Friday, August 10, 2012
A year ago today I was at Athens International Airport, on the plane going home.
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| Mum and I relieved to be settled ahead of the long flight back. |
The last days in Athens were pretty chilled. I didn't want to stay there again for as long as we did, especially because we stayed in the suburbs again - but I did see some beautiful sunsets, had some more great food and succumbed to buying shoes I'd spotted all the way back in Santorini (they were wedges that had gone down by 40 Euros from the first sighting though, sweet). It's a shame that my afternoon at the beach, the last afternoon before heading to the airport, was ruined because some middle-aged sleazeball tried chatting me up in the water and then tried luring me away with him. Seriously. Ew.
***
I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave this time around. In 2010 I had almost no desire to go home, but a year had changed a lot. It was a daunting prospect after almost four months away, but I was hopeful as well about getting into a routine again, and really committing to looking for a job and/or pursuing travel-related freelance work. But also thinking about USA 2012, which had popped into my head with their financial woes in that particular month (good of course for the Aussie dollar).
Ironically, it ended up being our shocker of a stopover that made me overly anxious to get home.
We had booked rooms at the hotel inside Singapore's Changi Airport. Got there, not available until 8am - three hours after we arrived. It was a 17hr stopover with the intention we'd get that morning rest, then go to the city in the afternoon refreshed to have a look before flying out. The rooms were eventually lost, then no-one proceeded to move from a group of couches for hours at a time. When I finally managed to get my mum and brother to make the trip with me, they could only sustain a quick lunch (at McDonalds of all places) and a short walk along Orchard Avenue before the long return because of their jetlag. So I, clearly least affected, was restless and forced to weigh it out. Why did I not explore myself? Do not even go there. By then I was dying to get home.
A few photos now, from (until the flight itself) a less hectic end of my journey.
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| Had a rather embarrassing one of my brother at Singapore's Changi Airport, but I'll save it for his 21st. Instead, the area I mostly hung around. |
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| A breaking dawn soon before touchdown in Adelaide. |
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
A year ago today I was at Hydra and Poros, Greece, on a daytrip from Athens.
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| Hydra's port |
I didn't take many photos of the islands (for a change) because I was just enjoying myself. And it was hot so we just went straight to the beach in Poros.
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| A Hydra donkey to greet us... |
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| Poros |
A lot of people are disappointed by Athens because it's not the pretty Paris or bouncy Barcelona. But I really liked it even the second time round, there are awesome social areas, good shopping (the shoe shopfront displays alone are the best in the world, hands down - so many beautiful heels...) and the centre's just filled with history that slaps you in the face. Heck, that's the whole country in a nutshell really.
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| This club was still something out of a movie a year after my first time there. But it was more touristy this time... |
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| A turn of Greek dancing in a suburban restaurant anyone? That's my uncle being taught some moves by our Athenian cousin. |
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Time for a Europop lesson.
Some non-Europeans might remember Greek singer Sakis Rouvas as the dude who swung into the Athens 2004 Olympics Closing Ceremony (literally) before falling mid-routine. Others remember him more fondly as performing one of Eurovision's best songs in recent years with 2004's Shake It (quite frankly, as the favourite that came third he was robbed). He of course also represented Greece again in 2009.
He is also quite possibly one of the world's most prettiest men. #justsayin'
I bought his latest album six months ago when I was in Athens as a tool to help me improve my Greek should I start taking proper lessons. While that's currently a work in progress, I finally listened to the album all in one hit last week.
If anyone survives the Greek economical crisis it will probably be him. Damn, his songs are catchy.
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| Sakis Rouvas performing Shake It for Greece at Eurovision 2004 |
I haven't been this excited to listen to a full album repeatedly in some time. He doesn't sing any English tracks on Parafora (Madly), but on hearing more than his Eurovision fare I totally see why this guy is Greece's king of pop. It's damn good stuff.
Even if I don't understand a whole lot of it.
It makes me wish I could understand more, which is the point. That's good. Yet the words swirl around my head for much of the day as I'm trying to work, eat and watch TV. I've taken it further to listen through all the other Greek songs on my iTunes as I cook each night, and vow to understand it all fluently one day. Especially for the sake of Mr Rouvas and what he is trying to sing to me.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Has anyone seen this shitty excuse for a travel article? First the Sydney Morning Herald were reporting on the outrage from New Zealanders... continuing on from the previous entry on my uncertainty of visiting Christchurch, I can kind of see their point.
Then it got ridiculous.
Perth and the western coast were a possible no-go. Because of shark attacks apparently. NEWSFLASH: THEY'RE EVERYWHERE. Especially if you don't swim between the flags like you're told. What a joke.
Then (of course, of course) there was Greece. Yes, they've had riots. Yes they're financially unstable. But why fuel the theory that Greece is only ever good for the islands??? Ok so there's a tiiiny bit of bias being of Greek heritage - BUT - this is something I have never really understood since first visiting.
The islands are pretty amazing. I've been to six. And will go back for more. But the mainland is different entirely and is interesting for it. Athens is a MUST for the Acropolis and surrounds, yet people don't give it the time of day or go there expecting a Paris and then become sorely disappointed. The history is what makes the country, and if you can ever get further north than Athens, or Patra on the Pelopponnese, the never-ending mountains as well as artefacts will entrance and surprise you. Plus Thessaloniki has a similar vibe to Melbourne in its chilled nightlife, a very cool place.
My point: she said to tread lightly in Athens and only go to the islands right? She's obviously never been there. If there's more taxi strikes or what not (which I don't see happening now their summer's over) where's the first place they hit? The ports. That's where you DON'T want to be. I went through it and considered myself lucky to have hit the mainland by then, except when it affected us in Corfu (Kerkyra). I'll post a video from that someday.
In short, the article is utter rubbish.
PS: SMH has pushed me towards Christchurch being on the itinerary through this story. And THIS photo...
That's a shopping mall. From shipping containers. That's just a bit cool. It looks like Lego that I want to play with.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thursday, September 30, 2010
I won't say too much on the final few places, only because I've been writing so much down for my personal records - and I'm starting to procrastinate from doing it, which isn't good.
Mallorca ended up being different to what I expected - perhaps that's because I was under the impression I'd be hitting the clubs, beaching it, sleeping and not much else. What I ended up doing was seeing all the important sights and areas thanks to our host Michel (good) and buying three pairs of shoes in as many days although my suitcase surely wouldn't allow for it (even better). When we did hit the clubs (on the Sunday night) it was exactly what I expected though - drunk Brits being bogan everywhere. Fantastic. Missed out on Deadmau5 by two nights at BCM (their main club where DJ Sammy performs every Friday - !) - I didn't get to go there which was a huge bummer but finding out I'd miss out on them killed me.
Barcelona was a great night, we really should've stayed there longer like we originally planned. Only as a transition between Mallorca and Athens we ended up having arguably the best accommodation all trip (with towels... and SOAP!), the best central location AND good luck with two clubs. Funny story time: dancing with Helen, then an Argentinean guy whose cousins had befriended us decides to get real close and ask me: 'Can I bite you? Pleeease?' I almost went into hysterics. Gold. We only had about four hours sleep before leaving to catch our flight, where I happen to bump into Beth from Tomatina. Small world.
Athens was great as a bookend to Nemea because I saw a totally different side of Greece, the one seriously affected by their current economic struggle. Student transport ticket for 90mins: 50 Euro cents. Cheeeeap. And they think things have skyrocketed. But spending time with my mum's side was great; went for coffee everyday - around a marina, Glyfada (which is a really nice area) - and returned to my love: the pite. Went to a restaurant which was constantly packed called Georgia's Pites where they seriously had the best yiros' I've ever had in my entire life. These didn't have chips in them like anywhere else but they tasted incredible.
Saw the Acropolis and surroundings: the Parthenon is colossal. I didn't want to leave it; so so beautiful. Think I cried a little. Saw Hadrian's Gate and the Temple of Zeus and then most of Ancient Agora where Helen had slight issues... climbing some steps, which of course are marble and therefore slippery, and an exasperated Helen says to me: 'MORE marble?!' I just turn and say: 'Dude, it's Ancient Greece. Of course there's marble.' That, with Barcelona two days before brought arguably the two best quotes of the trip. Genius.
Loved the Monestiraki and Plaka areas... felt drawn to Athens - and not just because everyone dresses impeccably. Caught myself imagining an older version of me there with a husband and kids walking around the streets. I must've looked local enough; a (hottt) TV presenter approaches me with mike and all. Couldn't help him out - need to brush up on my Greek properly I've decided. Didn't matter for the club we went to though... like Mykonos, looked like something out of a film. Every girl in heels (and me caught out wearing flats because I didn't know we were going) and really good mix of Greek and English music made for a great night out.
Before we knew it the five days were over and we were going home. No major dramas getting back to Oz, except for the freezing night-stay in Melbs. A horrible wake-up call. But I went to Sydney to shop and sightsee a bit more five days after coming back to Adelaide. After THAT I was shopped out AND aware I was really home. Which got me down for a bit. But I think I'm okay now. Looking at all my clothes makes me happy anyway.
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