"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."—Pericles

I had asked my Air BNB(Clara) host to pick me up from the airport (Greece). Unfortunately, she was late, and she couldn’t contact me as my phone was not operational.

I experienced kindness from an airport employee, after I told her my problem. She immediately called Clara, asked her to pick me up from a specific terminal. I was grateful, otherwise would be a difficult to co-ordinate with Clara.

The house was beautiful. It was in the interiors. I would have failed to reach on my own. Clara was an amazing host; she used to get me amazing breakfast. Fresh fruits, Eggs, Muffins & Feta. It was the first time I tasted feta. I was an instant fan. I ate feta every day in Athens.

Clara dropped me at the nearby metro and told me to reach the same station at 6 pm in the evening. My first destination was Acropolis. I asked few locals for directions and finally I reached Acropolis of Athens. I was surprised when I heard 20 Euro for the entry ticket. Greece is heavily dependent on tourism for boosting the economy.

Acropolis is a must-see site. It is a bit touristy, but the place is worth spending a lot of time. You will get to see  Theatre of Dionysus inside Acropolis.

Slowly, I got comfortable in a new city. I would ask people to click my photos. I was excited to be in this new place. I had borrowed digital camera from a friend. I had no idea, how to use it with different settings.

I was at the iconic temple and wanted a perfect shot. I asked an elderly lady to click my photo, she was not clicking great photos. There was a professional photographer who was watching this and asked me if he could help. Within few minutes, he adjusted some setting and clicked an awesome photo. He had an awesome energy when we spoke about photography. We exchanged Facebook details and we are still good friends!

Introducing Colin, he is a dear friend from New York. I have more things to write about him but may be in a later blog (My trip to New York).

I was at a Syntagma square, for the first time I saw the concept of hop on hop off bus. I liked it and booked my ticket for 30 euros. If you are short on time and have not planned your itinerary well, this way to explore the place is handy.

I covered a lot in a day, thanks to the bus service. While returning I bought some strawberries & cherries. They were so fresh and tasty. Athens is not an expensive city, 20 Euros in a day is a very good budget.

Next day, it was more interesting, and Clara dropped me to a bus stop and told me to meet at the same spot in the evening, she gave me all the bus details connecting to the city centre.

I visited the Greek Parliament, Plaka District, Temple of Olympian Zeus & National library. I met a local who took me to a rock named Areopagus that is opposite of Acropolis (South side). Witnessing the sunset from there was a beautiful experience.

While returning, I missed the connecting bus and I couldn’t reach on time as Clara was waiting for me. My phone’s battery was dead and hence, I couldn’t update her. There was a lady who was also waiting for the bus, she was kind enough to call Clara and update her that I will get late.

Piraeus is located within the Athens urban area, 12 kilometres (7 miles) southwest from its city centre (municipality of Athens). Piraeus is famous for its ports. Pasalimani is a harbour in the heart of Piraeus. With fancy yachts lining up along the port, it is beautiful sight to behold. Most tourists visiting Greece are familiar with the name Piraeus because that’s where the ships that head to the islands depart from. 

I was blown away by the scenic beauty, of Glyfada, the beaches are so beautiful. I had never seen any beach this blue & it was very clean. I wanted to swim in the water but couldn’t as I didn’t carry any spare clothes. You should visit Glyfada, Astir & Asteras beach. I cannot express in words how amazing it felt.

It is a good relaxation place to come with your family. Also 1 hour drive from Athens gets you here. One unique sport people played was beach racket(Matkot originally invented by the Israelis). Just sitting and seeing the blue water was relaxing. I spent quality time here, my only regret was I couldn’t swim. I vowed to come next time to Greece and experience the blue water.

As I was returning, lot of random thoughts were going through my mind. I was very happy. Sitting in a double decker bus with no roof and air passing through, it was a beautiful feeling. I was away from home, yet this moment felt home. I was proud of myself, for taking this decision to travel alone. Life was beautiful in this moment.

Conclusion:

-        If you are beach lover, you will love Greece. It is surrounded with thousands of islands.

-        Athens is a beautiful city with lots of history. Also, there is Piraeus (Port city of Greece) near to Athens.

-        Don’t miss eating Greek Feta, it is healthy & tasty.

-        I’m grateful for all the people who helped me in times of need. Greek people are very friendly.

-        Do visit Acropolis & spend some quality time there. To witness sunset from the rock (Areopagus), is a surreal experience

-        Greece is not expensive; it is one of the best places to get best value for money. Avoid the touristy area.

-        Please carry swimming clothes if you are visiting the beaches, believe me you won’t regret it.

-        Do visit Glyfada area, to see the beaches, blue as the skies.

This is Shekar, I see you in the next one.

Ciao.