We (re)built this city (Part 1 of 3: Athens)
I have been wanting to go to Greece because, well, we don’t really need reasons to go to Greece, do we? It’s known for its historical landmarks, cuisine, coasts, blue and white structures, Greek men gods…
I didn’t have a grand let’s-see-all-of-Greece plan. I usually spend time booking tours and researching restaurants for a shape of a plan, but I didn’t do any of that because all my energy has been dedicated to work and fieldwork [1]. On one March evening, I made an impulse decision to book accommodations in three different islands via AirBnB and left that as my starting point for my annual soulbatical [2].
After the 10th anniversary of the Future for Nature Awards in Arnhem, I flew from Schipol to Athens via Aegean Airlines (€186.98 with 23 kg. baggage), and took the metro from the airport to the stop near the apartment (€10). My AirBnB host, Nick, met me at the stop, and together we walked to his place, where I would be staying for two nights. Since I arrived late afternoon, all the museums were closed, so I just walked to the restaurant that Nick recommended called Black Sheep and stuffed my face with this life-changing cheese dish and slow-cooked lamb. I generally don’t eat lamb, but ah, when in Greece.
I scheduled only one full day in Athens because a couple of friends told me it was “overrated.” To maximize my day, I did my go-to tipid tip / traveling “hack” for any new destination: a free walking tour [3].
The walking tour started at the National Library, which used to hold the first copies of any book ever printed in Greece, as well as any publication that was related to Greece (ang lawak ng criteria!). Since it can no longer accommodate the increasing number of materials, they are now being moved to a new, 22,000-sqm building. We then walked to the Parliament, where our guide, Michael, discussed the current economic crisis. Greece’s unemployment rates are at an all-time high, and Transparency International named it the most corrupt country in the European Union in 2012 and 2013.
The National Library
Next stops were Pláka, the pretty, touristy shopping district; Hadrian’s Library; Tower of Winds, and the ancient Agora. Michael informed us that most ruins can be viewed from the gates, and unless you pored over Greek literature and history and would appreciate every single Doric column (or what remains of it), it’s best to spend on any or all of the following: Agora, which closes at 3PM, the Acropolis, and/or Acropolis Museum, which both close at 5PM. We stopped by a viewpoint of the Acropolis, where Michael posed a question: is it better to reconstruct these ancient sites or leave them as they are?
For him, they are better off as is to let people’s imagination work. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I suppose an average tourist would appreciate a reconstructed structure more, instead of just slabs of marble on the ground, and perhaps appreciate history more?
Or not :)) Up for discussion.
The tour wrapped up by the Acropolis Museum at 2PM. I was starving, so I walked back to Pláka to eat a kebab and have a beer.
While finding my way back to Acropolis, I stopped by a store to look for postcards. This is one of my absolute favorite things to do on a trip.
According to the staff member on duty, the word on lower left means “yes!”, the lower right has no direct English translation, but it roughly means “friends for life” or “good friendship.” I hope she’s right, because I’m sending it to one of my best friends. Baka SOUVLAKI pala yung totoong meaning. Shet.
I found the Acropolis and entered at around 4:15PM, forty-five minutes before closing time (€20). The word acropolis comes from akron, “highest point,” and polis, “city.” The Acropolis holds the Temple of Athena Nike and the Parthenon. The branding of Nike is so strong that I forget the brand was named after the Greek goddess for victory.
The Parthenon is being rebuilt with marble from the same site of the original structure.
I was out 10 minutes before it closed, and walked up a couple of more viewpoints: one that overlooked Agora,
and another named Socrates’ Prison, which offered another view of the Acropolis.
Here, I wrote on the postcards and reflected on democracy and the concept of citizenship, two contributions of Athens to the world [4]. I read in A Little History of the World that people would vote for the most popular person... to be kicked out of Athens, i.e., “any politician who showed signs of becoming too popular, lest he seize power for himself and rule as a tyrant."
Makes sense, huh?
The word "democracy” comes from dêmos, “people,” and krátos, "force" or “power” -- essentially, “rule of the people,” or as we know it, “people power.” People power is integral to our narrative as Filipinos. Democracy is the only form of government I grew up with, and it is messy. Our current situation is becoming increasingly frustrating: we’ve elected really, REALLY questionable politicians and fake news and alternative facts have become part of daily life. It’s democracy at work. But democracy at work also means the right and privilege to vote, which generations of women before me fought for. Democracy allows me to write letters to leaders and be openly critical of these leaders. It lets us stage protests. I’d take democracy over tyranny or communism, any day.
After my muni-muni moment in the middle of couples making out and men playing the guitar and singing Greek songs, I made my way back down layers of flowers and trees to the main roads. Since I have no sense of direction, I followed groups of friends walking their dogs (in the least creepy way possible, I swear).
On my way back to the apartment (at this point my FitBit said I had already over 25,000 steps and my legs ached to prove it), I walked past the Panathenaic Stadium, the venue of first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Just right there, by the main road. It was a racecourse in c. 330 BC, rebuilt in 144 AD, excavated bit by bit from 1836 to 1869, and refurbished in 1896. It was also used in the 2004 Olympics. Isn’t that incredible? Full circle. Think of all the wins, losses, heartbreaks, and cheers (and nude male bodies, as the first track events were done without clothing) this stadium has seen and heard.
Given the chance, I’d like to go back to Athens and spend two or three days. Turns out Athens isn’t overrated for someone like me who’s a nerd for history, art, and politics. One day wasn’t enough. Athens has been destroyed and rebuilt, war after war, and there are layers of stories beneath the Starbucks, H&M, and Sephora that line Ermou Street, and under the remains of Propylaia and Erechtheion. Someday.
Next stop: Naxos!
[1] I owe Fiesta Tours & Travel a big thank you for fixing my UK and Schengen visa appointments and requirements while I was traveling for work. I was only in Manila for about two weeks, collectively, from January-March and I was so worried I wouldn’t get my visas in time, but Ms. Eve, Ms. Anna Marie, and Ms. Jean of Fiesta Tours figured it out so I wouldn’t have to. Thank you.
[2] “Soulbatical” is a term my best friend Claudine coined when I visited her in California in October 2015, after my MSc. “I’m soul-searching. Kind of like a sabbatical,” I told her. “A soulbatical!” she declared. So now I have an annual commitment to go on a soulbatical where I do as little work as possible and travel on my own.
[3] Free walking tours don’t have a fixed price, but run on tips.
[4] This is what happens when you travel alone - ang daming time for rumination and contemplation.