Going back to the first night in Athens where the detox post Ocktoberfest was temporarily delayed.. The night ended with a 1 am mission to find gyros. The only problem is the person taking us to find the gyros shop wanted us to go to a bar. We had no interest in going to a bar and she had no interest in finding food so at the end of the night both parties found themselves unsatisfied. We were lead through some of the more edgy areas of Athens and due to an equipment malfunction earlier in the evening together with the assumption gyros would be be within a 100m radius, I found myself walking barefoot through streets where broken glass would have been the preferred object to penetrate my foot. I managed to make it back to the hostel unscathed and very ready for a good nights sleep.
The next day was an admin day for me as I went out to replace broken thongs, lost sunglasses and to set up my phone for my stint in Greece. With all accomplished and various types of gyros devoured I treated myself to an afternoon siesta.
That evening I shot down to the acropolis which was absolutely beautiful light up after dark. I climbed up a rocky peak adjacent to the site where I had a panoramic view of the city of Athens and a great view of the site itself. After spending a little time trying to take night time landscape photos and soaking it all up I went for a stroll through the Plaka district to find some more gyros and possibly some Greek desserts.
Gyros I found, only after yet again stumbling through a more edgier neighborhood where I was surprisingly quickly desensitized to seeing groups of junkies shoot up within meters of where I was walking. After two gyros and a beer (all for 6,50 euros) I headed back to the station but not before hunting down one of my favorite Greek desserts, the custard wrapped in filo pastry. The portion the little white haired Greek man attempted to give me could have fed 5 and only after a heated argument did the little fella give in to giving me a smaller slice. It was at that moment that I decided Athens was yet another city that I love. A bit of edge mixed with wonderful, generous people and amazing sites, it's a must see even if the islands are the main focus.
Today I got a all access pass for 6 euros using my Deakin student card and climbed the acropolis, saw the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora and The Temple of the Olympian Zeus. The Parthenon in the acropolis was the best, a magnificent grand, ancient structure with surrounding views of the city of Athens as far as one's eye can see.
Lunch was a greek salad, with tzatziki and bread followed by a souvlaki and a glass of red. After the sightseeing I settled into a nice little cafe in the Plaka district for a coffee to unwind and reflect on a day where a covered quite a few kilometers exploring ancient structures and soaking up as much of the atmosphere of this buzzing place as I possibly could.
Early night tonight before a 4:45 wake up tomorrow and a ferry off to the islands. Happy days!
Just had a little 10 minute workout. The feeling post workout after having not trained in 3-4 days was comparable to the feeling expressed on the faces of those seen injecting heroine the night before. Two addictions, one detrimental to health, the other the complete opposite.
Hostel Aphrodite Roof WOD
3 Rounds with 1 min rest:
Max HSPU - 14, 9, 7.
20 Squats.
3 Rounds with 1 min rest:
Max Pushups 30, 20, 20.
20 Squats.
Post WOD nutrition.
2 x Lamb Gyros and a bottle of water. All for under 4 euros.
Max! How's it all going, buddy? I hear you've accumulated some additional luggage !....the kind round your middle and the kind you carry. Nice work. I hope things are still going well for you mate...are you working as a part time gigalo to maintain the nutella croisant lifestyle to which you have become accustomed? Ads was saying the adventure is beginning to become 'more of the same'?? I hope you manage to find your mojo again....otherwise if you think you might be resurfacing in Melbourne ahead of schedule, I'll be happy to get you back on shift. God knows I'll be milking what I anticipate to be some poor physical performance for a few WODs before you start to dominate again. Take care mate. S
ReplyDeleteIts going pretty well. Europe gets a bit repetitive old buildings and churches wise but I think Ill be returning on schedule. Depending on what day it falls on.. I think Ill need a few days to unwind and catch up with mates. Its true! As I grab my gut now I get a good half handful of 100% grade A adipose! It disgusts me. Still been training about twice a week but havnt touched a barbell in a while. I am missing the smell of rubber chalk and steel at 2 o clock in the arvo though... without the competition Im finding I get angrier at people for little reason. One more party block starting tomorrow in Barcelona. The liver is not in the best shape to be honest. All is not lost however... Last time I checked I could still do a muscle up!! Half way done looking forward to that first WOD and coming in a miserable last. Max
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