Timezone: Europe/Athens (23rd Feb 00:39)
Currently is on an adventure (for 46 minutes, and 18 seconds)
You may know me from..
Last ate 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 20 seconds ago (Mushroom gyros with tomato, avocado, potatoes (Cookoomela))
Last exercised 12 days, 15 hours, 8 minutes, and 11 seconds ago
Monthly budget 90% used (last spent 5eur on Dinner for two (Cookoomela))
Words written this month (1131 of posts and fiction)
After lunch at Healthy Bites, I dropped Jane and Felicity at the airport bus.
Then I wandered around in the sun (returned, since J & F were leaving) in the Kerameikos ancient cemetery, and saw some tortoises. It was a nice peaceful place to lurk.
We visited most of the rest of the archaeological sites that are included in the combined ticket. Including the Ancient Agora (and museum), the Roman Agora, Hadrian's Library, and Aristotle's Lyceum.
We spontaneously dropped into the War Museum, which was a little incoherent and found slightly too much glory in Greece's participation in various wars. And we perfected our interpretation of the Athena-is-sick-of-this-shit stance.
We ate lunch at Veganbeat and dinner at Veganaki.
The temperature dropped and drizzly clouds descended; Scottish weather had caught up with Jane and Felicity. We went to the Acropolis. There's lots to see, even though the North Slope was mysteriously closed. Having been to the museum the day before made it more interesting. Then we walked around Exarchia, and had lunch at Mama Tierra. We relaxed in Anglais bar, overlooking Monastiriki Square and the Acropolis for a while, before wandering home via the nighttime views of the Acropolis.
Jane, Felicity and I woke up late, and went to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion). There weren't many people around, which was nice. We had lunch at Peas, then spent the rest of the day in the Acropolis Museum. There were a lot of things to read and old stuff to look at. It's easy to spend hours. There's also a small reading room with childrens books about Greek Myths. I learnt a lot.
We went home and ordered a variety of vegan junk from Pizza Bite and waiting two hours for it to arrive having received no confirmation from the website (which was all in Greek) was in no way stressful.
Jane and I walked through the National Gardens to the Museum of Cycladic Art. Lunch at Veganbeat, and then a walk through the main market, where we bought far too many olives. In the evening we climbed Filippou Hill and watched the sunset over this sprawling city. We had a picnic of olives, tomatoes and fake feta.
Later we went to pick Felicity up from the airport. Everything was delayed. The day/early hours of the morning concluded with hot chocolate and vegan marshmallows.
A couple of days of trying to acclimatise to city life again. Some sun, some rain. Then Jane came, and we ate loads, including lukamades (fried dough balls).
As soon as I got off the ferry I was hit with chaos. Thousands of people, in the port, in the streets, spilling out of coffeeshops, flowing through the metro station. I queued up for a ticket and people are bustling, pacing, impatient. I bought a 2-trip ticket because I couldn't see 1-trip right away and the press of the line behind me was too much to linger. I took the metro and the rattle of every day life was like a slap in the face. Back to reality.
I walked out of the metro along a road and the stench filled my head. The traffic roared, the city was screaming at me.
I hate cities.
I was after 10pm, I had no food in. I walked 15 minutes to a vegan cafe, ate spanakopita and hot chocolate, late night on a Sunday. I was welcomed by smiling, warm staff.
I walked past bars, alive, filled with happy people and art and hipster decoration. The streets were lit, I felt safe. I was too tired to get groceries, but I could've.
I love cities.
Already I feel like the last two months of island life were just a dream. I miss the sea.
