Final Thoughts: Theresa

Coming back from Sparta and Nauplion, and even Santorini, I was sort of dreading coming back to Athens.  The smaller cities were so much quieter and cleaner and I could just really enjoy myself there.  There were more children out playing and more room for children, and people in general, to hang out without being harassed.  On the ride back to Athens, you could just tell when you were back in the city.  Cars honking and disregarding lanes, people yelling to each other, window washers coming up to cars - it was just like any big city in the U.S. (though maybe with a few more visible sex shops).  I had been so excited about the novelty of Athens in the first week, but I felt like it had worn off so easily.

When I walked around Athens, I got incredibly frustrated with everyone getting in my face.  I don't want to eat at your restaurant, I don't want to buy your fake handbags, and could you please stop playing that accordion in my face while I'm eating?!?  I went to th National Gardens, which are so peaceful and beautiful, but even that was a constant reminder that I was in Athens.  Men here have no problem with staring at your for hours or even following you when you try to avoid them.  I was getting so frustrated with the whole city.

I finally understood, when I visited the Kerameikos cemetery, that Athens would have been a huge city in antiquity just like it is now.  The cemetery, built outside the ancient city in order to bury the dead properly, was also built as a quiet sanctuary for those who just want to get out of the city for a little bit.  Knowing that ancient Athenians felt a little of what I was feeling made me appreciate how far Athens has come from antiquity to modernity.

The remains of the ancient city with columns placed amid a modern city and the acropolis above, coupled with modern neoclassical buildings and the few churches of the Byzantine era, make Athens so much more than just another big city.  Looking down on Athens from Mt. Lykabettos, I could see the acropolis, the National Gardens and the Parliament building, and on top of the mountain was a Greek Orthodox church.  The acropolis represents Athens' dawning in antiquity while the churches and the Orthodox faith are a result of the Byzantine era.  The National Gardens and the Parliament building show Greece's fight against Turkey and others that threatened their independence.  Athens has turned into a modern city with all the benefits and problems that come with a big city, but its long history can be seen in its buildings and its people so clearly that Athens is made into an incredibly unique city.