Lily McGartland
March 9, 2013
A
DAY IN PLAKA AND THE ELUSIVE MILKSHAKE
Today
was quite a full day, even though I’m supposed to be relaxing because it’s
Spring Break. My older sister, Jeannie, is visiting from Ireland, where she is
living for the year, it was her last full day in Athens. When we all finally
woke up, we ate a leisurely breakfast. I had sweet strawberries with tangy
Greek yogurt, and my favorite juice, peach. After breakfast at about noon, we
got outside to enjoy the day. We decided to head back towards the Acropolis and
the area around it, called Plaka, so Jeannie could finish her souvenir
shopping.
On
the way to Plaka, we walked through Syntagma Square and the main shopping
street, Ermou. It was so busy; there were hundreds of people strolling and
meandering down the street going about their Saturday business. Ermou is
technically a pedestrian-only street, but no Greeks follow that law. We kept
having to quickly jog away from vehicles careening down the road. I was
completely distracted by all the hustle of vendors and shopkeepers trying to
get us to buy their products, but was still cautious of my pockets and my
sister’s and dad’s things as well. Once we’d safely made it to a side street,
directly off of Ermou, we found a café that had an open table (a rare find) and
sat down to order coffees.
Jeannie
and my dad ordered decaf cappuccino freddos (decaf iced-cappuccinos). I
attempted to get a milkshake, but the waiter regretfully told me that they had
run out of ice cream. I dolefully drank my water, just waiting for the next
opportunity to have a milkshake. While we relaxed, the streets around us were
not as subdued; I watched the “bubble man”, my inventive name for him. He had a
bucket full of soap and a string; when he dipped the string into the bucket of
suds and pulled it out there was a huge bubble that formed; some were over five
feet long! The other main attraction was not as fun to watch. It was actually
quite terrifying. A Greek man on a motorcycle drove through our café! He just
revved his engine and rode straight through the outdoor tables. The waiter came
out and yelled at the motorcyclist in Greek. It did not sound at all friendly.
Once
we’d finished our drinks, we walked into Plaka, the souvenir shop extravaganza.
Everywhere we looked there we little stalls selling cheap gifts and touristy
jewelry. Even though it’s a complete tourist trap it’s still fun to go to every
now and then. Especially since today was Jeannie’s last full day. My dad and I
browsed while Jeannie shopped for gifts for her friends. We bargained with the
shopkeepers, hoping to get a better deal. After we had shopped for a while and
were dragging our feet, we stopped at a taverna on the main street that runs
along the Agora. While we ate traditional Greek food: spanakopita (spinach
pie), gigantes (giant beans in red sauce), and tzatziki (yogurt cucumber dip),
we chatted about the things we bought and what we still had to get before the
shops closed.
Instead
of heading home the way we came, we decided to explore and take a bit of a
longer route home. We ended up walking around to the far side of the Agora. On
the main pedestrian street there were hundreds of little vendors and tables set
up, each one offered jewelry, clothes, and even chia pets (little heads with seeds
inside, when the plants grow the heads will look like they have hair). We
meandered along inspecting each stall, hoping to find something worth our
money. Alas, to no avail, we left that area empty handed, and with empty
stomachs.
Because
of all the walking, I was thirsty and was really craving a milkshake,
especially since the sun was beating down on our backs. We found a little café
and sat down. In the sun for Jeannie, but the shade for my dad and I. We sat
for a good fifteen minutes, until finally a waiter came to take our order. I
ordered my much-awaited strawberry milkshake. Excited for our refreshing
drinks, we sat and relaxed. After at least twenty minutes, and still no drinks,
we gave up and began walking again. I still didn’t have a milkshake! We walked
up the same pedestrian street until we happened upon a gelato shop. We stopped
of course. Jeannie and my dad got gelato. And I got my much-anticipated
strawberry milkshake! It was a rather thin consistency, but the flavor was spot
on. Super sweet and creamy. Yum!
We
ate our dessert and strolled down the street. Jeannie saw a little path that
seemed to cut in front of the Acropolis, but behind the Agora. Instead of
heading home the long way, we took a chance on the path. As we walked, we were
surrounded on either side by ancient ruins. We were only a fence’s distance
away from the ruins in the Agora and only a few hundred yards from the
Acropolis. It was the perfect way to head home; we could listen to the birds
and enjoy our dessert and the view.
When
we arrived back at our apartment we were over-tired from our long day of
walking. Instead of eating out, we ordered delivery from our favorite pizza
place, Mystic Pizza in Exarchia. While eating we watched a few episodes of our
new TV obsession, Covert Affairs. It
was the perfect way to end a perfect day. And I got my milkshake.
