去雅典 Heading to Athens

2022年5月7日，星期六，本次旅行第19天

Saturday, May 7, 2022. Day 19 of our trip

今天早上5点多就起床了，太阳还没出来，去酒店的自助早餐拿了四个面包做早餐，去机场还车，然后坐9点多的飞机来到了雅典，不到一个小时的航行，非常轻松。到了雅典机场，回想起了上次来去做地铁的经历，要步行出了机场，走过一个人行天桥到地铁站，地铁票是有效90分钟，每张9欧元，买两张16欧元。雅典的地铁站标识不是很明确，到了站台其实看不出来应该在哪个站台等车，问了一个经过的警察，确定是在标有“Metro”一边的站台，另外一边“Suburben”是不去雅典市区的。

We got up bright and early this morning at 5am, the sun still hadn’t risen, to get ready to check out and head to the airport. I went to the hotel’s buffet breakfast to pick up four croissants for breakfast then we went to the airport to return the car and check-in for our 9am short flight to Athens. Very easy.

When we arrived at the Athens airport, the memory of the confusion of taking the subway last time returned. We walked out of the airport and across a pedestrian bridge to the subway station. The subway ticket is valid for 90 minutes and costs 9 euros for each, but 16 euros for two with a return. The signs in the subway stations in Athens are not clear at all. When you arrive at the platform, you can’t actually tell which platform you should wait at. We asked a passing policeman and he said that it was on the platform marked “Metro” – the other side “Suburban” is not going to Athens. Whatever.

吃完午饭，花了很多时间步行去了两个Cosmote的店买手机卡，因为在巴塞罗那买的那张卡暂时不能用了，原因不在这里啰嗦记录了，结果两个店都售罄了！又去了一家Vodafone的店终于买到了一张，15欧元11GB，可以在欧洲随意漫游。为了在下午3点店铺关门前买到，两个多小时就在买电话卡的经历中耗费了。

After lunch, we spent a lot of time walking to two different Cosmote stores to try to buy a mobile phone card because the card we bought in Barcelona no longer works (long story.) Anyway both Cosmote stores were sold out! So we went to another Vodafone store and finally bought one – 11GB for 15 euros, which can roam freely in Europe. More than two hours were wasted for the experience of rushing around to buy a phone card before the stores closed at 3pm!

6个月前我俩来Psyri这里，看到了一个饭店的乐队的曼陀铃琴手看起来很像PJG的父亲，尤其是他戴的那个帽子，今晚又去了那里，那个乐队还在这里表演。

We came to Psyri six months ago and saw a restaurant band with a mandolin player who looked a lot like PJG’s dad, especially in the hat he was wearing, so we went there again tonight, the band was still there performing.

再次回到雅典，再次感受到雅典的热闹，人山人海，坐在大街边上的一个饭店观看过往的来自世界各地的人是一个我俩非常享受的经历，形形色色的人种，语言，衣装，动作，表情. . . 让我感觉这个世界的丰富多彩和遐想联翩。晚安了。

Returning to Athens again, feeling the liveliness in the streets, the crowds of people from all over the world of different ethnicities, languages, clothing, body languages, expressions; sitting in random restaurants on the sides of the street and people watching is an experience we both enjoy very much. It connects me with the rich and colorful world and makes me imagine and feel hopeful for the world. Good night.