longer though, despite the heat. Other people were really excited to head to the beach, but I wouldn't have minded staying another half hour there. I mean we hiked all the way there, we might as well completely savor it, right? I felt rushed. I'll be back one day though. I hope. Knock on wood.
Yesterday night?
Went to Monastiraki Square again. Had a fun time. Got hit on by Greek guys that could speak French? Walked quickly away with Corey.
I feel like Greek guys think they can spit game, but they really can't. I always have a feeling of disgust when they approach me. I'm pretty sure it's because I always have a gut feeling that they really have no respect for women whatsoever. Maybe because they don't even bother to ask for my name and just ask where my apartment is? Maybe because they don't want a conversation? They blatantly stare and whistle. I'm talking about guys of all ages right now. From 20-50 years old. Ew. They really just don't care though.
Now don't get me wrong. I love meeting new people. But it's just the vibe is all wrong. Don't look at me like that... like... I don't have thoughts. As if I'm easy just because I'm American. Ugh, there I said it. I want to throw up now... But maybe it's guys at all clubs and bars. But really, is asking for my name too much work? And SMILE, don't smirk as if you know me. I'm so aggravated just thinking about it. Fyi, I'm not a self-declared feminist or anything. Just a girl. This is not a rant to all guys, or even just Greek guys. I'm sure there are nice Greek guys. This is a rant to guys that act like... all of the above details. I'm just meeting the wrong Greek guys, I guess.
Walked home because the taxi cab with the other girls were too full. Walking through Greece at night is quite nice once you get away from the hubbub of the bars. Generally most places in Plaka you have a view of the Acropolis lighted up at night. There's little food vendors out at night for the drunkards (I suppose UD's version of DP dough) and random Greek music playing everywhere as you pass the clubs and outdoor weddings. There's always a soft scent of flowers as well. I wonder if Greece always has fragant flowers all year round. Not going to lie though, I walked a little faster by those dark alleys. It's safe, but not that safe. Just like any other city.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
6/27 A Day in Ruins...
Now that I've gotten that joke out... Headed to Mycenae today and saw some pretty cool stuff; asian tourists who were wicked fobby, the corinthian canal where I want to go bungee jumping, stray kittens, a kid chasing bubbles around, a stranger taking a picture of us, and a million worry beads all in one tiny store.
Just kidding. I saw some epic scenery while I was at the Mycenae ruins. Remember what I said about how the Greeks MUST have put thought into the view? Of course you don't. Just know that the view always gets better as you're walking up. Which might be the reason why I hike: for the view that is. It's even better hiking here, than in New England though because there are no trees to block your view on the way up... I could do without the heat though.
We could see the ruins on the lower part of the citadel getting smaller as we walked up. The complete view consisted of the ruins laying just a few miles from a nearby town. It was a nice contrast. The new and the old side by side. Makes your head boggle to think of the time difference. Will people be picking apart our buildings 2,000 years from now? What happened to the people there? They just vanished. Every ancient civilization seems to have disappeared at it's peak. Makes me wonder what would happen if we ever reached our full potential... Are we close to reaching our limits? Some historians speculate that there must be a common end for all civilizations (ancient or not). Perhaps plague. Maybe natural disaster. But no one knows for sure what happened in the past...which gives us more to think about in terms of the future. Will the world end in fire or in ice?.... Anyone? Everyone should know that reference. If not, shame on you for sleeping through high school english class.
Best part today? Tholos' Tomb (sp?). Incredible. The stones used to build that place was absolutely ginormous. The lintel block that supports the doorway? Largest chunk of marble I have ever seen in my life. How the hell did they get that up there? And the beehive structure? Amazing.
Someone was on one hell of a power trip when he had that tomb designed. Stories have it that cyclops must've built the tomb. After seeing it, I totally believe it. Cyclops existed guys. I swear. Seeing Grace Circle A was also wicked cool after learning so much about it... but not as much fun to blog about it. Just know that supposedly the Mask of Agamemnon was found here. But Schliemann when he excavated the area might have just planted the mask there. So the mask at the National Archaeological Museum could be fake... but no one is allowed to inspect it, even though you would know immediately under a microscope. Want to bet a dollar on it Kumar?? You have no idea what I'm talking about.
Got lost in Nauplion.
Had the most delicious gelatto at a small place called Antique Gelatto that was run by real Italians. Caramel & Straciatelli. Orgasm. Completely made up for THE most horrible lunch I've ever had in my life. Don't ever eat at Goody's. It's the Greek's version of Burger King and McDonald's but worse. I love a hamburger as much as the next person, but that was not meat.
Ran up and down the theater steps at Epidaurus. Nearly died. My dad's going to kill me for posing with peace signs.
Then nearly fell out of my seat several times as I was trying to nap on the bus. Now I'm home. Oh, sweet home. Is it weird that I consider this place home only after two weeks?
Just kidding. I saw some epic scenery while I was at the Mycenae ruins. Remember what I said about how the Greeks MUST have put thought into the view? Of course you don't. Just know that the view always gets better as you're walking up. Which might be the reason why I hike: for the view that is. It's even better hiking here, than in New England though because there are no trees to block your view on the way up... I could do without the heat though.
We could see the ruins on the lower part of the citadel getting smaller as we walked up. The complete view consisted of the ruins laying just a few miles from a nearby town. It was a nice contrast. The new and the old side by side. Makes your head boggle to think of the time difference. Will people be picking apart our buildings 2,000 years from now? What happened to the people there? They just vanished. Every ancient civilization seems to have disappeared at it's peak. Makes me wonder what would happen if we ever reached our full potential... Are we close to reaching our limits? Some historians speculate that there must be a common end for all civilizations (ancient or not). Perhaps plague. Maybe natural disaster. But no one knows for sure what happened in the past...which gives us more to think about in terms of the future. Will the world end in fire or in ice?.... Anyone? Everyone should know that reference. If not, shame on you for sleeping through high school english class.
Best part today? Tholos' Tomb (sp?). Incredible. The stones used to build that place was absolutely ginormous. The lintel block that supports the doorway? Largest chunk of marble I have ever seen in my life. How the hell did they get that up there? And the beehive structure? Amazing.
Someone was on one hell of a power trip when he had that tomb designed. Stories have it that cyclops must've built the tomb. After seeing it, I totally believe it. Cyclops existed guys. I swear. Seeing Grace Circle A was also wicked cool after learning so much about it... but not as much fun to blog about it. Just know that supposedly the Mask of Agamemnon was found here. But Schliemann when he excavated the area might have just planted the mask there. So the mask at the National Archaeological Museum could be fake... but no one is allowed to inspect it, even though you would know immediately under a microscope. Want to bet a dollar on it Kumar?? You have no idea what I'm talking about.
Got lost in Nauplion.
Had the most delicious gelatto at a small place called Antique Gelatto that was run by real Italians. Caramel & Straciatelli. Orgasm. Completely made up for THE most horrible lunch I've ever had in my life. Don't ever eat at Goody's. It's the Greek's version of Burger King and McDonald's but worse. I love a hamburger as much as the next person, but that was not meat.
Ran up and down the theater steps at Epidaurus. Nearly died. My dad's going to kill me for posing with peace signs.
Then nearly fell out of my seat several times as I was trying to nap on the bus. Now I'm home. Oh, sweet home. Is it weird that I consider this place home only after two weeks?
Friday, June 26, 2009
6/26 Hookaholic
So yesterday night we decided to have a chill hookah night and head to Monastiraki Square. If you ever head to Athens, you can find most of the younger generation here at the bars. I tried warm shots for the first time... have you ever had a shot that was supposed to be warm? It's weird. I was so shocked when I took the first one. I soon found out that it was warm raki with honey in it. It's like drinking honey... combine that with a hookah buzz; I felt like a hummingbird.
Woke up late the next day. Ran to class, and found out our trip was canceled (YAY!). So we decided to make time to head to the farmers' market by Vernava Square... The farmers' market here is like nothing I've ever been to. It was absolutely packed and crazy. There were little vendors lined up on either sides of the veryyyyy long street.
The farmers' market went up and down two hills -- and I'm not talking about Westford hills. I'm talking about San Francisco hills. Everyone and everything seemed like a hum at first. There were a medley of colors and a discordant chorus of shouts. Every farmer was yelling out their prices and attempting to switch back and forth between Greek and English. And it was all SOO good.
Gah. I love fresh fruit so much! I got a kilo of strawberries, another kilo of apricots, and a honey dew melon... all for under five euros. Unbeatable. I couldn't stop smiling. I think my dad would have been ten times more ecstatic. He's the gardener/wannabe farmer in my family... you could always count on him to drag me & my brothers to a botanical garden, out to our garden on Sundays at 7 AM, and to every farmers' market imaginable.
And fireworks are going off right in front of me as I'm typing this on the balcony. It's 11:09 PM, say what?!... They stopped. I'm telling you, this balcony is my favorite spot in all of Greece. Oh wow, the moon is orange right now over the yellow and orange city lights. It's close to setting...Perfect.
Anyways I got off track. The key difference between farmers' markets at home and here, is that there are MOUNTAINS of olives in a lot of stands. By the way, I hate olives. Olives define Greece. It is in soaps, shampoos, saldas, and oils. It is the goddess Athena's present to the city. It is THE product of Athens... and I hate it. It's really too bad. Maybe my taste buds will change in 6-7 years and I'll grow to love it? Maybe I'll have to be pregnant to like it? We'll see. For now, it's up there with bitter melon in terms of yuckiness. Don't think I'm a picky eater though... I eat almost everything (and I could never be anorexic because I love food too much.) But meh.... Olives. Meh.
I also went into Plaka with Corey & Liza. If you ever get the chance... there's a small cafe that specializes in chocolate drinks. I ordered a Chilled Flavored Chocolate (Orange). It was like drinking a chocolate cloud. Seriously. It wasn't a milkshake but it wasn't chocolate milk. It was delicious. It's a bit pricey though... but not many tourists know about it. It's in one of the open hallways that connect the streets. It's sort of tucked away between a million clothing stores. We only knew about it from our Greek advisor/tourguide at the Athens Center. I'll get the name for you later. A must visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Woke up late the next day. Ran to class, and found out our trip was canceled (YAY!). So we decided to make time to head to the farmers' market by Vernava Square... The farmers' market here is like nothing I've ever been to. It was absolutely packed and crazy. There were little vendors lined up on either sides of the veryyyyy long street.
The farmers' market went up and down two hills -- and I'm not talking about Westford hills. I'm talking about San Francisco hills. Everyone and everything seemed like a hum at first. There were a medley of colors and a discordant chorus of shouts. Every farmer was yelling out their prices and attempting to switch back and forth between Greek and English. And it was all SOO good.
Gah. I love fresh fruit so much! I got a kilo of strawberries, another kilo of apricots, and a honey dew melon... all for under five euros. Unbeatable. I couldn't stop smiling. I think my dad would have been ten times more ecstatic. He's the gardener/wannabe farmer in my family... you could always count on him to drag me & my brothers to a botanical garden, out to our garden on Sundays at 7 AM, and to every farmers' market imaginable.
And fireworks are going off right in front of me as I'm typing this on the balcony. It's 11:09 PM, say what?!... They stopped. I'm telling you, this balcony is my favorite spot in all of Greece. Oh wow, the moon is orange right now over the yellow and orange city lights. It's close to setting...Perfect.
Anyways I got off track. The key difference between farmers' markets at home and here, is that there are MOUNTAINS of olives in a lot of stands. By the way, I hate olives. Olives define Greece. It is in soaps, shampoos, saldas, and oils. It is the goddess Athena's present to the city. It is THE product of Athens... and I hate it. It's really too bad. Maybe my taste buds will change in 6-7 years and I'll grow to love it? Maybe I'll have to be pregnant to like it? We'll see. For now, it's up there with bitter melon in terms of yuckiness. Don't think I'm a picky eater though... I eat almost everything (and I could never be anorexic because I love food too much.) But meh.... Olives. Meh.
I also went into Plaka with Corey & Liza. If you ever get the chance... there's a small cafe that specializes in chocolate drinks. I ordered a Chilled Flavored Chocolate (Orange). It was like drinking a chocolate cloud. Seriously. It wasn't a milkshake but it wasn't chocolate milk. It was delicious. It's a bit pricey though... but not many tourists know about it. It's in one of the open hallways that connect the streets. It's sort of tucked away between a million clothing stores. We only knew about it from our Greek advisor/tourguide at the Athens Center. I'll get the name for you later. A must visit for anyone with a sweet tooth.
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