A few weeks ago, we decided to go to Athens for a week, primarily to escape the cold Berlin winter. We rented an apartment for the time we were there, and I have to say, it was a trip that was totally worth it!
We went during the last week of January. It was bitterly cold in Berlin, and it was great to be able to temporarily escape it for a bit. I have been to Athens before, but this was actually in 2005, so it was 20 years ago. I was looking forward to seeing the city again, given that I had fond memories of it. Athens was actually the place I wanted to see while I was visiting Europe in the summer of 2005, for the first time. I thought that Athens was rather encyclopedic, and there were ruins and monuments in the city that I only encountered in the encyclopedias I used to read as a child. Hence I wanted to see these places in real life, and 2005 was the first chance I had. Given this personal historical background, I wanted to check out this city again. For my husband, on the other hand, he hasn't been to Greece at all, so this was a new experience for him.
We got an apartment south of the city centre, but nevertheless, the touristy places were easy to reach via the metro. We arrived on a Saturday, and stayed until Sunday the next weekend. During this time, I worked for three days, while the remaining days were used for sightseeing. The weather was cooperative: it was about 16 degrees on average during the time we were there, compared to the -8 degrees that was in Berlin. And while there were also rainy days, those were confined to the days when I had to work.
During our visit, we went to places that I have seen 20 years ago, such as the Acropolis, and it was fun seeing these historical places once more. I was checking my old photos several times to figure out where were the places I visited back then during my first visit. Some of these places have changed in the meantime, while others remained exactly as I have remembered them. I suppose most of the time I go to places I haven't been to before, but in rare occasions such as this one, it's essentially a walk down memory lane.
We stayed for just a week, but nevertheless we formed some habits. We had our local supermarket. We had our local bakery, where the staff started remembering me, already predicting what my order would be. I suppose going there in the mornings a few days in a row triggers that. Overall, we had a great time.
Of course, there will be photos. So stay tuned.
