Akira: Welcome to Greece

It has been a little more than 24 hours since I first touched Grecian soil--a vibrant clay color, crumbly; peppered with jutting white rocks drizzled in a similar red--and more things have happened than I have words to note. I suppose I'll just write and see where it leads.

My air-time, in total, was 13 hours, though I spent about two and a half in the Netherlands on layover. The Amsterdam airport was gorgeous. There were endless lines of potted ficus trees and vaulted ceilings trimmed in cream and chrome and moving floors and shops with big uniform signs in neon-white Helevetica. Everything glittered. Bored of both video games and sitting, I took the opportunity to browse. Ended up talking techno with the dark-haired, sweet-faced cashier working the electronics area--the numerous shops are sectioned off by product (i.e. a toy store, a suit store, an electronics store, a chocolate and liquor store). He was listening to some familiar beat, which sparked conversation. He told me to look up a song called "EPIC." He said it's really popular and the first hit on Youtube would be it--he couldn't remember the artist. Nice fellow.

I found my first souvenir in said Amsterdam airport: plush bunny simply couldn't pass up. Turns out she's rather popular. The toy store in the metropolis that is the Amsterdam airport had good portion dedicated to Miffy. That's the brand name of the bunny. No regrets. I couldn't resist. It's my gift to myself from the Netherlands. <3

Onto my apartment. It took forever to open the door. The locks unfamiliar and stubborn. I really need to take a picture because I simply cannot describe the antique locks and keys used to keep us latched up. The girls and I ended up standing outside our apartment, rattling the door, until a little old lady across the way pity on our struggles and opened our room for us. She had this itty bitty yorkie and he waggled his soft body all over me as she fumbled with our door. Good to see dogs are still just as sweet here. The lady didn't speak any English and I still haven't wrapped my mouth around Greek essentials so I just bowed and tried to look as grateful as possible.

The space I am sharing no bigger than my Parkland house. The two girls I live with kindly allowed me to have the singular room, for which I am endlessly grateful. I'm very lucky and thankful for a myriad of personal reasons I don't care to recount. The whole place is neatly furnished, with little crimson sofas and a moderate amount of kitchen supplies. There's a patio set in my room I'm completely unsure what to do with. It's all very compact but lit well and clean.

I've hit my knee 3 times on the corner of my bed already. The bruise is coming in nicely.

The doors to both the girls' room and my own has this frosted window--Like in an asylum where pale-faced doctors can look in and watch their patients bounce against walls. It's unnerving, to say the least.

When I first walked into my room, the veranda door had blown open and there were little pock-marked leaves all over the floor. So, I swept. Then unpacked.

There are orange trees everywhere here, in Athens. They grow in long rows along the streets, up out of the cracking sidewalk. The cobbled streets are very tiny and seemingly half paved. Athens has very muted colors, broken by the clumps of oranges in the trees. The buildings are all low to the ground--usually not more than 5 stories--and the brick/concrete (nothing is made of wood or covered nonsense, like in the US) has long, grey water stains. The second most prolific thing in this city--overtaken only by oranges--is graffiti.

I've nabbed a bit of video in the last 24 hours. Last night, I wandered a "supermarket"--no bigger than a gas station, though boasting the same basic selection as Safeway.

I write now having returned from a lovely dinner with the group. Finitsis treated us to a delightful meal broken into sample platters. The food is homey, comforting, and basic. The spices are subtle enough to be enjoyable, though quiet enough to just tickle a taste in my mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed analyzing each bite. Highlights include: a stellar chickpea puree with onions and a drizzle of olive oil; rabbit--tender, with a grain like turkey--in a white sauce reduction; pork braised in honey and thyme; and a tossed salad mixed with a mild vinagrette~


And now, I rest, bundled up in bed. Which reminds me, I need to buy a robe as my room is always bitter cold. There's a pajama store down the road--I guess I'll be going there soon.