Athens

Athens was nothing like I thought it would be. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but anything I imagined wouldn't be exactly what I saw. We got in around 8, got the free french toast and eggs for breakfast and then left for a 3 1/2 hour walking tour with the leaders. We covered all the main sites, including the Parliament building, Royal Gardens, Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis. They ended the tour in one of the main squares to have the rest of the afternoon to adventure on our own.

We opted to beat the crowd and get custom made sandals first, then eat. This is despite feeling my stomach eating itself. I got a cute pair of gladiators for 29 euro, which he fitted perfectly to my feet. He looked like Hagrid and was one of the nicest men ever. He had gone to Parson's School of Design in NYC, but was 3rd generation sandal making. He also asked if we came on one of those hippie buses, when we tried to explain we came with a group on a bus. We asked him for lunch suggestions, and ended up back in the main square eating 2 euro gyros in the sun, as we recommended. Hagrid really knew his stuff.

Then we shopped around. There was a flea market and a bunch of cute shops. I got my dad a small birthday present, but held back from buying too much. We also went to get strawberries from a fruit stand and he gave us each 1 kilo (about 2.2 lbs) each for 2 euro. Best strawberries and they are huge, but that hasn't stopped me from eating over half the back already. We then went back to the hostel and passed out till dinner.

Dinner was delicious. We did the group dinner, so it was with 140ish other people. They gave us unlimited wine and water, bread, we shared 4 different appetizers (greek salad, meatballs, calamari and fried mozzarella), then got to pick an entree, which I got Musaka. I'd never had musaka but it was really good. It was kind of like a casserole with layered potato, meat and eggplant. So good. Then there was fruit for dessert.

Now it's time to pass out, not only due to my food coma, but because it's almost midnight and we have to wake up at 5 for a boat to Santorini. Woooo!