Visit Athens

My first impression when I arrived in Athens was the beautiful sky. The dry weather off the Aegean Sea was amazing, and even though it was February, it wasn't cold at all. I was very comfortable in just a long sleeve shirt. Greece has a bad reputation for being a country that went bankrupt, but that feeling was blown away in an instant. You can get from the airport in Athens to the city center by train. Tickets can be purchased from a machine, but I had no idea how to do it...I had my ticket purchased at a manned counter. When I got off the train and walked around the city, I guess it was just the right time, because church bells were ringing throughout the city. I remember being deeply moved by the very stylish situation of strolling around the city while listening to the church bells and the beautiful streetscape. The main tourist spots I visited were the Parthenon and Lycabettus Hill. Seeing the temples that were built 500 BC somehow moves me, even though I'm not an expert on world history. Incidentally, I visited in February during the off-season, so my memory is hazy, but the entrance fee was about 1,600 yen. The fee structure is cheaper in winter and more expensive in summer, but it seems that it is extremely hot in summer and there are a lot of people, so I don't recommend going. In particular, the Parthenon has little obstruction, so be careful of heat stroke...Anyway, it was very cheap and comfortable for me, who was fed up with the rip-off prices for tourists in Turkey. 　The weather was so nice that I walked from the Parthenon to Lycabettus Hill. On the way, I found a delicious-looking town gelato shop, so I stopped in and the friendly owner let me try many flavors. By the way, English is spoken in Greece. Not many people are fluent in English, but that's the same for me, so it's not a problem. 　After walking for a while, the trees along the street changed to oranges. Oranges? Mandarins? Every tree had a lot of fruit. From there, you have to climb a hill forever to get to the top of Lycabettus Hill. There seems to be a cable car too, but I don't want to spend any money so of course I walk. On the way up the hill there are lots of cactus-like plants. Looking at a map you can see that Africa is very close, so perhaps this is why there are so many succulents. From the top of Lycabettus Hill you can get a panoramic view of the whole city of Athens. You can even see the Aegean Sea in the distance. If you come at night the night view might be beautiful. Afterwards I got some takeaway from a cafe and lazed around in the park. I'm a tuna so when I travel I feel like I'm not satisfied unless I'm doing something, but the weather in Greece is so nice that I was honestly very satisfied just lazing around in the park.