12.9.08

"Athentic" Impressions


Coming to Greece has been, for me, a dream come true. From the second the plane descended last week over the hills of Athens, I knew that I wasn’t exactly in Rindge anymore. City life is something that I have experienced, although I was not exactly used to it. Even beginning with the taxi ride to the apartment from the airport, I knew things were different here. First, most of the cabs are Mercedes and ALL the vehicles here seem to have a blatant disregard for general road safety (just ask the group whose taxi was hit by a moped). Everything from the lines in the road, to the traffic lights seem to be mere suggestion. And let me tell you, pedestrians do NOT have the right of way here like in the states. Smart Cars seem to have no qualms about running you off the road while you’re minding your own business on the way to buy some olives.

Despite all this, Athens really is a fantastic city. There has always been something for me to do whether it be mosey around the national gardens, or sip on a Voltage cappuccino at Gloria Jean's Authentic Coffee (highly recommended next time you find yourself needing a caffeine fix while you’re in Athens).

The moment I realized that I was truly happy here occurred a few days ago. Me and some of my house-mates (I use the term house loosely I remind you), were on the balcony looking over the city and I wondered out loud if our roof had a terrace. Being the curious young academics that we are, we investigated to find out that indeed, it does. Being up there looking over the city lit up in its nightly glory was overwhelming. I looked to my left and saw the Acropolis, and to my right Lykavittos Hill both lit up and seemingly watching over the city. First impressions say a lot.

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