So I've been in Athens for a couple of days now and already some of my new friends have put up photos of the Acropolis, the Roman Agora and countless other historical sites and ancient wonders that are the reason I am spending this semester here. I, on the other hand, as of this morning had taken about four pictures since I've gotten here, most of amusing bathroom signs.
(it's a hologram (?) thing with one image looking like the normal women's restroom sign and the other has the woman squatting. the men's room had the normal man standing and then he grabs himself... I LOLed)
ANYWAY, today I was finally guilted into going to explore the Plaka and climb up to the Acropolis. I also found a famous custom sandalmaker whose shop was near the Acropolis that I wanted to scout out for later. My roommate and I mapped out a path that would take us through the National Gardens, to Parliament and Syntagma Square and then on to Monastiraki Square and the shoe store before heading back by way of the Acropolis.
We made it through the gardens and to Parliament (no protesters, just tourists and pigeons) and Syntagma square. We wandered around and found an amazing shopping area surrounded by ruins and the occasional church. We found a Starbucks within sight of the Acropolis where a drink that would be 4.50 dollars in America was 4.50 euro and settled instead on getting fredditos at a local coffee shop for less than half the price. We explored the flea market and found interesting shops and adorable cafes. Finally, after getting a bit lost (my bad, I led us down the wrong street for a while), we found the sandal shop.
This is not just any sandalmaker. Pantelis Melissinos is the "Artist Sandal Maker" (his father was the Poet Sandal-Maker, as the banner outside explains) and runs the shop founded by his grandfather in 1920. The shop (website here: http://www.melissinos-art.com/eng/contact.html) carries around 27 different styles of shoes that are altered to fit each individual's feet by the sandalmaker himself (some other men helped me in the beginning, but Pantelis himself came out to do the finishing touches and make sure the sandals fit me perfectly). Some of the shoes are even named for the celebrities who have bought them over the years (for example: Jackie O, Jeremy Irons, John Lennon, etc). I ended up getting two pairs, the Aeolian 2 and Theta (number 27). They're really really cute and fit PERFECTLY. Basically, I'm in love. I may need to go back for another pair (or three).
By the time my shoes were finally fitted, however, my roommate Kayla and I were close to fainting from the heat. The journey to the Acropolis was abandoned yet again with the assumption that one (or all) of our classes would take us there at least once.
This adventure into the heart of the city sadly did not pass without incident. I pulled a Marilyn Monroe in Syntagma Square and once again in the middle of the flea market (thankfully I was able to catch it both times and Kayla was the only one who saw). My favorite sunglasses fell victim to a bus and flock of mopeds. They fell off my head and as I spazzed and tried to catch them mid-air, I of course knocked them directly under a car and watched Athenian traffic (which is even worse than New York's) crush them. Thankfully I anticipated something like that happening and bought a second pair two days ago. I also fell in a ditch and almost took Kayla down with me. Good thing I brought a first aid kit...
This weekend, I'm planning to return to Spetses and Hydra and will take actual pictures!
ANYWAY, today I was finally guilted into going to explore the Plaka and climb up to the Acropolis. I also found a famous custom sandalmaker whose shop was near the Acropolis that I wanted to scout out for later. My roommate and I mapped out a path that would take us through the National Gardens, to Parliament and Syntagma Square and then on to Monastiraki Square and the shoe store before heading back by way of the Acropolis.
We made it through the gardens and to Parliament (no protesters, just tourists and pigeons) and Syntagma square. We wandered around and found an amazing shopping area surrounded by ruins and the occasional church. We found a Starbucks within sight of the Acropolis where a drink that would be 4.50 dollars in America was 4.50 euro and settled instead on getting fredditos at a local coffee shop for less than half the price. We explored the flea market and found interesting shops and adorable cafes. Finally, after getting a bit lost (my bad, I led us down the wrong street for a while), we found the sandal shop.
This is not just any sandalmaker. Pantelis Melissinos is the "Artist Sandal Maker" (his father was the Poet Sandal-Maker, as the banner outside explains) and runs the shop founded by his grandfather in 1920. The shop (website here: http://www.melissinos-art.com/eng/contact.html) carries around 27 different styles of shoes that are altered to fit each individual's feet by the sandalmaker himself (some other men helped me in the beginning, but Pantelis himself came out to do the finishing touches and make sure the sandals fit me perfectly). Some of the shoes are even named for the celebrities who have bought them over the years (for example: Jackie O, Jeremy Irons, John Lennon, etc). I ended up getting two pairs, the Aeolian 2 and Theta (number 27). They're really really cute and fit PERFECTLY. Basically, I'm in love. I may need to go back for another pair (or three).
By the time my shoes were finally fitted, however, my roommate Kayla and I were close to fainting from the heat. The journey to the Acropolis was abandoned yet again with the assumption that one (or all) of our classes would take us there at least once.
This adventure into the heart of the city sadly did not pass without incident. I pulled a Marilyn Monroe in Syntagma Square and once again in the middle of the flea market (thankfully I was able to catch it both times and Kayla was the only one who saw). My favorite sunglasses fell victim to a bus and flock of mopeds. They fell off my head and as I spazzed and tried to catch them mid-air, I of course knocked them directly under a car and watched Athenian traffic (which is even worse than New York's) crush them. Thankfully I anticipated something like that happening and bought a second pair two days ago. I also fell in a ditch and almost took Kayla down with me. Good thing I brought a first aid kit...
This weekend, I'm planning to return to Spetses and Hydra and will take actual pictures!
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