Fashion Sequel/ by Samantha Huynh: Athens Travel Diary

On our way to Santorini, we had a 10-hour stopover in Athens. It really wasn't the best day to have a stopover in Athens but we made the best of it. On the day we were there, the city transportation was out of service as the workers were having a strike. Also, the weather was super gloomy and rainy. During our time there, we grabbed a quick bite in the city centre and visited the Acropolis.

The food we had was phenomenal. I was craving some classic Greek food, especially a Greek salad (after all the carbs I ate in Italy). It was so tasty. The pita and tzatziki sauce was my absolute fave. For dessert, I bought a freshly made baklava, and it was so tasty. It was definitely the best baklava I've ever tasted. It had real flavours in it, compared to other baklavas I've had.

Visiting the Acropolis of Athens, aka "The Acropolis" was super cool. It is situated on a hill that rises in the city of Athens. It's definitely the most striking ancient Greek monument. The Acropolis' monuments have survived for almost 25 centuries through wars, explosions, fires, earthquakes, and alterations. This place is where classical Greek thought and art emerged.

After we visited the Acropolis, we went to a sky bar with the most perfect view of the city. We visited this cocktail bar called A for Athens Cocktail Bar. The view speaks for itself.

The Erechtheion sites in the most sacred site of the Acropolis, where Poseidon and Athena had their contest over who would be the Patron of the city. At the end, Athena was declared victory, and the great city of Athens was named after her.

Fun fact: The Erechtheion is actually the real religious temple of the Acropolis. The Parthenon though called a temple is not a place of worship.

On our way up to the Parthenon, we saw the theatre of Herod Atticus, built by the Romans in 161 AD. It's still used today for classical concerts, ballet, and other cultural performances.

In the background, you can see Mount Lycabettus from the neighbourhood of Kolonaki. Although we did not have time to walk to the top of the Mountain, I've heard it has an amazing view of the city.

This is probably one of my favourite shots from Athens. It captures how the modern world architecture tries to integrate such an ancient monument, Hadrian's Arch and the ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, into its city.