My Bahá'í Pilgrimage During a Crazy Global Pandemic
March 4, 2020
Post 8: From the Alps to Athens!
[Post 7] [Post 9]
We flapped around the Basel-Mulhouse Freiburg airport at dawn like frantic birds.
Travel tip #1: Just because an airport is tiny does not mean it will be quick to navigate. We soon learned this as we darted up and down escalators and through deserted hallways to find the security line. The time was ticking by—we were cutting it close to catch our plane to Greece.
Finally, huffing and puffing, we made it to our gate. The tall, blonde airline attendant counted our bags.
“You have too many,” she said, staring wide-eyed at us. She pointed at my little red duffel bag. “This one is too big.”
We froze. “Is it too late to check it in?” I asked.
The woman’s eyes got even bigger. “Yes, it’s too late!” she exclaimed.
We all just stood there in stunned silence. After all our running around, were we going to miss our flight???
“Isn’t there anything we can do?” I asked, horrified.
The woman grimaced. “Well…you’ll have to pay eighty euros to get it on the plane.”
I nearly collapsed with relief. Eighty euros was no small sum (about $90), but at least we wouldn’t miss our flight!
Travel tip #2: Read the extra fine print on luggage restrictions when booking flights (especially very cheap ones).
Exhausted, excited, and wielding sanitizing wipes, we boarded the plane.
Two and a half hours later, we landed in the bright sunshine of Athens, Greece. We shed our winter layers of coats and sweatshirts as we walked out into the warm, humid air. We couldn’t see much from the airport, but it already felt very different from Switzerland. It was like we had flown out of winter and landed in summer!
Once I claimed my eighty-euro duffel bag, we exited the airport to meet our taxi driver, a tall Greek man who greeted us with a welcoming grin. Our Airbnb host had booked the taxi for us, so all we had to do was sit back and enjoy the 40-minute ride into the city.
As we rolled down the freeway, the rugged sand and sage mountains of Greece began to rise around us, and the city stretched out like thousands of white pebbles for as far as the eye could see. It was all so different from the rustic cabins and snowy peaks of Switzerland. It felt epic and ancient.
“The light feels so thin and pure here,” Travis mused, squinting out the window in awe. Katie and I exchanged smiles. We love it when Travis waxes poetic.
Then, as we entered the city, traffic began to converge. And honk. And pull right out in front of us. Motorbikes zipped between the cars with mere inches to spare.
“So…is driving here normally like this?” Dad asked our taxi driver, who spoke little English.
He waved his hand dismissively, “Yes, traffic bad,” he said, completely unphased.
Dad chuckled. “Well, good thing we didn’t rent a car here, guys.” Katie, Travis and I nervously agreed.
Graffiti galore!
Things got crazier when we turned down the street to our Airbnb. On every surface: graffiti. Everywhere. It was like driving through a chaotic, colorful mural.
“Ugly,” the taxi driver commented, waving his hand dismissively at this, too. He stopped the car in the middle of the street and turned to Dad. “Forty euros, please,” he said.
“Uh—I thought our Airbnb host already paid, since he booked your taxi?” Katie said.
He didn’t seem to understand. “No, forty euros,” he repeated.
“Do you take credit cards?” Dad asked.
“No card.”
We all just looked at each other, unsure of what to do. We hadn’t exchanged any of our money yet, so we couldn’t even pay him.
“Oh—there’s our host!” Katie burst, pointing to a well-dressed man who was waving at us from the sidewalk. “Let’s go ask him.”
We tried our best to explain our plan to the extremely perplexed driver as we exited his taxi and hurried across the street.
Our Airbnb host warmly introduced himself as Antoni. When we explained the situation to him, he said, “Oh—no. You pay him. I only booked for you.”
“Well, we haven’t exchanged our money yet, and he doesn’t accept cards,” Dad explained.
The host nodded understandingly. “No problem. I’ll pay him, and you pay me when you check out.”
We all overflowed with relief and thanks. Antoni explained this in Greek to the taxi driver, who was still parked in the middle of the street. The taxi driver shook his head and drove away. I crumpled with guilt. We were not having a great start in Greece.
Despite the misunderstanding, Antoni welcomed us into his apartment building. We crossed a dusty white marble lobby to a tiny elevator, which could only take two people at a time. It was pretty freaky. There was no door on the inside, so we could see the inner wall pass by as we were lifted up! I wondered what other surprises awaited us…
It turned out to be a pleasant surprise! Our Airbnb was more beautiful than we expected. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and artistically decorated with modern paintings, and one bedroom had a balcony with a cool view of a city street. Antoni gave us extremely helpful tips on what to do in the city. He pulled out a map and circled all the places we should go, like the Acropolis, the Panathenaic Stadium, and a bunch of markets. He also circled places that we shouldn’t go. “This neighborhood is pretty safe, but keep an eye on your wallets and purses in the markets. Lots of pickpockets,” he said. “Also, I would advise for the ladies not to walk alone at night.”
We thanked him for his advice. When he left, Katie and I immediately collapsed onto the stylish couches. We were overwhelmed, exhausted, and a little shocked.
Travel tip #3: It’s a good idea to actually research the city you’re going to. We had so little time to re-plan our trip that we didn’t realize what a huge, intense city Athens was. We had envisioned more of a relaxed island vibe. Not so. It was a jarring transition from the peaceful serenity of the Swiss Alps.
Dad and Travis, who are generally undaunted by anything, were not discouraged in the least. “What are we waiting for? We’re burning daylight!” Dad enthusiastically exclaimed.
“Yeah, let’s go eat a gyro!” Travis brightly chimed in.
Katie and I sighed; we knew we were being quick to judge Athens, and the only way to truly get to know it was to get out there. With a push of perseverance and the lively encouragement of Dad and Travis, we got off of the comfortable couch and walked out the door.
As we wandered down the gritty graffitied streets, our spirits began to lift. Athens was fascinating. Though parts of the city looked old and decrepit, the people were dressed like fashion models. And there was so much diversity. We saw people from all over the world from just a walk around the block. It reminded me of what `Abdu'l-Bahá said: “Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form, and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty.”
We also learned why there was so much graffiti. There is currently an economic crisis and government corruption in Athens, and many youth are unable to find jobs because of it. As an act of protest, they paint the streets. Though I felt bad for the people who owned the buildings, I was now able to see the graffiti in a positive light—as a symbol of youth power and bold determination.
It was like we were walking through a concrete garden bursting with diverse, unique blooms.
Bonus: There were few cases of COVID here, so that was one less thing to worry about. Also, the food was AMAZING. We had authentic Greek gyros for the first time, which were fantastic. We also wandered into a café with an incredible variety of pretty pastries and dazzling desserts. Our sugar cravings were well satisfied. :)
By the end of the day, we all agreed Athens was awesome. And all we had done was drive down the street and walk around the block! I wondered what adventures tomorrow would hold.
The desserts were delectable works of art! They were almost too beautiful to eat ... almost. ;)
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