Acropolis
Maybe because I am a tech nerd, I always pay attention to some weird things. For example (I actually noticed this on the first day), every business and website here ends in .gr, their national domain. The hotel website is xxhotel.gr, the restaurant is xxxrestaurant.gr, and the phone repair shop is mrphone.gr.
I wonder if this is an intentional display of national identity, just a trend, or perhaps both. In the US, for example, almost no one uses the .us domain; most people just use .com, .org, or .net. People generally use whatever domain they like—for instance, I use hax429.me, even though the .me domain belongs to Montenegro. But in Greece, everything is .gr.
Another thing I noticed is the bathrooms. In the US, most people call them "restrooms" or "bathrooms," but in Greece—with almost no exceptions—they are called WC. In my opinion, it lowers the elegance of the city a little bit, but perhaps it’s just a different tradition. Every country should call them whatever they want, I suppose.
On a related note (if you are a female reader, this won’t matter to you, but since the main audience is my future self, I’ll mention it), all the toilets are "sit-down only" spaces with stalls, which limits your choices. I also saw people using the facilities while a female staff member was working right there in the bathroom. Both the male "user" and the female staff were completely chill with the situation.
Today, when I visited the Acropolis, there was a toilet with a staff room situated between the men's and women's sections. The doors to both were open, creating an open space where male and female “users” could see one another, converse, and “flourish.” (get the connotation of “flush?”) Thankfully, it was only the entrance, so you could only see people waiting in line.
The Acropolis Experience
Okay, that was a big digression. I thought I wasn’t talking to Mrs. Sabtchev or Emma, so who derailed my journal?! Definitely you, yes, YOU!!! 👀👀👀
Anyway, yes, I went to the Acropolis today, and it was amazing. Since I didn’t take Hum 9 or study Greek mythology, I definitely missed a chunk of the context for what I saw. I also shouldn't "replace" museums with my own descriptions; even if I could, the museums still contribute to employment, so I won’t bother doing it (jkjkjk).
I find it quite boring to repeat what you can already see on the internet or during an in-person visit, but my dad and I did take some great photos.
A few tips for the Acropolis:
• Footwear: The rocks can get pretty slippery, so wear a good pair of shoes.
• Timing: There aren’t many tourists in March, but if you come in the summer, visit during either the first hour or the last hour of the day.
• Views: When you visit the Acropolis, you should definitely check out Mount Lycabettus (approx. 280m altitude) or Filopappou Hill (approx. 170m altitude). Both offer incredible views of the site.
For dinner, my dad treated me to a fine-dining restaurant. The food was excellent and came with a great view of the Acropolis.
Media
You can find my photos here: (there are two many and I don’t want to waste my roaming data to upload them again) there are photos from my dad and me, see if you can identify the differences and dm me your favorite photo https://photos.app.goo.gl/tp6up2axVUJHxHMo7
(There is a 47-second video of the sunset; I think it is worth wasting 0.00000205% of your life on it!)
Yup, I am pretty tired today so I won’t yap long (only 620 words) and see you in Paris tomorrow night!