You wouldn't think that the first thing you encounter on arriving to a new city would be to be robbed or nearly robbed I should say…
Before we continue grab a coffee or a snack and let me tell you about what happened to my friend in Athens, Greece and what you should be aware of in Greece or anywhere else for that matter.
She was doing a tour of Europe and Greece was just one of the stops on this European adventure. Having boarded the bus in Berlin, they (she was travelling with a friend) arrived in Athens but then needed to take a train to get to their hostel.
It was beautiful outside in the month of May. The winter season had just passed and springtime was in full effect. You could really see the beauty of Greece. It was quite amazing to say the least but things soon became quite sour.
Standing in the train and holding on for dear life, my friend noticed this man standing in front of her with his jacket covering only one of his hands. She found it to be quite suspicious but she continued not paying too much attention to it. After a few minutes, she looked down on the floor at her carry-on luggage to make sure that everything was as it should have been. It appeared that everything was in place. She decided that on second thought she should probably also check her personal bag which was slung across her shoulder… The man seemed unphased by all this movement.
Looking down at her bag she was in disbelief as the man in the jacket had secretly been unzipping her bag with his hidden hand. She quickly motioned to her travel companion letting them know what had been happening and pointed out the culprit who briskly moved to another part of the train possibly to search for his next unsuspecting victim.
I can't imagine how surprised she must have been and not a good surprise either. Can you imagine that her most valuable possessions could have been taken from her by some random man on a train? Your passport is your ticket to see the world. After all the name says it all, it's your pass through the ports. It would have been disastrous. I am sure glad she caught him in time.
Thus I say this, we all need to be vigilant when we travel no matter the destination, it is a must. The more tourists in the city, the more thieves tend to be tricky and truthfully, a little bit witty.
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| National Gardens |
Anyways, on the brighter side of things although a little traumatised, the trip was still a spectacular one. Needless to say, my friend watched her stuff even more closely in the event that someone tried to steal them again. They avoided trains as much as possible during the trip but not completely as she and her companion needed one to travel to and from their hostel.
The weather there was great. It was sunny and nice and as long as no jackets were needed, no one was complaining. Therefore, walking around Athens was quite a lovely activity to do as the cold was no longer affecting people. Tourists and locals alike were out and about in their numbers.
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In Athens, it's easy to travel on foot as most touristic sites and attractions are within walking distance of the city centre. We should all know that more discoveries are made on foot anyways and as a bonus, you get more exercise.
Talking about exercise, climbing to the top of Acropolis can completely take your breath away but so does the amazing view from the summit so I guess you could say it is a well-merited climb and momentary loss of breath to reach the top.
Seeing Greece in all it's glory can be absolutely breath-taking...
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| View of Athens |
It would be a shame to go to Athens and not visit the Olympic stadium because after all, the first modern Olympic games were played there in 1896.
If you know a bit about Greek mythology, I am certain you have heard of Zeus.
The games were established many years ago as part of a celebration to honour Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses and they were held in in a small town called Olympia. After the creation of the Olympic Committee in 1894, the games were played in Athens, the capital city and has since been hosted in different countries.
If you know a bit about Greek mythology, I am certain you have heard of Zeus.
The games were established many years ago as part of a celebration to honour Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses and they were held in in a small town called Olympia. After the creation of the Olympic Committee in 1894, the games were played in Athens, the capital city and has since been hosted in different countries.
On a side note, I'm not sure if you've ever heard but there is some mystery surrounding the nudity at the games in those times. Maybe that's where modern day "streaking" originated from but I think I will leave the discoveries and theories to the historians and those more qualified to give more accurate insight. Nonetheless, have you ever wondered why we only generally see men doing it?
Fun fact, the contestants in the original games were solely men...so that makes complete sense that only men would run across the field butt-naked... sorry ladies but in Greek mythology, you served a different purpose.
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| Olympic Stadium |
Not too long after leaving the Olympic stadium, my friend then stumbled upon the Zappeion Megaron, known simply as Zappeion by the Athenians. The building which was named after Evangelis Zappas, a rich businessman who devoted his life to the revival of the Olympiads (Olympic Games) has become a landmark in Athens. It is known for its history that dates back to more than 130 years ago. It sits in the centre of the National Gardens. Today, conferences, cultural and sports exhibitions are held there. It is truly a spectacle.
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| Zappeion |
Talking about Greek mythology leaves you wondering a bit about Greek feasts. I am not sure about you but for me... after walking around, I would need to take a food break and a Greek Caesar salad in Greece doesn't seem like a bad choice. In fact, you have plenty or restaurants in the city where you could grab a bite. The food is reasonably priced too so for those of you like myself who love to eat, don't forget to pick up a delicious Greek pita wrap in the process.
There are many things to do and to see in Athens like passing by Parliament and watching the changing of the guards, climbing up to the top of Acropolis, eating Greek food, having an ice cream, shopping for trinkets, enjoying the nice springtime weather, getting a tattoo, or even being hustled to buy perfumes. Whatever you wish to do or have, Athens has a little bit of everything for you.
However, I just want you all to remember to keep vigilant and don't let your affairs get stolen like my friend's nearly did.
The only thing Athens should take from you is a little piece of your heart.
If you like this story on Athens or you're looking for some more adventures in Greece, you may also enjoy reading Let's Go to Santorini, Greece.
