Athens: City of Ruins

Next stop was Greece for a conference. Despite the days being packed with talks, we still managed to find time to duck out and see the city. Of all the places I visited this trip I think Athens had the worst rep, but I actually really enjoyed the city despite the mid-30 degree temperatures and the smog. There was no signs of any rioting while I was there, although the metro was shut down by a general strike for a few days.

One of the best things about Athens was that there were so many interesting things to see just walking around the city. Sure, we've all heard of the Acropolis, but there were many impressive ruins that were marked with little more than a plaque. Even the metro stations had impressive artifacts that were dug up when the metro was created.

Here are some pics of the sights that we saw while wandering around the city:

A random church in the middle of Plaka.

Ruins from a library

A water clock

Grapes!

Parthenon

View of Athens from the Acropolis

Another highlight was a day trip to Delphi. It was here that powerful rulers and commoners alike would come to consult the oracles for guidance. The countryside was gorgeous and the accompanying museum had some great stuff. It was a good day out and I think we had as much fun as a busload of particle physicists could. Thanks to my office mate Satoko for the pics!

Lisbon: Castles, Architecture, and Sardine Parties

I arrived in Lisbon with no expectations. Portugal was too far away to visit during our whirlwind trip of Europe a few years ago and I hadn't heard enough about the country to make it a destination on my bucket list. But during my week long visit to Lisbon I was definitely pleasantly surprised!

Here is a list of things that I found most surprising about Lisbon.

1. There is a castle in the middle of the city.

I was enjoying the cityscape on the first day when I looked up and WHOA there it was. Parts of the Castelo de São Jorge date back to the 6th century. It was a bit of a hike to get out there, but it was worth it for the views of the city.



2. The food!

Before going to Lisbon I really couldn't think of a dish that was specifically Portuguese. After eating there for a week I would say the general theme of any Portuguese restaurant is meat and seafood. Some restaurants were very South American inspired and had things like Argentinian steaks and bbq. Generally there were meats that you just wouldn't see on a North American menu. The first night in the city we had rabbit stew. It was delicious! Also common on the menu was lots of fresh seafood. I ordered fish on a number of occasions and it was so fresh (although it was typically served with the fish bones in which was a huge surprise the first time I dug in). Every meal started with an app of delicious cheeses and the Portuguese wines were amazing.

3. The Architecture.

Sometimes it looked Spanish. Sometimes it looked southern French. Sometimes North African. The look of the buildings in the city was quite an unexpected blend.



4. Sardine Parties!

The last day we were in town was the eve of the festival of St. Anthony. At night there was a big parade through the middle of town where people from each neighborhood in the city dressed up and choreographed a dance. After watching for the parade for awhile we wandered off to eat sardines from one of the grills that were set up on the street. I had never had a sardine before and they were amazing! All this was washed down by Superbock, the national beer of Portugal.







Overall, I loved Lisbon and would definitely go back. I really liked the laid back attitude and have I mentioned the food?