Dear Athens,
It was never supposed to end up this way between us.
We were supposed to fall deeply, madly in love. I was supposed to adore you, with all your history and culture. We were supposed to make incredible memories together. I was supposed to go home and make everyone jealous of my time spent with you.
I wanted to love you, Athens. I really did. Ever since I was old enough to be interested in history, yours has been one that's fascinated me. Gods and goddesses; philosophers; music; art; ancient ruins — these are the things I fantasized about when I thought of you.
I looked forward to visiting you. I wanted to prove all the people wrong who told me you've gone downhill during Greece's financial struggles. I wanted to find interesting and beautiful parts of you to share with people who are wary of visiting you these days.
I wanted to highlight your redeeming qualities, Athens.
But damn, you made it hard.
As soon as I arrived, I had that sinking feeling that things just weren't going to work out between us.
As superficial as it sounds, you really weren't much of a looker. Your streets were dingy, your buildings weren't pretty, and all the cool ruins were nowhere to be seen.
And, to top it all off, you were bloody HOT Athens — and we're not talking “hot” in an attractive way. We're talking “hot” in an “I-couldn't-step-outside-without-wanting-to-pass-out” kind of way.
Yes, Athens, you left quite a bit to be desired.
It seemed like for every positive thing I saw in you, there was a negative lying in wait just around the corner to cancel it out.
For example:
While the hotel I stayed in was modern and clean and had a rooftop bar and pool with amazing views, the staff was rude, the air conditioning didn't work, and it was way too expensive.
While I enjoyed shopping and roaming around Monastiraki Square in your Old Town, the walk to get there was a bit sketchy, and it was so crowded at night.
While walking through your Ancient Agora in the steps of greats like Socrates and Aristotle was cool, the ruins that remain there weren't as impressive as I'd hoped.
While I enjoyed looking out over your basin-shaped valley from the spot where St. Paul first preached to your people about the Unknown God, the air was a bit hazy and the sun unbearably hot.
While standing atop the Acropolis WAS amazing, standing in a huge line to do so in 115-degree weather was not. The day I was there, it was so hot that they CLOSED the Acropolis in the afternoon.
While seeing the Parthenon was cool, seeing it covered in scaffolding and swarming with people was not.
The only things about you I liked without any caveats were watching your amusing changing of the guard ceremony, and eating mounds of frozen Greek yogurt in attempts to cool down.
If I'm being completely honest, I actually hated you while I was with you, Athens. I found myself in a sour mood, eager to move on to the next destination and leave your oppressive heat and ugliness behind.
Looking back on our brief relationship now, though, I'm not quite so angry; I can appreciate the things we saw and did together. I can be somewhat in awe of your history and ancient ruins. I can admit that there was more of you that I would have liked to see if it hadn't been so hot and if I'd had more time.
But, while I might be convinced to give you a second chance someday, I'm not very optimistic that things will ever work out between us.
I'm sorry, Athens, but I'm just not that into you.
Sincerely,
Amanda
Have you been to Athens? If so, what did you think of it? If not, has there ever been a city that let you down like this?
*Note: I visited Athens as part of a discounted 9-day Classic Balkan Trek tour with Busabout. All opinions (obviously) are my own.
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Totally agree. We have been in athens for 3 days now and it has been very disappointing. Im glad we are leaving tomorrow. If it wasnt for the acropolis i dont think anybody would have any r reason to come here. I know that sounds harsh. One thing i did like was climbing up the hill the venetians used to attack the parthenon from at night and just sitting there with my fiance in relative quiet admiring the acropolis all illuminated. We have been travelling europe for 2 months now and alot of places have been letdowns but this takes the cake.
Unfortunately this is a pretty common reaction to Athens. I’m sorry you didn’t really enjoy it; hopefully you can appreciate the history of it all later.
I’ll actually be headed back to Athens again this summer. We’ll see if it can redeem itself…
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I have heard really polarizing views of Athens, in fact the only person I know who raved about it was Chrystal-Clear.com and I think it’s because she Couchsurfed while she was there and got out of the city.
Sometimes you just don’t connect with a place, it happens to everyone.
Yeah, sadly we can’t always love everywhere we travel to. If I had couchsurfed and visited during a different season, maybe I would have liked Athens better!
I was in Athens back the 70’s when I was a high school student. What I remember of it, I loved. Although my memories are more than a little hazy, I do remember that we were not there during the hottest time of the year. Would I love it now? I don’t know. I do know I wouldn’t want to be there when it’s so hot.
I’m sure it’s changed a bit since you were last there! Who knows though, you might still like it!
I actually went to Athens myself this past August (2012) and I fell in love with it! We stayed in a part of town that wasn’t necessarily flash which mean that we got a big taste of how the Athenians lived their daily life. It helped that our hostel manager was such a fun man, but we also got to be quick friends with the owners of the shops around us and my favorite, experience the meat, fish and produce markets! I agree with the fact that the ruins were not what I expected but the culture was so so so much more. We only got to spend about 3 days there but I would definitely go back to explore more of the GIGANTIC city.
Well it’s good to hear that not everyone dislikes Athens! I’m happy to hear you had a great time there!
I was fascinated with this place as a child, but I have a feeling that if I were to go, I too would be disappointed by it. I’ve just heard too much bad press from friends who’ve been there.
It’s probably still worth a visit just to see the Acropolis, but I certainly wouldn’t plan a Greek vacation around a trip to Athens!
This is the first negative type review I’ve read here 😀
I’m glad you are always honest. To tell you the truth I also thought it would be more impressive, especially the ruins. I think you will find the same “impressive” Greek ruins in Romania (the old city states near the black sea). Anyways, I’m glad you told me about the heat, I can’t stand weather over 25 degrees Celsius, so I guess I’ll never go to Greece.
If you can’t stand the heat, definitely avoid Greece/the Balkans in the middle of summer! It was hot just about everywhere I went!
And yes, I try to always be honest when I write about places. Usually I can find positive things to say about anywhere, but Athens just wasn’t one of those places…
Ha ha! Well written! I can agree! I found the streets dodgy, the men sleezy (and scary) the temple of zeus was such a disappointment tha m friend wanted to cry. The most enjoyable part was the food, but that can be found anywhere in Greece and particularly less expensive. The worst part was the fear, I did not want to step out of my hotel or stay out to late which was ashame. I had such high hopes for Athens and hope one day Athens will sort out its shit so we can reunite and have it be like I pictured in my heart. (song dedication – fell in love in a hopeless place!
Yes, it’s sad that Athens has become what it has. Hopefully it can shape itself back up in the coming years!
Wow! it does look busy – much busier then then when I was there Dec 1 2011. I came from dry 30 degree (Celsius, sorry don’t know what that is in Fahrenheit) Egypt, to humid 20C Athens to freezing, snowy England – I was lucky to get back in, as all the other London airports were closed! I didn’t spend very long in Athens, but I would like to go back… definitely might reconsider going back in the middle of summer though!
Yeah, I wouldn’t really recommend Athens in the middle of the summer, unless you REALLY like to sweat and are OK dealing with crowds… haha.
I had the same feelings about Athens. I was there in the winter/spring and it literally rained mud. Disgusting. The winds blew sand from sandstorms in nearby Africa and then it rained the sand back down again. Gross. I did not care for Athens and I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way. Thessaloniki, however, I loved…. so I know it’s an Athens-specific problem…. not all of Greece. 🙂
Oh gross, that sounds horrible!!
I actually wasn’t a huge fan of Thessaloniki, either… but I loved Meteora and Parga! So yeah, definitely don’t dislike ALL of Greece!
Great post! I often feel like places are partners. I was heart broken leaving Cardiff but I knew that I had to have time to meet other places, to fool about and find the one. Now, I fee like Nakhon Sawan in central Thailand is my long term partner (it just works, we argue sometimes but I love it, warts and all). That was until I fell in love at first site with Kathmandu who will always have a special place in my heart (but I haven’t told Nakhon Sawan yet!) I may well bump into Athens next year. I’ll let you know if we hit it off!
Haha, this is such an awesome comment. But yes, I, too, often feel like places are potential partners!
Hi Amanda, I enjoyed reading your un-love letter to Athens. I completely relate. While I enjoyed all its antiquities, the city itself was seedy and depressing, and oh Lord, was it HOT! But then that was exactly how I felt with Rome when I visited it more than 10 years ago and I had no desire to return. Last year, I revisited Italy with my husband and he insisted on going to Rome. I was glad I let him convinced me because this time I fell in love with the city. I found that it has polished it rough edges, much sexier and really a a much more pleasant city to visit. So based from my Rome experience, I’m not writing off Athens yet. Maybe years from now after it recovered from its economic crash, it too can become a much more likeable city.
I certainly hope Athens can pick itself up! I’d be willing to give it another go someday – just not right away, and definitely not in the summer!