Athens: Not What We Expected

In April 2012 Dan and I traveled to Athens, Greece, for a week and then onto the island of Santorini for a few days. I attended the Near East South Asia (NESA) Council of Overseas Schools spring educators conference for four of the days we were in Athens.

Athens

My overall impression of Athens is less than sparkling. As a country that is in an ongoing recession/depression, the atmosphere of the city dripped with the tension and pressure of surviving an economic downturn with no end in sight. Boarded up shops and windows, graffiti and trash along the road ways, and countless beggars did little to add to the ambiance of this ancient city. The city itself is also a long way from other ancient cities like Rome that have embraced and protected the historical feel and culture that tourists come to see. Athens, on the other hand, felt like a modern, downtrodden city with a few ancient ruins and historic sights to keep the tourism business going.

Don't get me wrong, we are glad we went. We actually went a second time to Athens with our parents on a Mediterranean cruise (another post, another time). The Acropolis, Agora and Mars Hill are breathtaking and, when you imagine how they must have looked as completed edifices, monumental given the age in which they were constructed.

Now I will say, we did not stay in the Plaka area - the main tourist area at the base of the Acropolis that seems to be more designed to provide the "Greek" experience that most tourists imagine. We stayed in a business area, so we saw a very different side of the city than most tourists do.

The main attractions - Acropolis, Mars Hill, and Agora - were worth the trip and the time. It was amazing to stand where Paul preached on Mars Hill, under the shadow of the Acropolis. From the top of the Acropolis, you could see ships at sea, and according to historians, people on those ships could see the tip of Athena's (now lost) bronze spear rising up in front of the Parthenon.

I do recommend going to Athens and seeing the ancient sites, but I recommend moving on to see more of the country - north to the mountains, south east to the Peloponnese and ancient Sparta and Olympia or east to the thousands of islands.

Santorini

The island of Santorini felt like a completely different country compared to Athens. As we flew from Athens to the small crescent island, I expected to see mile upon mile of open blue ocean beneath us. I was very wrong. The Agean Sea is a smattering of tiny landmasses popping up out of the ocean in a way reminiscent of a Jackson Pollack painting, as if God dripped the islands haphazardly off His paintbrush on the second day of creation.

As we approached the island, it was visibly different from the rest. Its elevation is striking; the gentle slope from the outside of the crescent to the inside circle strikingly juxtaposed with the steep cliffs on the inner circle - the ancient volcanic center.

The pictures of this historic city are spot on when it comes to the pink light at sunset, the white-wash houses clinging to the cliffs with bright blue domed roofs. There is no other quintessentially "Greek" island and none other so visibly recognizable as Santorini.

Now, because of the symptoms of my early pregnancy (8 weeks during this trip), I had a very difficult time with vertigo and seasickness on the catamaran we chartered across the crater. However, should we go back, I'm sure I would enjoy myself more! The shopping was wonderful - a good variety of expensive and more modest pricing. I would have also liked more time to explore the other cities on this little island, but we only had three days to see the highlights. Given the time it takes to get there, I would recommend staying at least a week to really enjoy yourself. We would definitely go back.