To Wander

The first time I looked upon the Athens skyline I was immediately intoxicated. It was early September, the night air was warm and the wind tangled my hair ever so gently as I stood on the roof of the Pergamos Hotel gazing upon the carpet of lights, buildings and life that stretched out around me. Elevated above the ancient city were the historical sites; the Acropolis, the Agora, the Cathedral. They were lit up in all their splendour and enduring beauty. The next morning I set off to get a closer look. The city was just as grubby as I'd always heard it was; it was dirty and commercial but I took to it immediately because it didn't cover up it's ugliness. It's characters and flaws were stretched out for every person to see, tourist or local. By the time I did manage to reach the site of the Acropolis, that journey consisted of me somehow ending up walking along the main highway out of Athens towards Corinth and then purchasing a half hour taxi ride all the way back in (not the transport I'd recommend!), I was not only worn out by the city but starving. Nestled at the base of the Acropolis is a restaurant, with decadent food and its placement near such a global tourist attraction, it was a luxurious splurge but worth it to spend the afternoon eating fresh food, basking in the slowly melting sun and occasionally indulging in a cigarette. I don't know what I was expecting but by the time we reached the top of the Acropolis site and Athens stretched out further than the horizon, I was in awe. We were standing on a site that marked the history of humanity, gazing out upon the heartthrob of humanity now. That experience encompassed life and that night I couldn't help but sit on that rooftop again and breathe in the endless clutter of houses and cars and boats in the harbour that was Athens. By early morning ferry ride we arrived in Santorini the next day. We were staying at Stelios Place on Perissa Beach, the famed black-sanded beach of Santorini. Immediately making a friendship with the owner of a local restaurant we slipped into life on Santorini; quad bike rides across the mountainous terrain and the red sandy beach, the most succulent meat, salad and condiments (oh the taziki!) for every meal and the nightlife; beachy bars with live Greek bands where we could dance and sweat and be alive with the Greeks. I felt like I found what I didn't even know I was looking for in Greece. A vibrancy and familiarity and connection with a place so forged in our history.