Arriving at the Attalos

Well I have finally settled in at the Hotel Attalos after a very extensive trip from the airport. First off, let me describe the flight. It was long...very long! They served a surprisingly scrumptious dinner of chicken parmesan and pasta while we watched the Adjustment Bureau (excellent movie). After dinner, I took some Nyquil and spent the next four or so hours "sleeping." It was very difficult trying to get comfortable sitting in coach with the AC blasting. When I woke up, we had passed over the Atlantic Ocean and had about two hours left of the flight. They served us fruit and a toasted croissant for breakfast and a cup of coffee helped me perk up, but only momentarily. After meeting up with others taking the Writing Workshops in Greece, we bought our tickets for the metro, stepped outside, and we were greeted with the fresh scent of an ocean breeze and flowers. This pleasant feeling soon depleted once we boarded the metro. It didn't take long for it to become jam packed and the sound of children playing the accordion for tips made my jet lag come back in full swing. There were so many people scrunched onto the metro that I was surprised it was able to leave the station at all! At one point, I'm pretty sure my head was smashed into some guy's armpit, thank God I was wearing a hat! After the metro, we arrived in downtown Athens. It's like no city I've ever seen! It's busy, loud, and full of shops. Trees with purple blossoms brightened up the sidewalks. Right now, I'm sitting in my hotel room at the Attalos that I share with two girls named Sabrina and Rebbecca. We've given up on trying to figure out how to work the AC and decided relaxing sounded best. Pretty soon we're going to have our first Athenian lunch experience! After, I'm pretty sure recovering from my jet lag will be top priority. I can't wait for our orientation dinner tonight! I'll need to make sure I rest up before our tour through Athens tomorrow!!

 *~*Later*~*

We just got back form the most amazing dinner ever! we were served fetta with veggies, fried cheese, dandelion leaves (weird and not that tasty), some meat with awesome potatoes aka french fries, and lamb. SO GOOD! I got to try red and white wine which were both delicious. I also made new and awesome friends while wine tasting. We drank ouzo, a liquorish sort of drink that you dilute with water and ice, then got some delato at a bar closer to the hotel. I can't believe how cheap and delicious everything is here! Tomorrow we go to the Acropolis and I am ecstatic!