“Athens is a Dump.”

Greece has been on my travel bucket list for as long as I could remember. So when one of my flight attendant friends asked if I wanted to tag along on a trip that he was planning, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.  The ruins of Ancient Greece, the food and the chance to see somewhere new, were all calling my name.

However before I left, I received a lot of “advice” about our first stop, Athens:

“It’s a dump!”

“Spend the week hopping the islands instead.”

“Skip Athens. Don’t waste your time.”

This was all news to me. Sure, I was aware of the country’s political and financial issues over the last few years. But I didn’t think it was enough of a deterrent for me not to go. I was not about to cancel, so I would just have to find out for myself.

After an 11 hour flight from JFK, we arrived in Athens around 10am. Our itinerary included a stay in Athens for two-and-a-half days before heading to the island of Mykonos. I never knew Greece was so mountainous, so my friends and I were oohing and ahhing the entire way to our Airbnb. Based on his smile and nods, this was something that our Uber driver was clearly used to from visitors. Thankfully, by the time we arrived to our Airbnb it was ready for us to settle in. In desperate need of sleep (and showers) we quickly unpacked and settled in.

After some much needed rest, we set out for the night to begin our exploration of Athens. The amazing crew on our Delta flight gave us a whole list of things to see, do and most importantly, eat. It was such an incredibly invaluable resource, not found on Yelp, Pinterest or in any guidebook. We ate at a restaurant that was just below the Acropolis, with incredible views of the ancient citadel and the city. The views paired with all the delicious traditional Greek food we had (I had lamb kleftiko which I dream about weekly) made for a meal that I will never forget. A bit of walking around and some shopping and it was time to head back to the apartment for the night.

The next day, we set out for Acropolis after a long breakfast. It was a good thing I wore sneakers, because it was definitely a hike from the entrance to the top of the ruins. A bit more than I bargained for on the exertion side, but the views of the city the higher up we went made it completely worth it. Needless to say, I got my steps in! (And a wake up call that I need to frequent the gym more often.)

If you’re a reader of this blog (or know me personally), then you know that I love Italy. So I really made it a point to try and not compare the ruins and societies of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. But it was inevitable, especially since I was just in Rome last year. The two societies have many differences, but just looking at the ruins, it’s apparent just how similar they were. I did my best to keep the comparisons to a minimum since I was in Athens, and I didn’t want my visit to this beautiful city to be overshadowed. (It just reminds me so much of the Roman Forum…)

We spent over six hours exploring the different ruins in the radius of Acropolis before we realized how hungry, tired and dehydrated we were. Even if we wanted to keep exploring, it was physically impossible. The neighborhood we were staying in had a ton of places to eat, so we settled into one for a relaxing dinner before turning in for the night.

By morning, half the group was either sick or exhausted from the previous day that we opted to split up. Half of the group ventured back into Athens to do more exploring and shopping, while the other half decided to sleep in late and explore locally, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. While I always include the landmarks and “must-see” spots into my travel plans, ultimately, I just love to explore and immerse myself wherever I am. And since sleep in any form is now a luxury to me, I was part of the latter group.

It was early afternoon by the time we left, so lunch was our first order of business. Our lunch quest led us to the least Greek meal possible, fish and chips. It may not have been souvlaki, but it was one of our favorite meals during our stay in Athens. After lunch, we went to a bar for a drink where we met some very interesting locals and drank some Greek liquor that almost put me in the hospital. We had a fun afternoon, recapping the trip and recognizing how hashtag blessed we were. (Alcohol or not, we really were that sentimental.)

Our time in Athens was short, but it was also just enough. Of course I discovered during my visit that Athens isn’t a dump. (I took most of those comments with a grain of salt, btw.) Because it is a city like other around the world that has its good and bad. It’s a city that averages 4.5 million visitors a year, more than its roughly 665,000 residents. It can feel crowded at times. Hagglers can be aggressive. Most areas are clean. Some are not. Maybe it’s the New Yorker in me, but it was all relative. A dump it was nowhere near. Despite all that, at it’s core, Athens is a city with an incredible history and an even richer culture. And despite the naysayers, I’m glad I was able to experience it.