Exploring Athens...

 

I had the pleasure of welcoming my sister to the city of Athens. It was a short visit, but in such a short space of time, we managed to see a vast amount of the capital of Greece. I think that in the last four days, I have seen more of Athens than in the last ten months! With many days spent walking round the numerous archaeological sites, visiting the tightly packed gift shops of Plaka, eating in many tasty tavernas, and even going to a ballet in the Panathenaic stadium, all in all it was a fun time. It's always great when people come to visit you but it's even more special when it's one of your family members. For me, as I draw nearer to my departure from Greece, it provided me with time to reflect on some of the past ten or so months, a time I know has been deeply transformational.

As my sister and I set out to explore Athens, it was notably going to be a day requiring lots of water and lots of sun-cream! Over the past few days, the temperatures have risen quite significantly, and now they are reaching the mid to late thirties. This is something I've been told will continue to happen as we enter into the month of July. The good thing is that water is very cheap in Greece, and you can buy a bottle for 50cent at one of the many kiosks that litter the roads.

I'm pleased to report that as well as seeing many of the archaeological sites, I also had the privilege of introducing my sister to some of the many foods which I've encountered whilst being in Athens. It is one of the things Greeks do very well and one of the things I will miss upon my return to the UK.

Our final evening was spent at the Panathenaic stadium where we witnessed for the first time a performance being shown in the venue. It is a fantastic stadium and is full of history. It is the location where the first modern Olympic games were held. If you ever get a chance to visit the city, it is definitely worth the 3euros ticket price.

As we parted company at the airport this morning, I couldn't help but be sad at how quickly the time went. I was extremely thankful however to have been able to share not only the city with my sister, but also people, places and memories of my time in Greece, memories no doubt that will stay with me for a long time. Thank you Emma for a great time!