Athens: Not my most favorite place I've visited so far, but not my least either. Athens definitely falls somewhere in the bottom 3 however (see my previous blog entry). Some helpful tips for people going to or planning on going to Athens. 1) Pay a little extra and stay in Plaka, the historic center. Not only are you right near all the action (The Acropolis, Stadium, etc.), but the twisting and narrow quaint streets that every so often lead you to a bustling plaza, or stellar view of The Parthenon, are a side of Athens every traveler should know about. Also, the food is great!
Santorini: First thing's first, I went in the off-season. That was the first mistake. Santorini doesn't have much going on during the off season and the best place to stay, by far, is Fira or Thira (depending on how you pronounce it). Laura and I made the mistake of staying in Perissa, which had zilch going on and our hotel, while would be the perfect place to stay in the summer or even late-spring, was empty. In fact, we were the first guests of the season. Greek hospitality rivals that of any perceived "friendly" country, and was something I didn't know about. When Laura and I asked to cancel our reservation in Perissa, the woman was so disappointed that we were unhappy; we told her it wasn't her fault at all and that we loved the hotel (we actually did!), but we came at the wrong time in the year and we'd gladly pay for our full reservation. She put a softly tanned hand to her cheek, looking at our priceline print-out and said, "Is no good for you to pay so much money. You pay be 60 Euro for everything. That's better for you, yes?" The sweetest woman to think of us in that moment, rather than her own needs. If I went back to Santorini, I'd go during the summer and stay at Villa Clio in Perissa.
It wasn't so much that I didn't like Santorini, but rather it was cold and very low-energy, which makes me wonder what it would be like in the high-season. I ate some really good salads on the island, and even got free wine and dessert one night. Cheers!
London: I love London. Let me repeat that for emphasis: I Love London. I wish I bought one of those t-shirts that says that. Not only is it refreshing to hear English spoken (and with cute British accents, it's not bad either), but there was a really cool urban culture in London that I didn't expect to love. It was much needed to see my friends from school, especially in their abroad habitat. I even didn't mind sleeping on the couch!
The first day in London we did the touristy things: Big Bed, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, London Tower, Tower Bridge, London Eye, and the Tate Modern. We also when to the Boroughs Market, which was unlike an Italian market. This one had food stalls set up, with artisan cheese crafters and oil sellers. You could taste everything, and when not considering the exchange rate, things were cheap (in the pound sense). The night life is pretty fun, too, although I don't think I'd go back to London for it. Actually, the dinner/pub scene was my favorite. One night Nicole and I split monkfish with roasted tomatoes.
The second day was more low-key. We met some friends in Hyde Park then walked down Oxford Street to pick up Nicole from class. Then we got cupcakes :) That night we went to a gay club, where after Nicole, Annie, and Laura left around midnight, Wei and I danced our butts off to a set of fantastic tunes (especially Duck Sauce's "Barbara Streisand"). And I was even cruised by some creep that followed me from room to room. Gross, but still it's some sort of small accomplishment.
The third day I got my Korean food fix in Chinatown with Wei. We saw the spending cuts protestors, then the anarchist protestors. Actually, we got stuck in the latter's protest and sought refuge in Starbucks (which I went to every day...) and then Liberty. Yes, Liberty, as in Liberty Print...heaven.
So all in all, the break was necessary for me to recharge my batteries, and also it helped me appreciate Florence a little bit more. Speaking of liking Florence more, today was 65 and sunny. Tomorrow will be warmer. Do I sense my jorts making an appearance soon?
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