Malta 2018- week nineteen

Monday

Waking up early with my bags packed for Greece tomorrow, we headed down to the library to print off my boarding pass. It was strange to see people still going around the university having exams. Here the exam period goes until the 3rd of February ready for second semester to start on the 5th. Degree plus starts up again in the 16th so alongside Italian i have signed up for a photography module too. I’m so excited to do this course as it was a path I never got to take in my a-levels as the subjects were capped. This opportunity can help expand when my business grows where I can start doing my dancers portfolio shots, as by April\May will have my first portfolio.

We headed out to saint Julian’s to have a walk around in the sun and see new bars for live music. My favourite thing here is still sitting on a bench watching the bluest water I’ve ever seen.

Tuesday

Waking up it was hard to think I would be in Athens today. I always forget how straightforward and quick it us to get through Malta airport with inky hand luggage, yet this morning I still managed to panic thinking I would miss my flight an hour before the gates were announced. I had the nicest cab driver take me to the airport, who only lives 5 minutes away from me (as I was worried there would be no taxifys in the area) so now I know there is always someone local. He was telling me shortcuts into town centres from where we lived.

Once at the airport I strolled through security and waiting an hour listening to music before the overhead tannoy told us to ‘go to gate two'. We were the only people in the airport (people on my flight) which is crazy to think how quiet it is in retrospect from home, and we were all at gate two so they could put additional baggage in the hold. Me and my bag made it on for the 1.5 hour nap (flight).

I never expected Greece to be so green or hilly. As you fly above you see massive mounts with millions of trees on each one, with scattered individual houses, towns or cities in between. Then you see Athens. A mass of lights.

Driving the 40 minute to the town centre, you saw the greenery reduce (but not vanish- it is still lush), to never ending streets and people. Once checked in, I began a gander around the city where I had brunch in a sit-in bakery and then stumbled upon the Acropolis. There was the most fantastic view on a nearby rock climb where you could see all the famous monuments in panoramic blended with buildings and trees. Unfortunately my phone died before I could capture most of it, including the sunset, so I continued my walk knowing I would revisit here.

I came across the flea markets of Plaka, the national park, Parliament, the roads to mount lycabettus and dance theatre (not sure what it is but I have to check it out) and after walking 40 minutes the wrong direction back to my hostel I grabbed the metro.

Wednesday

Today I did my first ever walking tour and it was so helpful, one to see much more in four hours than I could due to the tour guide actually knowing where he is going, two I got to meet other travellers who ended up being really lovely and three we had the cutest lunch in a hidden restaurant right under the Acropolis. On this tour we did the ‘tourist parts of Athens' seeing the acropolis, the

stadiums, temple of Zeus, Parethon, Parliament and the changing of the guards(where today we saw both traditional dress and a matching band as someone was coming to visit that the public did not know about), Zappeio, and sytagma square. As a tour group, after the meal, we split up where I went to the acropolis museum before we re-met to watch the sun-set on lycabetus hill. The climb wasn’t too bad only being about 20-30 minutes but Athens was cloudy as so we never really saw the sun set, but managed to see the Acropolis lit (I thought it would have been brighter). After a long walking day I called it a night.

Thursday

Our tour guide Andrew, from yesterday, even though going on holiday later today arranged another tour for us where we saw more ‘authentic’ Greece taking in more sights and going to the bar and street art Ares. We saw Socrates prison, the current archaeological dig, had a drink in the best hidden pub (it was behind a seemingly empty unused door to find an I side musician, outside patio and really cheap drinks), we also visited the central library university campus and record building (trilogy buildings),before going to the bar district, street art avenue and to a womans' house who has 9 cats and sells homemade jewellery to help feed them.

Me and some of the girls after the tour went back to plaka to do some souvenir shopping, where I got the most beautiful earrings that I am now OBSESSED with. Once we were shopped out, we visited a woman who stayed in their hostel who was a medium and did tarrot cards. I wasn’t expecting the session to be so in detailed and able to ask more questions, rather thought it would be a student making a quick buck. This woman was incredible and so lovely and had been training for years and used it as her main income. She has been staying in the hostel for 3 months and works between the islands.

Karaoke night tonight was so cute, even though it is a very small bar attached to the hostel we all fitted in and were up on the tables dancing with the staff.

Friday

Its so strange to not have a walking tour this morning. I slummed up and enjoyed my cup of tea before dragging myself out of breakfast to visit the dance theatre. Two hours of looking and following signs it still wasn’t happening, so I went back to the rock formation by the acropolis and too in the magnificent views.

My afternoon was spent napping and catching up on series, as even my tarrots said I need to remember to rest as I’m always going, so I enjoyed having a peaceful day. Tonight is the Australia day party, where the street gets closed off and everyone goes for a drink. This will be my first Australia day and first time celebrating (drinking to) any national day.

It wasn’t what I thought- not as busy but about 2 hours in I was loving it. I really am going to miss this environment of people, all getting on and just having someone to bump into the streets in a different country. We entered a lottery with the chance to win return flights go Australia and then headed back to the hostel where I thought it would be a great idea to host a tea party. It was like a sleepover you do when you were 12, all hearing stories from different walks of life around a good old English cuppa.

Saturday

As I had my last breakfast I wanted to stay in the area for as long as I can. Athens was lovely but the place made me happier, I never went and was amazed to the point of euphoria with some of the sights, but loved real Greece (the kindness of people and I can imagine in the summer an amazing place to eat out and stroll through the gardens).

I left early to make sure I got to the airport by train in time, and was nervous as I was using a phone as a boarding pass for the first time and wanted time to fix it if anything went wrong.

As I sit in the airport, I realised I am a good two hours early but its nothing a little food won’t fix. As sad as I am to go home and not be off to other places like the friends I made here, I’m excited to go back with Lee and play tourist for a week before university starts again.

I came home to food, wine and chick flicks as me and Lee caught up properly about the week.

Sunday

i know i need to rest more, so before we have a busy week ahead of us today is the last day of lounging around and getting emails and house chores done so we are freed up. Next week we are planning on travelling more of Malta and planning day trips for one another.

i'm not missing dance yet, which means it will take some adjustment back to studying but i am feeling more hopeful as we have another ERASMUS meeting where i can sort out my second semester timetable.

Next semester we will still be focusing on ballet but also having release classes- which i am super excited for.