CAIT AROUND THE WORLD

May 20, 2023 — Oh, the joys of having dorm mates.

I’ve had mostly really good experiences in dorms with other people. There was, of course, that one night in Hobart while I was in Tasmania, but other than that I didn’t have any standout experiences until this morning in Athens.

I’m not a morning person — never have been. I can get up early, I can work early, but don’t ask me to listen to other people in the morning. I was woken up at quarter after six in the morning by a couple of the girls staying in my room getting ready for their day. The start of it was one of their phone alarms going off — with music. Music. Dorm etiquette — for me — dictates at minimum a low tone for an alarm. Preferably vibrate. My phone alarms are all set to vibrate and I wake up to them just fine. On top of that, they were getting ready and weren’t even trying — even a little — to be quiet. They were talking to each other in normal voices and doing their hair and getting changed and they took over an hour. Another dorm mate then had the absolute audacity to listen to their show without earbuds. This has been my rant for the day regarding dorm life.

Like I said, I’ve had mostly good experiences with dorm mates, but this morning was so annoying and add to that the fact that I was still jet-lagged and generally tired and I was more annoyed than I might have been on another day, too. I headed down for breakfast the second I was able to and calmed down with some delicious food.

I headed out later to see the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. I’d already walked by Hadrian’s Arch twice (the first time I was heading to get my SIM card and the second time I was on the walking tour). Hadrian was a Roman emperor who became an exalted Athenian for much of his work for the city and its citizens. Popular opinion is that the arch was built in Hadrian’s honour and we know that it was completed around 131 or 132 AD.

The Temple of Zeus was once one of the largest in the ancient world, though it took about six hundred years to be completed. It deteriorated after five centuries and much of the temple has since fallen away. One Doric column tumbled in 1852 and has remained in that state ever since.

Did you know? You can get into ancient sites for reduced prices in Greece if you’re under 24! Just ask at the ticket desk for the reduced price and show your proof of age with identification! (Passport or driver’s licence.) Awesome way to save some cash!

After seeing both monuments, I headed over to Lycabettus Hill, which the tour guide had pointed out yesterday and given us directions for climbing. I couldn’t follow those quite to a T but I did my best and I did eventually make it to the base of the trail up the hill, which I followed until I reached the summit. Our guide told us that it took him about half an hour to get to the top and I think it took me about twenty minutes. It’s a lot of stairs, though, definitely some tough climbing. Your other option is to take the funicular to the top, but you do miss out on the views heading up. I decided to take the funicular down instead of climbing down since my knee was bugging me a bit after all the walking and climbing. I absolutely recommend heading to the top of the hill for the views out over the city and to the ocean, though — it’s stunning.

I headed back to the hostel and picked up a Somersby apple cider (thank you, no open container laws) — and a bottle opener so I could open it — on the way. I sat in the park and called home while I enjoyed my drink, then walked the rest of the way to the hostel, stopping off once more to purchase an Athens souvenir t-shirt. Back at the hostel, I charged my phone and vegetated for a couple hours.

I showered while I was back in the room as well since it had been quite an active day and I knew I wanted to go out for dinner (duh). I got dressed in a clean shirt and shorts and grabbed my sweater as well because it got a little nippy when the sun went down.

I went to dinner at a little place a short walk from my hostel called Diogenes. I got their chicken and roasted potatoes with a glass of their house rose wine and it was absolutely delicious. By the time I got back to the hostel, it was after nine. I purchased a bag of popcorn from the little convenience shop that stood about a hundred metres from the hostel and then watched a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother while I munched. (It was really nice to be back in a country where I could watch it!) Then I brushed my teeth and went to sleep.

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to leave a like, comment, and share with your friends and family. Enjoying following along? Hit subscribe to receive notifications when I post! If you’re looking for more frequent updates, follow me on Instagram @cait_around_the_world.