Athens

Long long looooong break from blogging! Guess i needed a break after returning to Singapore. (not to mention the frustration of uploading photos with an unsually slow internet connection) But i intend to finish documenting my entire SEP experience on this blog.. before perhaps starting a new one.. =)

I'll have to dig deep into my memory simply coz it's been 2 months since i returned! Hopefully i don't miss out too many details!

So the gang flew budget from Barcelona to Athens. A cheap Ryanair flight (as usual) left us having to spend half the night at the airport. We arrived in the middle of the night, rested on some couches, then travelled to our hostel at first light. We stayed just at the foot of the historical Acropolis! In a rather touristy area with many nice shops and restaurants =)

Athens Intro:
Athens, the capital city of Greece has a population of about 3.5 million people. It is surrounded on 3 sides by 3 mountains/hills. In many ways, it is considered the birthplace of Classical Greece and therefore of Western civilization. The city is named after the Goddess Athena and it hosted the 2004 Olympics. =)

The first thing i noticed about Greece is the language. The phrase "It all seems like Greek to me!" suddenly made sense. I felt like i was in a physics class. With familiar symbols like phi, psi, rho, lumda, alpha and pi making up the alphabets. Another thing i love about Athens is that with my Finnish Student card.. i can enter almost ALL the sites for FREE.. i like!

Athens has a really impressive (if limited) metro system. The stations/trains are really clean/fast/efficient. Better than many other metros we've experienced in Europe that's for sure!

Starting with the most famous site.. the Acropolis..

If you like ruins, Athens is for you..

Theatre of Dionysius

The Acropolis was an ancient fortified town on a hill.. (climbing up the hill).. Here is where we saw a random tortoise climbing up the hill with us.. (?@!)

A larger outdoor theatre (modernized and used for concerts etc)

Sweaty but worth it..

Restoration works are always ongoing..

Temple of Athena Nike

The Parthenon!..

By this time (about 11.30am).. the crowds are beginning to stream in.. and of course the sun is killing us on this cloudless (almost) day..

An overview of the city.. notice that the surrounding mountains caused it to be kinda smoggy..

I really don't know what building this is.. even though i like this photo haha..

Oops.. Genga Genga!

These marble columns are amazingly well crafted.. and are huge!

Get out before the (other) tourists come in!

Walking down hill.. towards the..

Ancient Agora.. A garden/space where people used to gather and talk politics/philosophies =) ..

The Temple of Hephaestus.. the most well preserved Greek Temple..

New developmental projects still uncover ruins.. New buildings next to ancient sites..

I love the bustling Greece restaurants/markets..

Not all ancient!

Temple of Olympian Zeus..

Only the ruins are left of course.. a bunch of pillars.

But what i like about this site is that it has a buffer zone of green space.. A large compound with some ruins in the middle.. good for pictures.. =)

I love my mini tripod.. This would make a nice Album Cover if we're a band..

???

Greek beer.. pronounced as ALFA..

Nice meal with really hospitable restaurant people.. i like Souvlakis!

Day out to nearby island of Aegina..

Outside the Port of Athens train station..

Busy streets..

1 1/2 hr journey..

Clear blue waters..

Cramping on a bus..

We got lost for a while.. coz of crazy maps.. but finally arrived at..

the beach! Spent a couple of hrs there.. and then it's time to catch the last ferry back..

on the bus..

The guys trying to act cool while waiting for the ferry..

Nguyen and i in front of a tiny Greek church..

really clear waters..

Jack and his kung fu photography pose..

Scroll up and notice that Toni is wearing Jack's shirt!

Wei Sing showing off her yummy caramelized nuts..

Seagulls following a small fishing vessel..

Cheers!

Yum..

The last day in Athens we visited the National Archeological Museum of Athens..

Toni admiring a bronze sculpture of Poseidon or Zeus.. they're not sure..

300!

There are just so so so many precious relics in Greece.. that they don't have enough space to store them..

Saying bye to the museum!

Happy Birthday to Ri Hao and i! (at a local fastfood restaurant)

We had a group hug and said our goodbyes at a shopping centre.. coz Ri Hao, Wei Sing and i were continuing our journey while the rest were returning to Helsinki.. It has been a wonderful trip thus far.. =)

Looking forward to the next destination.. Thessaloniki!