After running into the unexpected, but expected varied traveling bumps that always happen no matter how prepared I am, I’m in Athens, Greece!

When I arrived, it was smooth sailing through customs and gathering my luggage….to then discover the taxis were on strike today!  So, taking the Metro I was!

With a map included in the House Guide I had with me of what line to take and where to get off from the very prepared hostess of the Airbnb apartment, I was on my way! Milan and Paris taught me how to navigate these city trains. I felt like an experienced traveler ready to tackle this Metro system!

Taking the train allowed me to see some of the countryside…filled with what look to be olive trees!!!  🙂

One detail of the landscape that surprised me…is how brown it is.  It’s like this combination of desert and temperate/greenery terrain.

Like Paris, there were buskers on the train.  Unlike Paris, the buskers were children.  See the girl playing accordion with the young girl in the pink t-shirt ahead of her? They are a team.  One plays the music.  The other asked for money. Young pink t-shirt was very aggressive with asking for money.  She tapped me with the cup, looked me straight in the eye while shaking the cup at me.  I declined.  I wasn’t in the mood for it.

I had to transfer from one train to another…..knowing the Airbnb apartment manager would need me at the station, close to the apartment.  His name is Gashem.  He’s a very tall, over 6 feet high Sudanese man, not easily missed in a crowd!  I gratefully handed over one of my suitcases to him as he led the way to my home here in Athens for the next 11 days.

A picture of one of the streets in the neighborhood!

Coffee shop on the corner that will be my breakfast hangout!  The cappuccino was delicious!!!!

A pastry shop up the road where I bought ham and cheese quiches! And a traditional dessert pastry I had to try right away!!! I don’t remember the name of the pastry, yet…but will report back because I will for sure be buying this again.  Here is a moment by moment play back of eating this delectable pastry!!!

• soft and melty at the same time with a syrup that flowed, just a bit….
• with a flaky crunch
• sweet but not too much
• one of the best pastries I’ve ever tasted (even over Paris pastry!)

There are lots of little curious shops on the streets in this neighborhood!  I discovered one is a drama school. They’re performing their end of year exam performances for free!  Starting at 8:00pm each night this week is a theatre play of their final work for the year!  I’ve been awake for almost 24 hours!  I think that will be tomorrow evening!!!

Graffiti is everywhere on all the buildings.  Here is the graffiti tag I look for to know I’m at the right building!

Here is a view from the balcony!

This is the view from the kitchen window of the steps leading up to the roof!  Will discover the roof tomorrow!!

That’s it for now!!!  I’m an exhausted, happy traveler!!!

S, xo