Stranded in Athens at 5:30 AM
I spent the first hour of my Greek holiday stranded at a hot dog stand at 5:30 AM.
Let’s rewind.
I caught a flight from Newcastle to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam to Athens.
Oddly enough, I’ve been to Amsterdam Schiphol several times. So much so that I know exactly where the McDonald’s is.
I don’t know if that is something I should be proud of or embarrassed by…
After a few delays, I got to Athens at 4:00 AM.
My phone was dead, and I had smartly brought the wrong adapter. So I had to fiend a charger off a Greek teenager and camp out on the floor to at least get to 20%. As a backup, I wrote out the bus directions and the hotel address on a notepad: vintage.
After an hour on the bus and a €5 Uber, I made it to our hotel.
1st call? No answer.
Second, third, and fourth calls? No answer.
A call to the hotel? No answer.
My friend Arohi was sound asleep, and I needed to kill some time.
And across the street, lit up by the neon street light (almost like a spotlight shining down from heaven), I found my answer.
There are many moments in my life where I think, ‘How have I got here?’ and this was one of them: 5:30 AM at a hot dog stand in Athens.
I chatted with the two ladies and tried to figure out if they were just opening for the day or were wrapping up from the night. I got the classic dog.
Arohi woke up (finally!) and let me in. After a little rest, we woke up and went to a Greek chain called Coffee Island. With a name like that, I knew the trip was gonna be good.
There is a rumor going around that Athens is ghetto. To be fair, I did hear this from a girl who grew up in North London and color-coded her notes in uni (sorry, S****!)
So, I’d like to take this opportunity to clear Athen’s name. AND, if Athens ever was ghetto, Athens must have prepared for our arrival.
For the sake of time, here are my Athens dos and don’ts:
My Athens Dos
Do use public transportation: the metro and buses are intuitive to use, cheap and frequent.
Do walk the Monastiraki area. It has some amazing antique markets. Junk falling into the street just the way I like it.
Do see The National Garden. It is a serene garden in the middle of the city with giant palm trees that almost look Hollywood-esque. This is perfect for when you’re so bloated you are waddling, your bum is itchy (not mine by the way, just speculation) and everyone is so cranky that nobody is talking in the late afternoon.
Do have a gelato. My order is one scoop of stracciatella in a cup.
Do try a Freddo. It’s a type of iced coffee with froth sold throughout southern Europe. Very good.
Do see the Acropolis at night (obviously). Go to Thea Terrace Bar for the best view. No reservations needed. We went at 11 PM and had the place to ourselves.
Do go in mid-September. Hot but not boiling. Not swamped with Karens from New Jersey.
My Athens Don’ts
Don’t spend all of your trip in Athens. 1-2 days is plenty. We spent 5 days in Paros and it was perfect.
Don’t do the Acropolis tour. Don’t cancel me. Entry was €30 per person. I know the Greek economy isn’t great, but this seems like an extreme way to recuperate funds (it’s a joke). I think you really just need to see it from afar. If you do NEED to do the tour, I’d recommend going in the evening when the crowds and sun are low.
Don’t underestimate the importance of a holiday nap. This is one of the many reasons Arohi and I are great travel companions. A pre-dinner lie down for an hour minimum is a non-negotiable.
