How lucky are we… to have had multiple opportunities for galavanting about Europe experiencing some of the most exciting social, cultural and historically “over the top” offerings that the “old continent” showcases! March Break ‘25 saw our ninth excursion abroad to Europe since 2008. Each visit we learn more as we gather on the ground capital and gain deeper meaning / understanding of life there, whether it be the people, food, politics or just the circumstance of everyday life. We’ve become more discerning, more comfortable with slipping by the “bigger” attraction and cities toward neighbourhoods, working life and asking questions of real people on the ground. We continue to be in awe of what’s around the corner, knowing in fact we’ve only scratched the surface!
Below we’ll do our best to try and detail our initial “takeaways” for this latest adventure. An “in progress” piece of writing…
Athens – In terms of sheer distance, it would seem wasteful to attempt such an undertaking as a visit in a brief nine day time frame. Yet we don’t regret it for a moment. I think we deem it more like a Student Loan… an investment in learning. We expected history, but were a bit overtaken as our shadow was cast across the Acropolis. A real thrill! Visually the past meets today everywhere in Athens… a remarkable, and sometimes poignant commentary on the course of man and a people’s timeline. Yes… these old stones speak.
Among the standouts for us in Athens (and Aegina) were our eating experiences. Everything, without fail, that we tried was not only to our liking, but landed on our “recreate” list for home. Fresh ingredients, simple flavours and each meal a celebration and really a lasting impression from our visit. From seeing in the market, to tasting at the table we were all in with Greek cuisine. This was accentuated by our cooking class! A “bravo” to The Greek Kitchen for an amazing tour as well.
Further, we once again hit the sweet spot in regard to accommodation. Cudos to Ms L who, with great time and care, absolutely stuck the landing on this little gem. A humble, but functional interior outshone by remarkable amenities. Like our Madrid stay, the accommodation overlapped into “attraction” as we frequented the street / Ancient Agora view balcony and the rooftop, Acropolis vista patio. We were so very content there… and would’ve enjoyed should we have never ventured out at all. It’s not always possible of course, but this kind of stay, as opposed to the sterility of a hotel room, just doesn’t compare.
London – Once again, winter direct flights to the UK have left London an exciting staging ground for our European travel. We worked hard to make our time in the city “new”, and really enjoyed (other than our continued use of the Tube) a brand new trip. Finding first time attractions and getting closer to people there in markets, events, and stores / locals… it was London 2.0 for us! Huddled on a cold PM in the bleachers for live football, a night of conversation at the pub, roaming the nearest market, under the staircase at an offbeat restaurant and the laughter and tears of a critically acclaimed production… we reinvented the city by slipping out of our comfort zone.
Economics – Of note, such an immediate comparison of the UK Pound (£) and Euro (€) cast a light on “how far” a currency goes (especially when exchanging either for 🇨🇦 $$$). While Athens points of sale felt as though we were getting a deal on exchange (or at least making equivalent pricing), London sticker shock left bruises everywhere! From an Uber, to grocery store, to a simple glass of Guinness, I’d suggest that visiting in London has even become more expensive for the average Canadian traveller than our last visit only 8 months ago. At a higher level, the economy of the UK vs that of Greece would be a story of have and have not. Although coping, crumbling infrastructure and lengthy projects awaiting funding seemed to abound in and around Athens. No such issues did we experience in or around London. Perhaps level of taxation is part of the equation, but I sense Greece’s history of being “owned” in a sweeping series of imperialistic and military eras has taken centuries of decision making away from a people. Indeed the UK played a role in that during the WWI & WWII calamities in Europe. In short, Athens Greece felt like one of the most economical stops we’ve seen in Europe, while one should be aware that a day of “tapping” the card / Apple pay in London quickly adds up!
When things don’t go as planned – On several occasions during the run of this trip we had collapses of a plan. One we sensed, as we’ve been at this now for a bit, and the Plan B was already in place prior to failure. Indeed, our Olympiacos Football experience slipped away in the week before departure with really no recourse. Ticketing policies in Greece to curb scalping, a seller who wasn’t exactly honest/upfront, and a secondary vendor that was refusing to listen all combined to fail on entry. No harm in the end with full refund and Plan B. We did, however, experience “bot” frustration and really a series of customer service experiences that were inept. Lots learned, especially when compared to the quality Queen’s Park customer response in London that righted the wrongs for us. The second disappointment was the absence of entry details in the VRBO app upon arrival in London. Resolved after a 2 hr online interaction, we did manage an e-mail with appropriate access codes to eventually waltz into our digs. So, one issue predicted, one a surprise! In the end, perseverance, phone access and having a potential Plan B helped us get things done. Can’t imagine how it might feel, however, for newbies and anyone that was prone to panic!!! Plan, plan, plan…
Technology – We can’t express enough the importance of having a “Tech Night” prior to departure in preparation for a demanding few days on, for us, the iPhones. They are our information, communication, emergency and creative (pics/blog) heart beat of travel. Firstly, a hardware check with chargers / adaptors / AirPods that give us a healthy and always charged tool (level of use makes charging a key nightly chore). We take great care to make sure duplication of apps, and associated username / password information is ready and available for each phone. These include Apps for accommodations, customs, airlines and social media (for blogging). I always download city maps directly to the Google Maps App, which support offline use should we have connectivity interruptions. Further, we “Save” or “Star” all expected attractions, accommodations and transportation hubs for quick access in regard to distance times or tube/Metro arrivals. An essential for us is the download and tune-up the Airalo E-sim App, which provides us an absolutely economical and (as we’ve come to learn) robust data solution to avoid carrier roaming charges. We even go as far as to use color coded flags for any trip based emails for organized and easy access. Prep up front supports efficiency and response time while on the move. It’s a readiness that we never underestimate!
Bringing it all home… a trip for the books. Absolutely loved gritty, proud Athens and nothing but a privilege to have visited. Many thanks to everyone that followed along, be it quietly reading or dropping a comment. We feel like it was a team effort. And, of course, most special consideration to travel buddy Ms L for entertaining this brand of foolishness and acting as partner in crime! To many more… Cheers 🍻 (Yamas – Γεια μας)