Charlie Lin

       After a tiresome day in transit via Sydney and Dubai airports, we finally reached our destination: Athens, Greece, Europe! Having strolled through ‘customs’ (seriously, one look at our passports only?), we boarded a bus and began our journey.

       Stopping at Syntagma Square, we then visited the Athens Parliament House and observed the change of guards. With their pom-pom-shoes and pleated skirts, the guards marched through a sea of pigeons, and in all honesty, it was much too funny not to laugh.

       Mr. Buckingham then led us to our hotel, and whilst walking through the streets of Athens, I realised how different this place is to home. On every few corners of the graffiti painted streets there are ancient ruins or church services happening. Hectic traffic and speeding motorbikes whizz past at every crossing (even when the light was red). Poverty reeked in all these streets, and my first impression of Athens was one of confusion and disappointment at the modern state of this once, all-mighty city.

       This disappointment however dissipated that night after our trek to the top of Mt. Lykevittos. On the summit, we had a magnificent 360 view of Athens, from the Acropolis to the Olympic Stadium, and I realised the beauty of this city.

       The next day, we had a wonderful day trip to the ancient hilltop location of the Oracle at Delphi. My favourite site at Delphi strangely was the omphalos (bellybutton of the Earth) because of its story about Zeus releasing two eagles from either side of the universe and meeting at this point.

Our trip to the Acropolis the following day was by far my favourite. Acropolis, meaning “lofty city” was the origin of Athens in the ancient world. Although heavily under reconstruction, the unbelievably high columns with their accurate geometric proportions made me wonder how the ancient Greeks could construct such beautiful architecture with their simplistic tools.

            Before our ferry journey to Italy (which I am currently on), we visited the ancient sites of Mycenae and Corinth. Using my imagination, I could picture in my mind how beautiful these civilisations would have been back in the day.

            My experience in Athens has been mind opening and I’m very much looking forward to the transition from Greek to Roman culture when we disembark at Italy!