The Real Greek Life

Oct 8 - Oct 21

Welcome back to the blog!

---

Back to Cinque Terre

On a weekend trip back to Cinque Terre, I was able to stay overnight in the town of Riomaggiore. With a whole extra day compared to my last visit, I was able to explore much more of the towns. The best part of this trip was watching the sunset over the colorful homes of Riomaggiore while sitting by the crashing ocean waves. Late at night, I took a short train ride to La Spezia to explore their busy nightlife.

---

Trip to Athens

For our fall break, the twelve of us decided to take a flight together to get away from Florence for the next nine days. Our first destination was Athens, where we stayed for two nights in a four-story villa with all the amenities we could ask for. While Florence was starting to get colder and wetter, Athens remained was warm and sunny. Compared to other European cities, Athens was very affordable and had some of the friendliest people I've met so far.

---

Trip to Heraklion

After spending two days in Athens, we took a quick flight to the island of Crete, where we stayed at an Airbnb in Heraklion. Heraklion was far smaller than Athens and extremely walkable. We decided to take a boat tour to the nearby Dia Island, where we watched the sunset and ate dinner together. The most enjoyable part of this city for me was going on a morning run with friends along the pier. Heraklion didn't have much of a nightlife, however, there were lots of late-night hookah lounges and dessert shops.

---

Foods of Greece

By far, Greece has been my favorite country in terms of taste and cuisine. The food here was wholesome and minimally processed. Almost every meal included some form of vegetables and yogurt. Greek cuisine focuses heavily on grilled meats, with every restaurant we visited offering veal, beef, pork, poultry, and lamb. We also indulged in the unhealthier side with pasta in a box, french fries, and chocolate fondue. I would have gotten the chance to try more dishes if I hadn't eaten 10 gyros on this trip.

---

Cats of Greece

Stray cats could be found all over Greece-- in streets, alleyways, and parks. It is said that these cats are an essential part of the Greek community and are often fed by both locals and tourists. I saw cats in front of shops, inside them, in bars-- basically everywhere in the country. Cats even roamed the fenced-off historical sites of ancient Greek gods.