Europe 2008 Part II — Athens and Patrás

The countryside between Thessaloniki and Athens is gorgeous. As our train weaved in and out of mountain tunnels we caught sight of deep green forests with hidden streams and valleys covered in crops. Before too long, we arrived at the main station in Athens and set off for our hostel. It took us about thirty minutes to locate on foot. We had a room at the very top of a winding staircase, sharing it with a guy from Poland. (A girl from Hawaii who had been traveling all over Europe for the last three months was just leaving that evening.)

After dropping our stuff we took the metro to the Plaka, which is a quaint little neighborhood under the shadow of the Acropolis with winding cobbled streets and a multitude of shops and restaurants. We had an awesome meal of lamb and potatoes with wine (of course) before heading up to the Acropolis. It was quite dark now and the great hill was closed. Seeing the Parthenon lit up at night always gives me chills. I think of ancient human history and the great civilizations