Everything isn’t always perfect
If you’re a regular reader of this site (and if you are, thank you!), you may remember that in one of our last posts, Mike wrote about how we bloggers tend to “curate our experiences” – putting a spin on all our activities to make it sound like everything about our travels and adopted countries is perfect. Then, as readers, we use these stories to make decisions about places we want to visit.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube videos, travel vlogs, blogs, and even friends would have us believe that every city and town in the entire world is fantastic. Our smiling selfies, glowing descriptions, and pictures of landmarks and delicious food all look idyllic. We find ourselves feeling left out and sometimes jealous, thinking if we could just go there, if we could afford to go there or had the time to go there, we would have a similarly perfect experience.
Today, I’m going to tell you MY impressions of Athens, Greece*. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t perfect.
Why Athens?
Mike is one of the organizers for WordCamp Europe, the largest gathering in the world for people who use WordPress software to build websites. (We use it for The Cook and The Writer.) WordCamp Europe takes place in a different European city every year. This year’s host city was Athens. Over 2,500 people from 94 countries came to Athens to listen to speakers, participate in workshops, catch up with old friends, network, and, of course, party a bit.
It takes about eight months for the team of 200 volunteer organizers to do everything needed to put on the conference. Mike is always busy during the entire three days of the event. I tag along and participate as one of a large group of volunteers who do everything from working the registration desk to handing out tee-shirts to helping speakers find their way to the podiums.
And we always plan a few extra days on either side of the event to explore the host city, taste the food, and, afterwards, to decompress. We had been looking forward to our trip to Athens – to seeing “the cradle of civilization”, wandering among the ancient ruins, sampling souvlaki and moussaka, and then enjoying a couple days’ downtime on the island of Hydra.
But something funny happened on the way to the Agora.
We were robbed!
Okay, Mike was robbed. During our first two hours in Athens. Before we even got to our hotel!
It took all day to get from Lisbon to Athens, starting with a 5:55am (yuck!) flight to Zurich, then another plane to Athens. Then it takes about 45 minutes to get from the airport into the city. We opted for the €18 Metro ride instead of the €75 cab ride.
Over the years, we have learned how to travel light. For trips like this we each bring one carry-on suitcase and a backpack, so navigating to the metro platform was not too difficult.
We had read the warnings about pickpockets in Athens and tried to be prepared. Mike wore his “crossbody bag”, a zippered pouch that fits under his arm, where he kept our passports and tickets. He had his wallet, like he always does for protection, in his front pocket.
To get to our hotel, we had to change trains at the busy station underneath Syntagma Square. That’s where it happened.
Picture this. You are in a new place, your arms are full, and you’re ready to leave the train. The doors open part way. Then they close. Then they open and close again. You think “What the heck is going on!?!” Three young men are so helpful and pry the door open for us. So you get off the train and are so grateful that you turn around and wave at them.
I thanked them.
I’m an idiot.
When we got off the second train and started walking to our hotel, Mike realized that his wallet had been lifted by the seemingly kind (and professional) thieves.
A rough first night in Athens
Everyone who has ever lost a wallet knows the drill. For a couple hours Mike was on the phone canceling credit and debit cards. He made the mistake of working with our Portuguese bank first. It took almost an hour of conversation to get the debit card canceled.
By the time he started contacting our US credit card companies, I was getting text messages on my phone about the spending spree the little crooks had been on. They made a couple purchases at sporting goods stores to the tune of about €400. They also made a brazen attempt to spend an additional €1500, but that one was declined. We got the card canceled and luckily didn’t have to cover any of the loss.
Then we took inventory of the other things lost: Drivers’s license gone, Insurance cards gone. Lisbon transit pass gone. €75 cash gone. But worst of all – Mike’s Portuguese residency card. Gone. We knew this would be the most difficult thing to replace. Our friend Nancy had lost hers and had written about the problems she had trying to get a new one.
On top of it all, we had to abandon our plans for the evening.
Several months earlier, I had booked us into a food tour for our first night in Athens – one of our favorite ways to get acclimated to a new city. The tour was due to start less than an hour after we got to our hotel. Because we were still dealing with the banks, we couldn’t go. So add another $130 to what those b*stards stole.
The rest of our trip got better
After the first night, we managed to (mostly) shake off the shock and anger. Enough, at least, to enjoy some of what we came for.
Since we had some free time before the conference started, we did a couple of Rick Steves’ walking tours. The first was a walk around the city center, beginning at Syntagma Square (the scene of the crime!) and working south toward the Acropolis. Along the way we saw Hadrian’s Arch. On another day we spent several hours walking through the Ancient Agora, listening to Rick’s narrative, and trying to imagine what it must have been like thousands of years ago.
We climbed a narrow winding path through the old neighborhood of Anafiotika.
After the first day of the conference, we attended a party at a beach bar and had fun unwinding with other members of the team.
There was even a raucous PRIDE parade marching through the street outside our hotel one evening.
Of course, there were some loose ends to tie up. A friend in Lisbon had advised that we needed to file a police report about Mike’s stolen wallet, so Mike spent the last morning of the conference meeting several of “Athen’s finest” and getting directed from one station to another.
He finally ended up in the “Tourist Police Station”, conveniently located a few blocks from Syntagma Square. He filled out the form amidst a steady stream of other victims with similar stories – stolen wallets, stolen passports, stolen money.
Looking back on it now
We’ve been home now for about 10 days and have almost gotten back to our pre-trip normal. Enough to do some reflecting.
The WordCamp conference, our primary reason for going, was a huge success, so all the time and effort paid off. During the last session, the site of next year’s WordCamp was announced: Torino, Italy. We’re already looking forward to that trip.
We recognize that our overall impressions of Athens were tainted by our initial experience. Mike made some great friends among the local Athens WordPress team. Most of the people we met in shops and restaurants were as courteous and friendly as any we’d met anywhere in the world.
But it was difficult to enjoy wandering the city while wondering which person in the crowd was going to be the next thief. We didn’t let our guard down until we were on the ferry to Hydra the day after the conference ended.
Our son, Will, provided a wise comment during a text exchange with me:
You know, it’s ok to say you didn’t like a place.
So there it is.
And after we left Athens, the trip definitely got better. We spent two relaxing nights on the island of Hydra. More on that next time.
Until then / Até lá
Mary
The Cook
A footnote: These are my thoughts and my feelings. I’m sure many of you have been to Athens and have fond memories. I look forward to hearing about them in the comments.
A few lessons learned
Consider this a public service announcement. Here are some things we’ll do differently next time. We encourage you to do the same.
- Inventory your purse or wallet before you go. Take only what you know you might need and leave the rest at home. Do you really need that extra credit card?
- Take a photo or scan of your wallet’s contents before you go. Put it in the cloud.
- Forget about trying not to look like a tourist. You can’t. Own it. Wear the fanny pack or crossbody bag.
- Don’t stop traveling. Just travel smarter!
Where have your travels taken you lately? Tell us your traveler’s tale with a note in the comments below or via the Contact Us form.
Mary and Mike—- Rick and I were in Athens in late June. We had a very good experience! Part of it was heeding a lot of advice from others. The other was finding a wonderful hotel (The Acropolis View), with great staff with wonderful recommendations. They also had a rooftop with an amazing breakfast and beautiful view of the Acropolis. I think our expectations coming in were probably pretty low too, which might have helped 😉. We definitely have our own suggestions about Athens, but enjoyed it far more than a few other cities we visited. Take care and hope we wind up in the same city next time we head to Europe.
Hi Debbi,
Thanks for your note. I’m glad you and Rick had a good time in Athens. The hotel sounds much better than the one we picked, though our selection was based more on proximity to the conference venue than amenities. Please let me know when you’re planning your next trip. Maybe we can coordinate a couple days in the same place. We’re doing that with some other friends later this year.
Have a great week!
Mike
Hi Mary, I enjoyed reading your post, but was sorry to learn about the misfortune you experienced in Athens. I’m impressed with yours and Mike’s ability to make the best of it and carry on. Bravo! It may have altered my mood for an entire vacation had it happened to me!
Hi Sheryl,
Thanks for your note. I’ll confess, the incident did alter my mood for the rest of our time in Athens. But once we got to Hydra, most of it went away. I’m writing about that part of the trip this week, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I hope you and Bill are enjoying a long holiday weekend.
All the best,
Mike
This sounds familiar except stolen versus carelessness. We know the feeling but then add the disappointment that humans will do such things to each other.
Glad the trip had some good points but if we had been with you just think how much worse it could have been – LOL.
Haha. I wish you two had been with us. You two are the best travel companions.
So sorry about all of the troubles, I won’t say much more than what has already been stated. I spent a lot of time traveling in and out of Europe and Japan, living in Thailand and Germany and I can assure you the thieves are everywhere.
Pat,
I now have come to the same conclusion.
So glad you’re home safe, but sorry you had bad vibes of Athens. We enjoyed our extended time there after a wonderful 8 day small cruise to all the beautiful islands. Favorite Santorini. We had a similar experience in Barcelona where our friend we were traveling with got his passport stolen out of his front pocket 1st day there. Nightmare. He and his wife spent a whole day at the American Embassy along with lots of other tourists in the same mess. I’ll be traveling with Sue soon and I had already gotten out my money belt for under my shirt. Don’t care what I look like at 76 years old. LoL. Keep traveling. Love ❤️
Alice,
It is so good to hear from you. I can’t imagine the pain your friend went through with the loss of a passport. The real robbery is losing an entire day of a vacation at an embassy. Have fund wih Sue and friends in Amsterdam and Paris. One of the great things about getting old is not giving a rats ass what other people think of us! 🙂
So sorry to hear about your incident in Athens. We had a similar situation in Athens with my friend and her daughter in Wendys waiting to order. Cyndi’s purse was open waiting in line and a few young girls came by and took her wallet and ID….a really bad way to start our vacation. We leave in a month for Amsterdam and Paris and this is a great reminder for us 4 girls traveling together to be aware and very careful of our belongings. We did love Greece with the history and beauty of the islands, but still remember the pickpockets are everywhere. Glad you are home safe and sound.
Love, Sue and Eddie
We are glad to be back safe and sound. We loved the island of Hydra and hope to return one day. I hope you will have a wonderful time in Paris and Amsterdam. I am so glad you and your friends still take advantage of your youth and friendship and keep on keeping on. Be safe.
Love, Mary
Dear Friends,
I’m so sorry you have to add that unfortunate incident to your memories of Athens. I hope it recedes to being just a data point and you remember best and foremost all the joy you experienced.
Like you, I very much dislike having to stop what I’m doing to deal with messes. Since I travel to Europe alone, I play it safe and wear one of those little flat pouches under my shirt where I keep my passport, credit cards, driver’s license, most of my large bills, health insurance card, emergency info, and a copy of my birth certificate. Also, a couple euros for pay toilets so I avoid the possibility of those kind of messes. (Yes, I am looking at you, Central Station in Brussels.) I look like I have a big lump on my chest, but I don’t care. I’m 65. I can get away with anything. And I have locks on my backpack so it can’t be unzipped in the airport or on the metro. Also, I don’t use debit cards any longer since I came back to the US with said debit card and found out my debit card was magically still in Europe, busy shopping at a dress store in Verona. Oi.
67 days until I leave for Sweden and Finland where, I hope, the locals play nice. (Oh – and I can use the Too Good to Go app in Sweden! Thank you for that suggestion!)
Hugs to you two adventurers. You inspire me and I am so grateful
Xoxo,
Nan
Hey Nan,
When I first became a serious traveler I always wore the little flat pouch under my shirt. I am going to have to get back into it. It is just a little inconvenient, but so worth not having to go through what we went through in Greece.
We are headed to Sweden and Italy in a little over 100 days. It will be our first trip to Sweden. Unfortunately we will only see Stockholm. We have never been to Finland. I hope you have a wonderful time. Be safe.
xoxo
Mary
So sorry to hear about the pickpocket experience. We had one as well, also on the train, in Rome in 1998. That experience definitely affected what I think of the city and it’s not positive. I’ve always wanted to go to Greece, specifically Santorini but will remember your experience and be extra vigilant. I appreciate the good reminder of traveling smarter!
Ahh Rome, one of my favorite places on this earth. I’m sorry it colored your experience. The Greek islands are beautiful. Give them a go.
Sorry to hear about your experience. Rick and I will be in Athens in a few days and will benefit from your experience ! Take care and keep traveling!
Thanks for your note Debbi. It is good to hear from you. I hope you will fall in love with Athens and tell me all about it. I know you will be careful.
Mary
Oh, no, so sorry! Everyone’s nightmare scenario. I’m glad the conference went well for you and you managed some good times after leaving Athens. Look forward to hearing how you got back into Portugal without your res card. And a great point about the way we curate things, indeed! Now you’ve got me thinking about some places that we didn’t like all that much and why . . .
Até breve!
David
David,
No problem getting back into Portugal. We had our passports which allowed us to get on the plane. We at least keep a few things separated (wallet, passports) in case one or the other gets lifted. To be honest I think I was a bit biased about Athens even before I went, but it won’t dampen my traveling spirit.
Mary
So sorry to hear about your Athens experience. Though I was not robbed when visiting there years ago, I also was not crazy about the place. Our stop there was part of a 5 country, 6 week Europe vacation…and it was the low point of the trip. Unfortunately, the country was in the midst of the financial crisis, unsure if the EU would bail them out. Workers were not being paid and service levels were affected. We didn’t feel safe walking at night and found the constant “hawking” annoying. We left for Santorini after a few days and then went to Mykonos. We had previously bought transit back to Athens before heading to Amsterdam. But instead, we chucked those tickets and bought a direct flight from Mykonos to Amsterdam. Yes, we saw all the places one is supposed to see…but we “didn’t like the place”.
I read your comment and thought ‘EXACTLY”! Mike, as editor, cleaned up my language and true feelings about the city. 🙂 I have a new found respect for you and Denise. You actually threw away your transit tickets and plans rather than subject yourselves to something you didn’t like. Life is too short…
This was a great post. I do appreciate reading an honest travelogue rather than the “everything was wonderful “ posts. We will be traveling from Lisbon to Athens in October and will put your advice to good use. We enjoy using public transportation when we travel (we love the Lisbon metro and buses) but we need to be more vigilant.
Hey Jane,
I hope your experience is much better than ours. Remember distraction is the name of the game with pickpockets. We were talking this morning about being more vigilant even in Lisbon. We feel so safe here, but also realize that there are thieves everywhere. We love the public transportation here as well. Let us know how your trip goes.