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On tourism, the city of Athens faces regional competition from Italy and Turkey, not to mention more than 200 Greek islands. Recent economic meltdown has made this Greek capital more affordable for tourists, and it has so many fantastic historic landmarks.
Traveling can be exhausting, but I don’t mind the exhaustion because I love traveling. That led me to contemplating the idea of how strange it is that some of us need travel at all. Before I went to Athens, I thought about how can this trip help me make sense of the city of Athens, the country of Greece, and the world?
With the Keep Greek Tradition Alive Tour, I got to spend an enlightening and entertaining day immersed in the colorful history and customs of Greece. To explore Athens’ ancient monuments is to journey back to Hellenistic times.
As our tour bus drove us through Athens, I was in awe of both ancient and modern architectural marvels. Our first stop was at a lovely venue in Zafiro, overlooking the city of Athens. Here, I was transported back to pre-industrial Greece with a lively music and dance presentation featuring folkloric traditions that have been passed down for generations.
I have heard about Athens’ gourmet for a long time. Our tour guide told us that the Varvakeios Market is the perfect starting point to take the challenge of a walk in Athens to uncover its scents and flavors. It also boasts a huge variety of Greek herbs.
Outside the market, I saw some fresh vegetable and juicy fruit sellers welcoming customers with their stands full of seasonal colors and scents. They also sold pickled vegetables, roasted nuts, and honey bars with sesame seeds. It was interesting to discover all kinds of olives.
After chatting with some locals near the market, they recommended me to try their favorite snack. It is called koulouri. It is a small, sesame-covered bread ring. It can be found anywhere in the city, in street stands or bakeries. I tried a piece of koulouri with a cup of hot Greek coffee and it was satisfying.
Later, we enjoyed a fascinating olive oil presentation and a tasting with fresh Greek bread before a delicious Greek meal was served. It was an amazing experience to savor the culinary traditions and embrace cultural treasures of Greece.
The Athens Marathon is an annual marathon road race held in Athens, Greece, normally in November. The Athens Marathon is 26.2 miles long. It is run entirely on asphalt. The race attracted 55,000 competitors in 2018.
The friendly people of Athens showed me how they keep Greek tradition alive. My Athens trip made me pride myself for my willingness to conceive of traveling as fluid fields of experience. This sense of an unconscious keeping the integrity of spontaneity helped me feel relaxed and enjoy the trip away.
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