Wandering around Athens

Athens

This city pretty much has something historic around every corner… also a lot of cats. 

After a nice 15 minute walk in the rather warm greek sun we acquired some gyros (pronounced euros), saw about 7 bakeries, and  3 different historical monuments and churches. 

We made a habit on our trip of imitating the statues, Cathryn nailed this one!

We Stumbled upon the Botanical Gardens near the center of Athens and it was a nice place to cool down after walking around in the hot sun for a couple hours. The gardens also have a zoo in the center… and by zoo I mean there are some bunnies, an ass, some goats and random birds. Oh and lots of chickens…

   Bring sunscreen if you're going to Greece. You really should be wearing sunscreen anyway because skin cancer (I’m such a hypocrite) but if thats not you then just really just take my advice and bring a bottle. you'll thank me later fam;) 

We really had no idea what this building was but it looked very greek on our way to the olympic stadium...

“I touched the butt” 

(seriously I’m 5 years old…)

The first olympic stadium. they wanted like 10 euros to go inside this place and us being the poor people we are said heck no and just observed from a far. Fun Fact: the track isn't 400 meters.

We hiked up a hill (it felt more like a mountain) and found the most amazing view of Athens. I stopped for a minute and just sat and thought “Wow, I’m actually here” pretty unreal how beautiful it actually is.

We ended  the day with the sunset. Everyone says Arizona sunsets are gorgeous, well Athens sunset just might have them beat. Shaka Bruh!

Being the true adventurers we are we went in search of a different place to watch the sunset.   Crowds aren't really our thing. Well we found it. Off the beaten path, just past this little abandoned house and up a really creepy rickety staircase plus a little rock climbing we beheld a much better view with exactly zero people besides ourselves.  

DAY 2

THE PARTHENON 

SOOOOOOO MANY PEOPLE. Considering its the biggest tourist attraction in Athens I wasn’t in any way surprised. 

Cat #1 - Just casually sunbathing on a major historical monument.  

#Views

The only way to take a picture of the Parthenon without 800 other people in it. 

Seriously #Views… 

 Temple of Athena- The patron goddess of Athens (In case you hadn’t figured that one out already) 

We climbed so many flipping hills in athens, but you never really regret it once you reach the top. 

Did you really go to Greece if you don't have a picture of a white house with a blue door??

Cats # 2,3,& 4- all the cats in greece just sleep but they are literally everywhere. If I took a picture of every cat or group of cats we saw it would've easily been 100+ photos. 

This lovely temple was built in the style of the parthenon and resides in the Ancient Agora also in this park is a lovely museum of ancient artifacts.  

Athens is an amazing city with some of my favorite food, culture, and sites! It feels like you're walking right into history but also experiencing delicious gelato and gyros at the same time. 

<3 Lauren Elle

7 Best Things About Visiting Krakow, Poland

1. LODY- So this is just ice cream. But it feels like a crime to call it just ice cream because never in my life have I had something anywhere near comparable to this amount of deliciousness. #WhatsADiet

Smerf Lody

2. ARCHITECTURE- Hi, so I'm a huge architecture nut. I'm pretty sure half my camera card is full of beautiful streets and pretty buildings, so naturally the gorgeous buildings hiding in Poland made your girl super happy...

3. CATHEDRALS- I can't even count how many churches I wandered into and each one was just as awe inspiring as the last. 

I didn't take any pictures of the inside out of respect of those worshiping (it was Sunday). So enjoy these pictures of the hallways...  

 

4. THE JEWISH QUARTER- This area of krakow has a laid back, kinda hipster vibe to it ... So naturally I thought everything was dope. 

So we visited a jewish synagog and cemetery... very peaceful and somber. 

5. THE CASTLE- so there is a giant castle chilling in the middle of Krakow, just a couple blocks from the main square. You start walking and all of a sudden BAM! there's a castle. The castle does have a fee to enter (each different building) and the line to purchase tickets was an undesirable length so we just wandered around on the grounds which was just as enjoyable in my opinion.

"I could get used to a view like this"- Flynn Rider (Tangled) also Lauren Elle bc WOW

6. AUSCHWITZ- So technically this is an hour bus ride out of Krakow but it is definitely more than worth it. Auschwitz is such a surreal and unique experience. We all learn about the history of World War II but there is something very humbling about standing there and entering the gate to what was quite literally a living hell. IF YOU WISH TO READ SOMETHING LIGHT AND HAPPY DO NOT CONTINUE WITH THIS PARAGRAPH!!! I don't have more than one photo. This wasn't something I wanted to experience with a camera. Inside you assume a certain level of reverence and respect for those who have passed and for the horrible things that happened there. You enter through the gate and walk through halls containing the history of the camp and those kept there. Then comes the building labeled "Proof of Crimes". In this building you can view the glasses taken, the thousands of shoes who's owners were never found, the hair shaved from the heads of prisoners doomed to die, prosthetic legs and crutches, hairbrushes, and pots and pans, all of which makes visible the mass of human life was taken within the fence. In case that building was not real enough to strip you to the core the next one is labeled starvation. The halls are lines with faces, countless faces, young and old; underneath you find a statement as to when they died. You enter rooms and find photographs of emaciated men women and children. Statues and stories in the next. You continue to walk and you pass a courtyard where mass shootings took place. You see the flowers laid in memory by loving family members. You view the gallows and lastly you see a small "hill", however this hill is actually a building. Upon entering you see a gas chamber, the claw marks on the walls left for the world to see. There is a lingering odor in the air, a smoke but not similar to that of a fire, a different undertone. Upon entering the adjacent room you behold the origin of the scent ingrained into the walls. The cremation room makes and end to your journey. You do not leave this experience with a cheerful feeling. However you do leave with a greater understanding and respect for this who died at the hand of the Nazis in WWII. 

7. TOWN SQUARE- It's huge, you really can't miss it and there is always something going on. From street performers to climbing the old bell tower the possibilities of things to do are endless! Cafe's and restaurants line the perimeter and along the center is a building called the Cloth Market... I personally didn't see any cloth but it is the main place to get souvenirs and any amber jewelry. Literally there is amber everywhere. Don't forget to listen for the trumpeting from the bell tower every hour. The story is the song cuts off at the same place every time because long ago the man in charge of playing the tune in warning of invasion was killed mid song, so now in honor of that they stop it at the same note every time.

The view from the bell tower (Free entry on Mondays)

Nope it's not Genovia... But these chocolate covered pears were to die for.

So we stumbled across a "stagdo" aka bachelor party... So just imagine 18 Scottish men walking around in storm trooper costumes. The future groom was dressed as Darth Vader... Forgive me mother but I did in fact climb on the shoulders of a slightly drunk Scottish storm trooper and take a Photo... life experiences right??

Quick tip... If you really want to walk around the square without a soul in the world just wake up at 6am and wander around.

The building behind the trees is the cloth market.

Forgive the dark picture but we went before it opened and this is the only one I got before my camera died... I'm standing in the entryway of the cloth market in my chocolate covered pear photo though!

Make everyday an AdVeNtUrE!!!

xoxo 

Lauren Elle