Today was my big flight day from Athens to Barcelona! As you will find out, buying the cheapest tickets you can find on the internet does not always eventuate in smooth travelling.
I spent the morning packing my suitcase since I'd accidentally fallen asleep while packing the night before. Unfortunately because of this, I didn't have time to eat breakfast, which is a key element in this story.
I took a taxi to the airport but when trying to communicate with the non-English speaking driver I had to wave my arms around like an airplane until the driver understood where I wanted to go. Apart from that he was a fun driver who did a lot of dancing to traditional Greek music on the radio. I was really sad to say goodbye to Athens but it was a nice send-off with such a jolly Greek taxi driver.
Arriving at the airport, I was incredibly early because it seems that within the EU, you only need to check in about 1-2 hours before your flight. I arrived 3 hours before my flight was due to board, as I would have done for flying overseas from Australia. So I had a bit of a wait until the lady arrived at the check-in desk, but because of my earliness, I got to be the first person to check in and avoided a huge queue.
So I hadn't eaten breakfast, and walking through the duty free shops, I was struck with a sudden food-deprived urge to spend money. I ended up buying a fairly expensive bag but I don't regret it at all! It was my first ever duty free purchase!
I was pretty hungry by the time we boarded the plane, but I figured that instead of getting something at the airport I would eat on the plane. Mistake! My tickets were so cheap because they didn't actually serve food, and you had to pay for sandwiches or other foodstuffs kind of like when you fly with Jetstar. Unfortunately my love of budget airfares had led me to do little to no research on whether my flight actually served food. I tried to buy something but I was stuck on a window seat, and every time the cart passed by the couple next to me waved it away. So I had nothing to eat during my four hour flight either.
I forgot to mention, my flight actually went from Athens to Helsinki, and then Helsinki to Barcelona. Again, to justify the logical fallacy of choosing this flight over one that went directly to Barcelona: it was about $150 cheaper than any other I could find, and at a really convenient time of the day so I could sleep normally, and I figured why not spent an hour in Finland? The fact that I would spend 8 hours total flying didn't really occur to me. That and I think I had one beer before I bought my ticket. Don't judge me.
I arrived at Helsinki airport starving and thirsty, but felt it would be most important to check in to my next flight first before I had something to eat. However there was no one available from my airline at any desk anywhere who could check me in. I spent a good half hour running around trying to find someone, until I saw the tiniest of signs at the randomest of desks that said I could check in at my departure gate half an hour before boarding. So boo on you Helsinki airport for being confusing and non-transparent. Thankfully my flight was delayed but I only had enough time to eat a ham and pickle sandwich and buy some snacks and water for my next flight, before I had to check in and board the plane. I could have spent that initial frantic half hour looking in Marimekko or the Moomin shop!! Damn you Helsinki airport!
Moral of the story: keep it simple and book a direct flight next time.
The best thing about flying in to Helsinki was looking down onto the city from the plane. The houses looked like doll houses surrounded by a Lego forest. So cute.
The flight from Helsinki to Barcelona was pretty good because I had snacks and some cute Spanish kids to make faces at. On this flight I spent my time reading instead of worrying about when I was going to eat next. So when I arrived in Barcelona, I felt much better compared to when I arrived in Helsinki.
I took a taxi to my hostel and because my plane was late, I was a little bit late to check in. But the manager didn't seem to mind and gave me a special map to all the sights of the city, which I really appreciated.
My room is really nice, with a tv and big bathroom and a bright red feature wall. As soon as I put my things down, I flopped on the bed and turned on the tv, only to find a dubbed version of the film Ghost World! One of my favourite films. So I saw it as a good omen for my time in Barcelona.
I was doing some research on tours of the city when I accidentally fell asleep fully clothed again. I'm going to start getting ready for bed earlier because I'm starting to worry that I have narcolepsy.
Showing posts with label athens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label athens. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Day Seventeen: One Day in Athens
So after the previous night's drunken celebrations, we all managed to be off the ship and ready with all our bags by 7am, which I think is an absolute miracle. We took the bus to Syntagma Square, where we all said our goodbyes and headed off in different directions. It was especially sad to say goodbye to the Contiki kids who I'd been with since the beginning of the month! Seems like a really long time ago that the tour began and we were just getting to know each other. We were more like a family by the end.
I only had to walk one metro station down Ermou St and then I was back in the beautiful suburb of Monastiraki. Luckily I was able to check in early at my hotel because I really needed to continue sleeping.
After waking up, I decided to wander the streets of Athens and see what I could find, which is probably my favourite thing to do in such a beautiful city. I wasn't able to wander at leisure during the tour, apart from when we had free time, so it was nice to have a whole day to myself, to discover the city for myself. The good thing about Athens is that there is something either ancient or interesting on almost every city block.
First I walked to the Ancient Agora, the birthplace of democracy, where men met to discuss politics and morality. It was also the site where Socrates did a lot of his philosophising. I was still a bit tired so I just sort of sat there for a while and took everything in.
Then I came across Hadrian's Library, not 5 minutes from where I was staying, right around the corner from the Agora. Hadrian is probably my favourite Roman emperor so I was excited to look around the place. The columns, steps and one wall are still standing, but not much else is. Still, when you think about what it would have been like as an ancient library, I would give anything to take a time machine and do some more exploring.
Then I wandered back to the Agora and to the Tower of the Winds, which is probably the oldest example of a clocktower. The friezes on the top of the tower are still intact - rare that someone hadn't stolen them for their personal collection - and depict the eight wind deities of Ancient Greek mythology that correspond to directions on a compass.
After my mini tour through Ancient Greece, I decided to do a spot of shopping at the Monastiraki flea market again. I found the most amazing vintage book/toy/homewares/war memorabilia shop where the old man owner accused me of taking photos inside the shop, which I denied because I hadn't taken any photos, and somewhere in the middle of the conversation we became the best of friends. I ended up spending ages in there just talking to this old guy about Athens, and by the end when I wanted to buy some things, he discounted them so heavily that I didn't need to haggle the price. The shop was going to close down in a fortnight and as I left, the man called out to me, "Promise me one thing - never forget me or my shop!"
Then I went to another shop that was a totally intense experience because it was full of beautiful antiques, but in piles that you physically had to sort through. I ended up finding something incredible but I'll save it for a surprise when I get back home! The owner was a bit gruff but became nicer when I asked about the cat that seemed to always stay at his feet, no matter where he walked. As it turned out, the cat's name was Mortis, and the owner saved his life a couple of years ago when he nursed him back to health after having been hit by a car. Now, Mortis never leaves his side and comes to work with him every day. I even got to pat and cuddle Mortis, which was good because now I've had my cat fix and don't feel the uncontrollable need to pat all the cats I see on the street.
My last stop of the day was a total coincidence but a very happy one! In Athens there are shops everywhere selling sandals that claim to be handmade but you can kind of tell that they aren't. There was a style I had my eye on but none of the shops ever had my size - another sign that they were mass produced somewhere that doesn't cater to above size 9. Anyway, I was walking in a new direction and saw some amazing street art down an alleyway. I walked down and took a photo, turned around, and found the sandal shop of Melissinos, the Poet Shoemaker! As it turns out, all the sandals sold in the markets are direct copies of his designs, except not handmade and way more expensive. So I had to get some sandals made while I was there, in the style I was looking for the whole time! The fact that he has made sandals for John Lennon and the rest of the Beatles didn't hurt either. I tried on the Lennon style sandal but they didn't suit me. If you want to Google this amazing shop, I got design #12, the Gallico!
After blowing my budget for the day I thought it would be best if I went back to the hotel to catch up on my emails and to collapse on my bed under the air conditioning. I got a text from two Contiki lovelies who were staying on in Athens for the night as well, and we decided to meet up for dinner in the Plaka area.
We had a huge platter of Greek delicacies at a restaurant next to another ruined ancient structure whose name I didn't catch. There was a family of cats and kittens sleeping amongst the fallen columns which we thought was so cute.
After dinner it was time to say goodbye to my friends, which was sad because we'd had so much fun together over the last sixteen days.
I headed back to my hotel and started packing up my things to get ready for my flight the next day. As has been the case for most of my trip, I fell asleep accidentally without getting changed or brushing my teeth. And that was my last day in the magical city of Athens.
I only had to walk one metro station down Ermou St and then I was back in the beautiful suburb of Monastiraki. Luckily I was able to check in early at my hotel because I really needed to continue sleeping.
After waking up, I decided to wander the streets of Athens and see what I could find, which is probably my favourite thing to do in such a beautiful city. I wasn't able to wander at leisure during the tour, apart from when we had free time, so it was nice to have a whole day to myself, to discover the city for myself. The good thing about Athens is that there is something either ancient or interesting on almost every city block.
First I walked to the Ancient Agora, the birthplace of democracy, where men met to discuss politics and morality. It was also the site where Socrates did a lot of his philosophising. I was still a bit tired so I just sort of sat there for a while and took everything in.
Then I came across Hadrian's Library, not 5 minutes from where I was staying, right around the corner from the Agora. Hadrian is probably my favourite Roman emperor so I was excited to look around the place. The columns, steps and one wall are still standing, but not much else is. Still, when you think about what it would have been like as an ancient library, I would give anything to take a time machine and do some more exploring.
Then I wandered back to the Agora and to the Tower of the Winds, which is probably the oldest example of a clocktower. The friezes on the top of the tower are still intact - rare that someone hadn't stolen them for their personal collection - and depict the eight wind deities of Ancient Greek mythology that correspond to directions on a compass.
After my mini tour through Ancient Greece, I decided to do a spot of shopping at the Monastiraki flea market again. I found the most amazing vintage book/toy/homewares/war memorabilia shop where the old man owner accused me of taking photos inside the shop, which I denied because I hadn't taken any photos, and somewhere in the middle of the conversation we became the best of friends. I ended up spending ages in there just talking to this old guy about Athens, and by the end when I wanted to buy some things, he discounted them so heavily that I didn't need to haggle the price. The shop was going to close down in a fortnight and as I left, the man called out to me, "Promise me one thing - never forget me or my shop!"
Then I went to another shop that was a totally intense experience because it was full of beautiful antiques, but in piles that you physically had to sort through. I ended up finding something incredible but I'll save it for a surprise when I get back home! The owner was a bit gruff but became nicer when I asked about the cat that seemed to always stay at his feet, no matter where he walked. As it turned out, the cat's name was Mortis, and the owner saved his life a couple of years ago when he nursed him back to health after having been hit by a car. Now, Mortis never leaves his side and comes to work with him every day. I even got to pat and cuddle Mortis, which was good because now I've had my cat fix and don't feel the uncontrollable need to pat all the cats I see on the street.
My last stop of the day was a total coincidence but a very happy one! In Athens there are shops everywhere selling sandals that claim to be handmade but you can kind of tell that they aren't. There was a style I had my eye on but none of the shops ever had my size - another sign that they were mass produced somewhere that doesn't cater to above size 9. Anyway, I was walking in a new direction and saw some amazing street art down an alleyway. I walked down and took a photo, turned around, and found the sandal shop of Melissinos, the Poet Shoemaker! As it turns out, all the sandals sold in the markets are direct copies of his designs, except not handmade and way more expensive. So I had to get some sandals made while I was there, in the style I was looking for the whole time! The fact that he has made sandals for John Lennon and the rest of the Beatles didn't hurt either. I tried on the Lennon style sandal but they didn't suit me. If you want to Google this amazing shop, I got design #12, the Gallico!
After blowing my budget for the day I thought it would be best if I went back to the hotel to catch up on my emails and to collapse on my bed under the air conditioning. I got a text from two Contiki lovelies who were staying on in Athens for the night as well, and we decided to meet up for dinner in the Plaka area.
We had a huge platter of Greek delicacies at a restaurant next to another ruined ancient structure whose name I didn't catch. There was a family of cats and kittens sleeping amongst the fallen columns which we thought was so cute.
After dinner it was time to say goodbye to my friends, which was sad because we'd had so much fun together over the last sixteen days.
I headed back to my hotel and started packing up my things to get ready for my flight the next day. As has been the case for most of my trip, I fell asleep accidentally without getting changed or brushing my teeth. And that was my last day in the magical city of Athens.
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Day Ten
Today was our travel day from Athens to Istanbul! Our big group split off into two little groups in the morning and we headed to our cruise ship, the M/S Louis Cristal, at 10 in the morning. It's the first time I've ever been on a cruise ship so I was pretty nervous about becoming seasick but so far it hasn't been too bad.
That morning, however, I was incredibly hungover from the night before so the boat felt like it was swaying more than it should have been. We organised all our optional activities early on in the day and had a clear schedule on the ship to do whatever we wanted because it would take 24 hours to get from Athens to Istanbul by sea. So we decided to first have a nice lunch at the buffet dining room, sort out our on-board accounts and have a look at the shops, do a bit of internetting, and then have a look outside. After a while we decided to get some sunbaking done and I fell asleep immediately, but thankfully had the presence of mind to turn over after a while so both my sides have a fairly even tan.
By the end of the day I was feeling really queasy with a combination of a persistent hangover and the first time of staying on a ship for an extended period of time. So I stayed with the Contiki group at the ship disco (totally naff but fun) for a little while before I started falling asleep on my feet. Then I went to bed, fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and woke up at 5am still fully dressed and without having brushed my teeth. I felt as if it were the first day in Rome and I was extremely jetlagged again. Thankfully my new roommate is just as deep a sleeper as my old one so I was able to get dressed and brush my teeth without waking her up.
So that day was a bit of a "nothing" day but at least I now know what it's like to be hungover on a cruise ship.
Istanbul tomorrow!
That morning, however, I was incredibly hungover from the night before so the boat felt like it was swaying more than it should have been. We organised all our optional activities early on in the day and had a clear schedule on the ship to do whatever we wanted because it would take 24 hours to get from Athens to Istanbul by sea. So we decided to first have a nice lunch at the buffet dining room, sort out our on-board accounts and have a look at the shops, do a bit of internetting, and then have a look outside. After a while we decided to get some sunbaking done and I fell asleep immediately, but thankfully had the presence of mind to turn over after a while so both my sides have a fairly even tan.
By the end of the day I was feeling really queasy with a combination of a persistent hangover and the first time of staying on a ship for an extended period of time. So I stayed with the Contiki group at the ship disco (totally naff but fun) for a little while before I started falling asleep on my feet. Then I went to bed, fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and woke up at 5am still fully dressed and without having brushed my teeth. I felt as if it were the first day in Rome and I was extremely jetlagged again. Thankfully my new roommate is just as deep a sleeper as my old one so I was able to get dressed and brush my teeth without waking her up.
So that day was a bit of a "nothing" day but at least I now know what it's like to be hungover on a cruise ship.
Istanbul tomorrow!
Day Nine
Today was our guided tour of the Acropolis! It was the only thing we had scheduled to do in the morning, and the rest of the day we were allowed to have lunch and discover Athens for ourselves until it was time for dinner.
I will preface this entry by saying that I have absolutely fallen in love with Athens and I want to live there. It actually reminds me a lot of Melbourne, and is so easy to get around, with incredible restaurants and shops, with the added bonus of beautiful views of the Acropolis. We could see very clearly the Acropolis from the 7th floor terrace of our hotel, and at night it was lit up with bright yellow lights. There was also an amazing flea market in Monastiraki where we were staying that I could have explored for hours. Basically I adored it and could have stayed for a week more, or even longer. Our suburb was only 10 minutes walk away from the beautiful suburb of Plaka which sits at the foothills of the Acropolis.
So we went very early in the morning, and made our way through the horrendous tourist bus traffic that heads to the Acropolis early in the morning to evade the heat. It was so busy with so many people that we actually noticed a lot of freaks out and about. We saw a man wearing shiny black lycra leggings and Peter Pan-style boots. We saw lots of women wearing heels and slipping about on the marble and gravel. And finally, we saw a woman carrying a cat around in a backpack.
Anyway, we got a ticket for entry to the Acropolis and to the other sites such as the Parthenon and Hadrian's Library. However, we only had time to see the Parthenon so the others will have to wait for the next time I visit Greece (which is likely to be soon judging by how much I loved it).
We walked up so many marble steps, through old gates and marble columns strewn across the ground to see the giant Parthenon, and I pretty much fell in love. I couldn't stop staring at it and got a bit emotional, but I had warned some of my tourmates that I would have that reaction, so it wasn't embarrassing. I don't know what else to say about it other than that I felt so small and insignificant. It was so beautiful. We took so many photos, one of which is my current Facebook picture. I want to go again so I can spend more time there and visit the other sites as well. We had been warned that it would be swelteringly hot but it was actually perfect weather: sunny but not hot, breezy but not cold. So all in all it was an experience I'll never forget. I feel really lucky to be able to see these things while they're still around.
After the Acropolis, we went on a bus tour of the city, showing the site of the first modern Olympics and some of the parliamentary buildings. We also passed by Syntagma Square, where the tour guide mentioned nothing of the recent protests and everyone was walking around seemingly without a care in the world.
After the bus tour, we all went back to our hotels and decided to wander the city. Myself and a friend went to get a giant feast lunch of moussaka, grilled haloumi cheese, tzatziki and potato chunks. So good. Greek food has been my favourite out of all the foods I've eaten so far. Everything tastes so fresh compared to the Greek food in Melbourne and I find myself actually enjoying eating tomatoes for the first time ever. Later on we went to buy some presents for people and found the aforementioned flea market where I scored some really interesting things.
For dinner, we went to a delicious dinner in Plaka, where during our breaks between appetisers and mains, men and women came out to perform traditional dances and invite us to dance as well. I had the best time.
That night was the last night our big crew would be together, as some people opted to do the 3-day cruise, and some people the 7-day cruise, so our group would be on different boats visiting different islands. So that night was going to be a big one. We went to a little bar not too far from the hotel and drank and sang and danced and had the best time. Obviously I'm writing this in the past tense because I'm about two days late, and I can say that at this point in time I miss them all so much! If any of them are reading, you have the stalker sheet, you know where to find me. I'd love to keep in touch with all of you.
The next day was our travel day from Athens to Istanbul, Turkey!
I will preface this entry by saying that I have absolutely fallen in love with Athens and I want to live there. It actually reminds me a lot of Melbourne, and is so easy to get around, with incredible restaurants and shops, with the added bonus of beautiful views of the Acropolis. We could see very clearly the Acropolis from the 7th floor terrace of our hotel, and at night it was lit up with bright yellow lights. There was also an amazing flea market in Monastiraki where we were staying that I could have explored for hours. Basically I adored it and could have stayed for a week more, or even longer. Our suburb was only 10 minutes walk away from the beautiful suburb of Plaka which sits at the foothills of the Acropolis.
So we went very early in the morning, and made our way through the horrendous tourist bus traffic that heads to the Acropolis early in the morning to evade the heat. It was so busy with so many people that we actually noticed a lot of freaks out and about. We saw a man wearing shiny black lycra leggings and Peter Pan-style boots. We saw lots of women wearing heels and slipping about on the marble and gravel. And finally, we saw a woman carrying a cat around in a backpack.
Anyway, we got a ticket for entry to the Acropolis and to the other sites such as the Parthenon and Hadrian's Library. However, we only had time to see the Parthenon so the others will have to wait for the next time I visit Greece (which is likely to be soon judging by how much I loved it).
We walked up so many marble steps, through old gates and marble columns strewn across the ground to see the giant Parthenon, and I pretty much fell in love. I couldn't stop staring at it and got a bit emotional, but I had warned some of my tourmates that I would have that reaction, so it wasn't embarrassing. I don't know what else to say about it other than that I felt so small and insignificant. It was so beautiful. We took so many photos, one of which is my current Facebook picture. I want to go again so I can spend more time there and visit the other sites as well. We had been warned that it would be swelteringly hot but it was actually perfect weather: sunny but not hot, breezy but not cold. So all in all it was an experience I'll never forget. I feel really lucky to be able to see these things while they're still around.
After the Acropolis, we went on a bus tour of the city, showing the site of the first modern Olympics and some of the parliamentary buildings. We also passed by Syntagma Square, where the tour guide mentioned nothing of the recent protests and everyone was walking around seemingly without a care in the world.
After the bus tour, we all went back to our hotels and decided to wander the city. Myself and a friend went to get a giant feast lunch of moussaka, grilled haloumi cheese, tzatziki and potato chunks. So good. Greek food has been my favourite out of all the foods I've eaten so far. Everything tastes so fresh compared to the Greek food in Melbourne and I find myself actually enjoying eating tomatoes for the first time ever. Later on we went to buy some presents for people and found the aforementioned flea market where I scored some really interesting things.
For dinner, we went to a delicious dinner in Plaka, where during our breaks between appetisers and mains, men and women came out to perform traditional dances and invite us to dance as well. I had the best time.
That night was the last night our big crew would be together, as some people opted to do the 3-day cruise, and some people the 7-day cruise, so our group would be on different boats visiting different islands. So that night was going to be a big one. We went to a little bar not too far from the hotel and drank and sang and danced and had the best time. Obviously I'm writing this in the past tense because I'm about two days late, and I can say that at this point in time I miss them all so much! If any of them are reading, you have the stalker sheet, you know where to find me. I'd love to keep in touch with all of you.
The next day was our travel day from Athens to Istanbul, Turkey!
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Day Eight
Today was our travel day from Corfu to Athens. We began by waking up with the biggest hangover of the trip as a result of the generous drinks at the toga party. Thankfully we didn't have any activities to do today, just ferry and bus travel.
We took the ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, which only took an hour and a half. Being hungover on a moving ferry on the sea is an interesting experience but not necessarily something I'm looking to recreate. After we got to the mainland, it was on to the bus and then we had six hours of bus trip to get to Athens.
After a couple of hours we stopped at Amfilochia for a gyros! A bit like a souvlaki but smaller and contains hot chips as well as the standard meat, salad and tzatziki. It was the perfect antidote to our hangovers which were being aggravated by the bus travel.
We got in to Athens around 6pm. Our bus parked a couple of streets away from our hotel and we got to walk through the alleyways (which remind me a lot of Melbourne) to get to it. We had some time to have a shower and a quick nap and then we had dinner at a little restaurant which had two live bouzouki players. Afterwards we did a bit of souvenir shopping and a group of us shared a shisha at a little bar around the corner of the hotel.
I want to live here forever. I really love Athens. Also, if anyone is concerned, the streets are safe to walk at night and everyone seems happy and conflict-free.
Tomorrow we get to explore the Acropolis!!! I'm so excited! I think I might get a little bit emotional.
We took the ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, which only took an hour and a half. Being hungover on a moving ferry on the sea is an interesting experience but not necessarily something I'm looking to recreate. After we got to the mainland, it was on to the bus and then we had six hours of bus trip to get to Athens.
After a couple of hours we stopped at Amfilochia for a gyros! A bit like a souvlaki but smaller and contains hot chips as well as the standard meat, salad and tzatziki. It was the perfect antidote to our hangovers which were being aggravated by the bus travel.
We got in to Athens around 6pm. Our bus parked a couple of streets away from our hotel and we got to walk through the alleyways (which remind me a lot of Melbourne) to get to it. We had some time to have a shower and a quick nap and then we had dinner at a little restaurant which had two live bouzouki players. Afterwards we did a bit of souvenir shopping and a group of us shared a shisha at a little bar around the corner of the hotel.
I want to live here forever. I really love Athens. Also, if anyone is concerned, the streets are safe to walk at night and everyone seems happy and conflict-free.
Tomorrow we get to explore the Acropolis!!! I'm so excited! I think I might get a little bit emotional.
Day Seven
Today we were given free reign on the isle of Corfu, a whole day to do whatever we wanted. Seven of us decided to hire a mini van to drive into town and visit some shops, and then beach hop on the west side of the island where the beaches are sandy instead of rocky.
A lovely Canadian decided to drive since he was the least hung over (if at all), the only person who knew how to drive a manual car, and is used to driving large vehicles. He was a total champion, navigating the roads with ease and seemed to have incredible luck in finding car spaces. First we went into town to go to the pharmacy to get aloe vera gel because I am too pale for Greece and have gotten a bit burnt. However it's already developing into a nice tan so no complaints.
The first beach we visited was at Liapades Bay, which was incredibly beautiful. We bought some pool noodles so we could float in the sea again and stayed in there for ages. We had a gyros and a drink and suntanned for a while. Actually we loved it there so we stayed for hours.
The second beach we visited was Ermones Beach which was surrounded by luxury hotels. We couldn't be bothered swimming again so we had an ice cream and walked the trail around the bay.
The streets in suburban Corfu are incredibly narrow, some are one way, some have furniture blocking them and some were just blocked for no reason. We spent a lot of time figuring out the roads and getting stuck in one way streets where locals would just drive the opposite way. We're figuring out the way of life in Greece pretty quickly.
We had to get home to the hotel to have dinner but because some of us were full from lunch we stayed back and took our time to get ready for... the toga party!
Contiki puts on a toga party for all travellers visiting Corfu, and this one was huge because we had four busloads of revellers. So we got to meet the other travellers who were doing different tours. Before we got to drinking and dancing, we were given instructions on how to tie a toga in two ways. Both were a bit too short for my liking so I improvised and made something I like to call "historically accurate".
It was a huge party and we all drank too much. The next day we had to be out of the hotel by 7am for our travel day from Corfu to Athens! So we were a bit worse for wear. But very happy to be finally visiting Athens.
A lovely Canadian decided to drive since he was the least hung over (if at all), the only person who knew how to drive a manual car, and is used to driving large vehicles. He was a total champion, navigating the roads with ease and seemed to have incredible luck in finding car spaces. First we went into town to go to the pharmacy to get aloe vera gel because I am too pale for Greece and have gotten a bit burnt. However it's already developing into a nice tan so no complaints.
The first beach we visited was at Liapades Bay, which was incredibly beautiful. We bought some pool noodles so we could float in the sea again and stayed in there for ages. We had a gyros and a drink and suntanned for a while. Actually we loved it there so we stayed for hours.
The second beach we visited was Ermones Beach which was surrounded by luxury hotels. We couldn't be bothered swimming again so we had an ice cream and walked the trail around the bay.
The streets in suburban Corfu are incredibly narrow, some are one way, some have furniture blocking them and some were just blocked for no reason. We spent a lot of time figuring out the roads and getting stuck in one way streets where locals would just drive the opposite way. We're figuring out the way of life in Greece pretty quickly.
We had to get home to the hotel to have dinner but because some of us were full from lunch we stayed back and took our time to get ready for... the toga party!
Contiki puts on a toga party for all travellers visiting Corfu, and this one was huge because we had four busloads of revellers. So we got to meet the other travellers who were doing different tours. Before we got to drinking and dancing, we were given instructions on how to tie a toga in two ways. Both were a bit too short for my liking so I improvised and made something I like to call "historically accurate".
It was a huge party and we all drank too much. The next day we had to be out of the hotel by 7am for our travel day from Corfu to Athens! So we were a bit worse for wear. But very happy to be finally visiting Athens.
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