Athens Spring 2024

Welcome everyone!

I am a 21-year-old French student and I decided to spend a semester in Athens for my studies. I created this blog to share my experience and advise those who would like to apply for the Erasmus+ program, like I did.

I hope that you will be able to travel a bit with me and enjoy my stories as much as I enjoyed living and writing them!

Delphi and Arachova

23/03/24.

The ESN organised another Erasmus trip, this time in the historical site of Delphi and the village of Arachova. We left Athens at 8h30 and drove 3 hours before arriving to Delphi. The site was crowded and we did not spend so much time there, but I planned to go back in June, with my boyfriend. What I really liked about this trip was Arachova, a little village with red roofs and authentic churches, surrounded by mountains. It reminded me a lot of France and it was so pleasant to get a lungful of fresh air and enjoy the breathtaking landscapes. I really advice you to go there if you need some calm and serenity.

Mycenae and Corinth

29/03/24.

A week after the Delphi trip, here I am, going to Mycenae and Corinth with the ESN KAKA (the ESN section of NKUA). We arrived on the historical site of Mycenae around 10h30. The citadel was still well preserved and I loved walking through this mythical place. Then, we went to the Acrocorinth, a huge Byzantine castle lost in the montains. We had to hike to reach the highest parts of the ruins and the view was outstanding. This is probably one of the most beautiful things I have seen in Greece so far. We ended our day-trip going to the city of Corinth, where we immediatly ran for water and ice cream, because of the hot weather. At the end of the day, we walked more than 20 km and we were exhausted, but very happy.

Aegina

21/04/24.

My dad, step-mom, brother and sister came to Athens to visit me. We decided to go on a trip on the closest island from Athens, Aegina, known for its pistachios and its beautiful landscapes.

I had already been there with my mom and step-dad a week before and I was delighted to go back, for the atmosphere there is very calm and summer-like. We visited the harbor, then went to the Temple of Afaia by bus and, in the afternoon, we went hiking in the South of the island to see the Ancient Olive Grove. The view on the sea from the montains was amazing. Before leaving, I bought pistachio butter and sweets. It was a lovely day and I definitely recommand that place.

Agistri

02/05/24.

My best friend visited me and we decided to organise a one-day trip on the island of Agistri. Close to Aegina, the island is not well-known and there are very few tourists there.

The island is wild and there is not much to do except hiking and sunbathing, two activities that I love. We visited the harbors of Skala and Megalochori, and their beautiful blue and white houses, similar to the ones we find on Santorini.

Then, we hiked in the forest, all along the sea. The view was like nothing I had seen before and I was very happy to discover this little hidden gem of the Saronic sea.

Crete

20/05/24.

The ESN organised "The Crete Trip", a huge event on the island of Crete, that gathered around 900 people for 5 days. We visited some famous places of the East coast, such as the capital of Heraklion, the harbor of Agios Nikolaos, the village of Sitia, the historical site of Knossos, with Minos' Palace, or even Vaï Beach, known for its large palm forest. We also did a cruise around the island of Spinalonga, saw a show of traditional music and dances and did a color fight on Elounda beach. I met new people, ate great food, and saw amasing landscapes. Or course, travelling with so many people is not always simple, but in the whole, I really enjoyed it and I would definitely come back to Crete in the future!

Hydra

01/06/24.

A friend came to visit me and we travelled together to the island of Hydra. It is called the "bohemian island" for the simple reason that there is no motorized vehicle there (except for the emergencies). People only use donkeys and ponies to carry things across the island.

Its name is derived from the greek translation of "water", as a reference to the many springs of the island. It is not related to the mythological beast, as I thought at first. We went from surprise to surprise, from a charming little harbor to ruins and old fortifications, passing by the red pebble beaches. The calm of the island, compared to Athens, was a pure blessing.

Milos

22/06/24.

My boyfriend and I went together on the island of Milos, in the Cyclads. One of my dream was to go there to see the beach of Sarakiniko, and I was not disappointed. The beach looks like the moon and it is very poetic. The perfect place for photos !

We also walked 25km to visit the village of Plaka, the small harbor of Klima and the copy of the "Vénus de Milo", exhibited at Le Louvre (but which was originally found on Milos, of course). In the afternoon, we took a bus to go in the south of the island, on the beaches of Tsigrado and Firiplaka. This is, by far, my favorite island !

Meteora

27/06/24.

We also went to Meteora, in the montains, five hours away from Athens. The site is classified as Global Heritage of UNESCO. The orthodox monks built monastries at the top of huge rocks. Each year, about 6 billion people come to see the place. And even the producers of « Game of Thrones » took some pics for the settings of their series.

Meteora remains as the biggest natural mystery of Greece and I could not leave the country before seeing it.