So, we ended up on this totally spontaneous trip to Greece after I flirted with the idea of a solo adventure to Portugal for my summer holidays. The Danish summer was getting to me – rain, rain, and more rain 😅😂 I mean, who wouldn’t want to escape that? I mentioned my escape plans to my friend A, and she did a quick 180 on her own plans and suggested a getaway to Athens. I thought, “Why not?” It’s Athens! A place dripping with history, which, thanks to high school, I find endlessly fascinating.
With just two weeks to get our act together, it was a whirlwind of planning. Take off from CPH on the 21st of July, and back again on the 27th of July. While A took charge of the flights while I tackled the hotels, as per usual. I ended up booking us at Vrachos Athens Suites because, surprise surprise, it was one of the few places left. It was a bit pricey for what it actually offered, but hey, it’s not like we had a lot of options. Plus, I figured, when in Athens, do as the tourists do. Rest is history 😁
The plan was that I went to CPH on Saturday and joined A, and then take the flight into Athens early Sunday morning. And we did so – bleary-eyed but excited. After landing, we took the train into the city. We had this grand plan to check in first, but hunger had other ideas. We made a beeline for The Brunchers for some much-needed fuel. Once we were fed and somewhat human again, we checked into the hotel using a simple code system – no receptionist needed. Gotta love modern tech. The room was decent enough, though for the price, I expected at least a view of something other than the next building’s wall.
A cold shower later, we were ready to explore. We ambled through the Plaka district, soaking in the vibes and wondering how they make even the narrowest alleyways look charming. We checked out the Metropolis Cathedral, which was quite a different of its kinds. A far cry from the usual cathedrals I’d seen, and it had this chill vibe in its architecture, simple and beautiful, indeed.
Next up was the Arch of Hadrian, followed by a quick look at the National Garden where we attempted to dodge the heat by hiding under every bit of shade we could find. We even managed to see the Temple of Zeus from the outside since it was closed. Typical, right? Can’t catch a break.
By the end of the day, we were running on fumes. I grabbed takeout gyros with halloumi from Greco’s – my brother’s recommendation, and he did not steer us wrong. That gyros was a gift from the gods. While I was savoring every bite, A crashed for a power nap. I soon followed suit because, let’s be real, I was dead tired too 🤣 By the evening, we were recharged enough to venture out for drinks and some Greek snacks at Old Ithaki. Perfect way to wind down after such a long day, right? 😉 Definitely much needed, and we really enjoyed the vibe, the live greek music, and all the yummy snacks and drinks here 😋🍹🧆
For the next two days, we had a rough plan and decided to wing it depending on the heat. On Monday, we had a pre-booked day trip to the Peloponnese to see some sites. Tuesday was dedicated to the Acropolis.
The rest of the trip was a bit of a play-it-by-ear adventure. We figured we’d see what we could manage depending on how much we could handle the heat. All in all, it was a crazy, spontaneous adventure filled with history, delicious food, and great moments. But hey, those are the trips you remember the most, right? 😃