We have almost finished a fourth full day in Athens. My body has finally gotten used to the 7 hour time difference and the late meals no longer seen so strange, but my calves are aching from all the walking we have done. So far we have stood in the middle of the ruins in the Agora, gazed up at the Parthenon, climbed down 999 steps from an old castle to reach the Meditteranean Sea, shopped at the booths and stalls outside our hotel, and learned how to say "thank you" (efcharisto) to a kind local who helped us find our way. The museums we have visited contain the very statues and jewelry I have admired in the books I've read about ancient Greece, and all the ruins we visit belonged to names that I've learned about in history class. Just walking outside is exciting because clothing stores and internet cafes stand on the same streets as the remains of old buildings. The old and new are flawlessly intertwined!
The kindness of the locals has been the most fascinating part of this trip so far. Everyone I've met has been so happy to direct me to the right place or even share information about their own lives. I've never been welcomed so openly into a foreign place.
We only have 2 more days left in Athens and I will be sad to leave, especially when I feel like I've just started to get to know this amazing place. But, knowing that a new stop on my adventure lies ahead, I cannot wait to see what will happen next.
