Athens, Greece: Travel Guide + Photo Diary

Every adventure begins with a girl and her best friend. Some take place on the dark fratty floors of college; others take place on equally dark, but significantly chic-er (and cleaner) floors of European clubs. The venue may have changed, but the girls are the same: two weird, kindred spirits. One a Grecian bombshell, 6-feet-tall, the other, little ol’ me.

It had been a while since we’ve seen each other, but when you vibe with someone, time and distance doesn’t matter. We were college roommates turned inseparable best friends—and after years of talking about visiting Greece together, we bit the bullet.

First stop: Athens.

Aside from the Acropolis, Athens didn’t come highly recommended as a go-to stop—and I’m glad I took heed. Two nights (one to recover from the 9-hour flight, and another to experience a full day in the city) was just perfect. Here’s what I recommend: Shop a local grocery store for fruit and veg; you can’t beat the quality of fresh foods (and you’ll want to save up for expensive dinners and nights out on the other islands). Grab fresh juice at Nālu Cafe at sunset. Drive around the city so you can see the Acropolis at night. Relax and unwind before heading out after midnight (any earlier and you’ll look like an absolute Tourist-with-a-capital-T) to Island Club. Wake up early and take the metro to the Acropolis; you want to beat the crowd and the heat. You can pack your own water, but it’s not necessary: ice cold water is only 50 cents. Cool off with an iced freddo espresso, no sugar, before heading back to your hotel for a nap. We ordered personal pizzas to eat in before going out because it’s hard to break pre-game habits, but do you. Keep it simple before taking an Uber to Posidonio Music Hall for good Greek music, good drinks, and the opportunity to get carnations tossed at you. Photographers will be snapping away all night, so dress up and bring 7 euros with you in case you want to buy a photo to take home.

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Follow my Greek adventures at #KPinGreece16.

xx