Inspired by her summer working at Traveler,
Meghan VanDeventer decided she absolutely had to study abroad and see
more of the world before graduating college in May. Last-minute though
it was, she pulled some strings, packed her bags, and hopped a plane to
London to
spend the fall in search of adventure abroad. Recently, she kicked up
her feet, put down her textbook (ok, her pint) and took a ten-day trip
to Greece. Continuing with last week's off-season theme, we present her chronicle here (click the hyperlinks to see Meghan's photos):
I spent the night before my trip to the Cycladic Islands brushing the dust off my sunglasses; people weren't joking about the London fog. After landing in Athens, I took the metro to Monastiraki Square. The welcoming streets of the Plaka were filled with music, candlelit tables, and people enjoying delicious-looking Greek cuisine, but few tourists.
I met up with my Topdeck Tours group, and we began our exploration of surprisingly walkable historic Athens. Our guide, Themis, led us on foot to the ancient Agora on the way to the Parthenon with its amazing panoramic view. We continued walking to the Arch of Hadrian, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and Panathinaiko Olympic Stadium before a leisurely stroll through the National Garden. Our final Athens stop was Parliament; the guards wore traditional dress and stood still, unblinking, Buckhingham Palace-style. We spent the afternoon shopping in the bustling Monastiraki open-air market.
Next day, we took a ferry from Athens to the island of Paros. Almost immediately, we hopped a bus out of the quaint harbor town to Golden Beach, where we were almost the only people there to enjoy the peaceful breezes and quiet waves. The next day we packed lunches and towels for a scenic hike to a nearby beach bordering the harbor.
Next stop, Mykonos, with which I fell in love. We watched the sunset by the island's iconic windmills, and later strolled over to nearby 'Little Venice', where we dined outdoors and watched people walking along the waterfront. After waking up to fresh coffee and fruit the next morning, I had to force myself to leave my hotel's veranda overlooking Platis Gialos beach, but was soon happily following our guide along the rocky hillside to Paradise Beach. It was a bit chilly for bathing suits, but we snorkeled nonetheless.
As our ferry arrived on Santorini, the city of Fira looked like snow on the top of a mountain. We started our exploration early the next day, taking a cable car down to the port and enjoying the spectacular views. Next, we boarded a ship to the nearby active volcanic crater. After hiking to the top, we returned to the boat, which took us to a not-so-hot spring. Last, we motored back for a donkey ride up a zig-zag path to Fira. The day ended with a golden sunset watched from coastal Oia on Santorini's northwestern tip.
Our last night on Santorini, we stuffed our bellies with a traditional Greek meal, drank ouzo, and learned Greek folk dances. The final ferry ride back to Athens the next day took eight and a half hours, giving us time to come slowly back to reality. Yassou, Greece!
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