- Week Eleven - This weekend, we took a trip to the capital of Greece! Athens is a city filled with ancient Greek history, with many landmarks that date back to the 5th century. Greece greeted us with sun and warm weather, which reminded me a lot of home. Being the first time in 3 months being able to wear a T-shirt outside, it was truly a nice escape from the cold weather of London! THE TRANSPORTATION We booked a flight with easyJet out of Gatwick Airport. Greece is quite far from London compared to other European countries, so the flight took around 3 hours. Note: Expect plane tickets to be more expensive. Athens itself is a very walkable city, with most of the ancient landmarks being very close to one another. As a result, the only time you would really need to take the metro is to and from the airport. THE ACCOMMODATION Our Airbnb was located near Acropolis Museum. The apartment was in a perfect location, being only 5 minutes away from Acropoli station. It’s also in walking distance from sites like the Acropolis (8 mins), Temple of Olympian Zeus (10 mins), Plaka (12 mins), Roman Agora (15 mins), Ancient Agora (20 mins) and Keramikos (20 mins). There was also a luggage storage store one block away from the apartment where we stored our bags because our departure flight was in the evening. THE ITINERARY Athens is an incredibly beautiful city, surrounded by a ton of historical landmarks. Something to be aware of is that there are a lot of pick-pocketers and gypsies in Greece. Be sure to always have an eye on your belongings and never leave them on the ground or unattended. Here are some fun things to do and places to see while in Athens: (Note #2-4 can all be accessed through buying an Acropolis entrance package) 1. PLAKA Plaka is a neighborhood that runs through Acropolis and its ancient temples. The narrow streets are filled with stores, restaurants, bars and boutiques. Since this was my first time trying authentic Greek food, I was happily surprised at how delicious each dish was! 2. ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS The main attraction of Athens is definitely the Acropolis, an ancient citadel located on a large rock overlooking the city. In the Acropolis, there are a ton of ancient remains from architectures built back in the 5th century. You can purchase an Acropolis combination ticket that will give you access to a variety of ancient Greek sites like the Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Temple of Athena Nike and Temple of Olympian Zeus to name a few. 3. ROMAN AGORA The Roman Agora is located to the north of the Acropolis and can be accessed with the combination package. 4. TEMPLE OF OLYMPIAN ZEUS This attraction houses one of the largest ancient structures dedicated to the Greek god Zeus. The colossal temple was the most grand of all the other structure we had seen in Athens. 5. ACROPOLIS MUSEUM The Acropolis Museum contains the findings from the Acropolis of Athens. They also offer free admission to students and is located right next to the Acropolis. 6. NAFPLIO & EPIDAURUS Ammon Express offers day trips from Athens to other cities or areas in Greece. Nafplio is a seaport town outside of Athens, while Epidaurus is a small city created in ancient Greece. The tour had a very small amount of people (6 of us), which made the experience more personalized and meaningful. Athens was very different from any other European country we've visited before! If you want a unique and cultural experience, I would definitely recommend visiting Greece!
0 Comments
|
AKI'm truly grateful for this opportunity to study abroad and would like to share my experiences with all of you! Ranging from pre-departure tips to recommended travel destinations, I hope this blog will serve as a inspiration and reminder to always explore. Archives
December 2019
Categories
All
|