Travelling to Greece was an idea borne out of watching Disney’s Hercules and reading Rick Riordan’s fiction entwined with Greek mythology. In fact before visiting Greece, the only thing I pictured when I thought of the country was alabaster statues with empty eyes, philosophers and broken columns of stone. While the country has a lion’s share of the above elements, walking through its streets gives a glimpse into the unique setup and the culture, mingling history with modern times.

So, without further ado, let’s begin with the postcards.

This is a chapel that I found while walking from our hotel to Monstiraki Square in Athens. This chapel feels right out of a folk story book and what I love the most about it is the clock and the little bell on the top. I also like the contrast here as you’ve got the chapel made of stone and right behind it is a modern low-rise building, giving an impression of a clash between two eras in time.

I came across this graffitied van on the taxi ride from the airport to our hotel. This was my first glimpse of Athenian city life. Graffiti is rather common in Athens and it’s very interesting to see the spray paintings on vehicles. Later in the trip, I’d also come across a train which was completely covered in colourful graffiti and looked lovely as it sped past.

This fountain was in a place called Kotzia Square in Athens.It is a nice place to hang out and watch city bustle while feeding the pigeons. The spray from the fountain is rather refreshing in the heat. I love the sculpture in the middle of the fountain. Another example of a fusion between ancient and modern times.

This is a structure called the ‘Arch of Hadrian’ in Athens. It is a gate which forms a sort of an entrance to the monuments such as the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis complex. This gate was built in honour of the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s arrival in Athens. I like the unique stand-alone structure of the monument. Besides, this arch also makes for some really cute souvenir statuettes like the one below:)

I like how the painting on the souvenir gives it a vintage look.

This is one of my favourite places in Athens. This statue was outside an ice-cream parlour known a ‘Hans and Gretel’ which sells the best Gelato and chimney cakes ever! The shop is designed like the witch’s cottage in Hansel and Gretel complete with a small room inside which has tiny chairs and a fireplace. Sometimes, turning to the dark side is worth it, especially if it comes with a cottage full of dessert:)

P.S. The witch in the picture is actually friendly. Her names Helena. Make sure you say hi! Else she might eat you….She’s friendly tho;)

hehe.

This is the Athens port taken at a time before sunrise when we were setting off for Santorini. I like the tranquility that radiates out of this picture, especially with the calm sea and the city just before waking up and beginning its bustle. It’s amazing how travel makes a strict night owl get out of bed and explore before sunrise. It’s all for the wanderlust!

This picture is literally taken hours after the one before. This is a church in Santorini and the receptionist at our hotel gave this as the recognising landmark to reach the hotel in case we got lost. The only trouble was that there were five such structures, nearly identical and all scattered in different lanes so getting back to the hotel was quite a maze. I mean literally, the first time we recognised one of the identical landmarks and went towards it, it led to a dead end. However, I feel that getting lost on tour is one of the best experiences one can have! So get out the map, put on your shoes and get lost!

Hehe.

Donkaë! Shrek vibes intensify. The donkey is the official animal in Santorini and no matter where you go, you’ll always find a pack of donkeys barging through the roads. They are really cute to watch and one of the main souvenirs here is Donkey merch. Right from soft toys to snow globes to t-shirts, there is a lot of love for the unsung load carriers.

The final postcard is this lovely window of a stall selling Gyros and Souvlaki in Santorini. Gyros is a kind of a wrap stuffed with vegetables or meat and seasoned with tzatziki sauce. Souvlaki is a sort of a grilled satay garnished with lemon. I love the art work here and the food in the stall was simply lovely so Asterix and Obelix sure make great advertisers:)

And that is a wrap!

Until Next Time!

Paka!