GREECE | Athens

Back in June 2023, we flew into Athens and then checked into our hotel in the Psirri neighborhood. I remember making our way towards the hotel, we couldn't even drive all the way to the hotel entrance because the streets were so narrow. It was like 9 pm at night and I swung open the car door after the driver said we were as close as we were going to get. I almost hit a couple's table while they were sitting at an outdoor cafe having dinner. It was a wild start to the trip! 

Below was the view from our hotel rooftop (which we only went up to at the very end of our stay right before we left). Isn't life funny like that? The graffiti with the faces is so weird to me and it almost feels like a nightmare come to life. But I was surprised at how much I really loved all of the graffiti around the city. It was so gritty and cool and almost reminded me of NYC.  

We walked around the Acropolis more than once because we were staying within walking distance and it was just so dang cool. I kept looking for a building called the Acropolis and once I finally got the courage to ask someone, they were like, no, this whole site (including the building below and the Parthenon) is the Acropolis. Learn something new every day, right?! 

Seeing the Parthenon IRL was one of those pinch me moments. Like, it didn't even feel real. Thinking about the history of some of these places can be really hard to fathom. I have been particularly impressed with how well many of these sites have been preserved over thousands of years. 

We walked around the city near our hotel and found some interesting and different sites. West liked the hanging meat! 

On our second day, we went on the Athens Food on Foot Family Tour and got to try many different foods and walk the span of a couple miles. It was hard to keep up with the rest of the group since we had been up mostly the entire night before with West at the Emergency Room since he wouldn't stop throwing up. It was scary going to the ER in a foreign country but the ironic part is that once we got to the ER, he was totally fine, playing around and being his usual self. The nurse joked that usually happens! I was also shocked when I asked how much the visit would cost, the nurse said, it's free! We didn't have travel insurance or anything so I thought it would be very expensive, but she just said everything is free. We felt so lucky (and will probably get travel insurance next time we do a big trip!)  

So the next morning, he was in a good place (not dehydrated, in good spirits) and I am proud of us for trekking along and staying the course to do the tour. When in Athens, right?! West did great and even napped a bit in his stroller. 

I do not have any photos of the Athens Central Market which was one of the last stops on the tour. I almost didn't make it walking through without throwing up myself. I will spare you the details (raw meat)...let's just say I didn't say a word but the tour guide took one look at my face and said, "oh you don't like it?" and marched us through to the exit just in the nick of time. Here are some shiny fruits and veggies to focus on.   

For dinner that night, Jake got takeout at a nearby restaurant and we had feta cheese (like an entire block, soooo salty and fresh), a lettuce-less salad and meatballs. 

Below is the sunrise from our hotel room balcony on our last morning. I love Europe so much but that 10 hour time difference is brutal. 

One of our favorite things to do in Athens was just walk around our hotel and get lost. Some of the streets were pedestrian only so it was very freeing. Overall, we all really liked Athens more than we thought we would and we were pleasantly surprised by how kid friendly every place we went was. 

Next up: Chania, Crete! 

xoxo,

Kim