The reviews I’d heard from my friends who visited the Greek capital were mixed at best. Everyone inevitably came through Athens in order to get to their more desirable destinations of Mykonos, Santorini , or any one of the hundreds of islands in Greece. Athens is a far cry from any of the major islands and it was clear upon arrival why people found Athens so jarring. My arrival was at 1 AM, and I got myself on a bus to the hostel before passing out on my tiny twin bed.

If you go to Athens expecting to be in just another major European city, you are in for a big surprise. It’s ancient and sprawling. From the top of the Acropolis you can see the fruits of the many millennia the city has spent expanding. It reminded me of the other major Mediterranean capital I’ve been to: Istanbul.

The hostel I stayed at, “Zeus Hostel,” felt a little bit on the nose with its rooms and floors themed around Greek Mythology. I stayed in Sparta.

My friend Gabby from University of Arizona would be arriving the day after me, so I had a full day to look around Athens myself. It was sweltering, and walking became taxing. With this weather, I started to miss being on one of the Greek Islands. The key draw in Athens is all of the history, and so I went to the museum to see what wasn’t pillaged by the Brits.

National Archaeological Museum

Statues from this period are surprisingly pornographic to our modern, more prudish sensibilities. The improbably large shaped butts are contrasted with surprisingly modest genitalia. Penises aside, the Greek ideal represented in these statues seems closer to modern tastes for men than women. The female statues are fuller than what you might see at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show.

My favorite sighting at the Archaelogical Museum was the good ole’ Roman gay Antinous. Antinous was the lover of Emperor Hadrian who was took him on a trip around the empire as a part of his entourage. I like to imagine them hitting up destinations popular with modern gay tourists like Mykonos and Sitges. Antinous died in 130 when they were on what I imagine to be a very romantic boat ride on the Nile River. Modern scholars aren’t sure how he died exactly, whether it was suicide or even a human sacrifice.

After his death, Antinous was deified by Hadrian and was worshipped all over the Roman Empire, even after Hadrian’s death. Queer people grow up looking for clues in the history books for indications that historical figures were gay. History books are filled with codes that only queer people seem interested in deciphering. Was this person a bachelor their entire life? Were they in a companionate relationship? In this case no deciphering was required as it was pretty explicit.

My actual favorite statue at the museum was of this woman who has had enough of this satyr’s shit.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus was the first major ruins that I visited while in Athens. There wasn’t much context but they were impressive. The timing of my visit, early evening, was great because there were no crowds.

Adjacent to the Temple is Hadrian’s arch, the very same Hadrian whose lover featured prominently in the narrative of his reign.

The Acropolis

I seem to have a knack for arriving at historic tourist attractions while they are undergoing massive renovation. I thought I just had bad luck but I started to realize that I’ve done most of my traveling in a world post-economic recovery. It seems far likelier that post-recovery, countries are once again investing in the restoration of their most valuable assets.

I arrived at the Acropolis as soon as it opened, for reasons that involved both crowds and the weather. By 10am It was nearly 90 degrees. Gabby and the friends she was traveling with met up with me directly at the site. It was nice to see Gabby, and not because so she could take my picture.

Every morning the Greek Army does a ceremony to raise and lower the flag when the Acropolis opens and closes, respectively.

The entire complex is impressive, with the crown jewel being the Parthenon. Not to be that guy, but the most impressive temple I’ve visited remains the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek, Lebanon. Then again, no one was hawking Hezbollah t-shirts outside of the Acropolis.

What surprised me the most about the Acropolis was the 360 degree view of Athens from the top

The Ancient Agora

The Roman Agora and the more impressive Ancient Agora are both included with the supersaver ticket deal they have with the Acropolis. An Agora is a public square used for markets and assemblies. Today, the entire complex has a museum and a temple to explore.

From the Ancient Agora, you could really appreciate just how high up the Acropolis is, looming over the city.

After a busy morning and afternoon of sightseeing, I spent the rest of the day cooling off and writing a bit. In the afternoon we went to the Acropolis Museum, which houses many of the artifacts taken from the Acropolis. They don’t allow photos but I did manage to snap this pic before I found out about the rule. *eyes emoji*

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The following day we would be leaving for Mykonos. Before then, Gabby and I grabbed tickets to what would end up being a highlight of my time in Greece.

There’s an amphitheater visible but not accessible from the Acropolis called “The Odeon of Herodes Atticus,” also referred to by locals as "The Herodion.”

There was a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the Herodion. It was truly a trip to watch this concert in a 2000-year-old theater. My mom loved to expose my siblings and myself to the arts and I thought about how much she would love the experience.

Mykonos Thoughts

I spent the next few days in Mykonos which were fun but also literally nothing to write home about.

I had the following observations about the island:

It was surprisingly heterosexual. It was very easy to end up at a club that was just 19-year-old straight Europeans getting down.
Holy crap it was so expensive. This is just not a place for backpackers.
It was incredibly beautiful, as expected.
Cocktails ran as high as €19!!!
I’d like to return when I have an income…