Waking up at the exact time your body wants to go to sleep is always a challenge. I managed to get a good seven hours last night, but just as I was waking to the sun streaming through my window, I was feeling sleepier. Despite the late checkout I arranged, I decided to press forward with the day. Better to start paying now and over a shorter number of days than to let jet lag stealthily stay with me for weeks.
Waking up at the Novotel Athens was not quite the treat I had imagined. We had such a great experience at the Novotel Pratunam in Bangkok that when looking through my choices, I decided to give this one a try. Turns out Bangkok wins. While certainly not a dump, the Novotel Athens does not have the sleekness or comfort of Bangkok. The aged stucco walls, small room (despite it being an Executive Room), blah furniture conspired to make it unimpressive – especially compared to our last stay in one of the many boutique apartment-hotels in Athens which was delightful. That said, if I harkened back to Emily and my first travels in Greece 12 years ago, it doesn't require this to be the best Novotel to be a giant step up in the world. The shower, for example, is enclosed and doesn't flood the bathroom. They offer nice bathrobes. The A/C is built-in and works (for heat too). Bottles of water are included in the room and I can order room service if I want. There's not just an elevator by four elevators. The building doesn't smell musty. There is actual WiFi in our room instead of promised WiFi. Little things.
And when compared to what I may find outside, my little room at the Novotel appears to be a comfy enclave. It's 38 degrees right now with an expected high of 47 and intermittent snow showers throughout the day. How does it snow at 46 degrees? I don't need to be a meteorologist to know that the forceful wind I experienced last night between the plane and the tarmac bus was freezing! Cool air blowing in from the water may be a saving grace in the peak of summer, but it's pretty gnarly in Spring – which by several people's accounts now is unusually cold. Anyone who knows me knows I have little love for cold and even less for snow. Moreover, without yet having gone out and experienced Athens snow, based on the city itself, it probably makes New York snow look pure. You might as well have Bette Davis eyes.
Luckily, I have few designs on Athens. If I can manage a spinach or cheese pie from a local bakery and a visit to one of the city's supposedly authentic Turkish hamams for a cleaning and massage, I'll be pretty happy. Emily and I have long appreciated hamams – which are an experience I highly recommend for anyone who hasn't been – and among other things, they are the perfect antidote for the effects of long-travel.
Otherwise, it's just waiting for the 6pm ferry. I have a late checkout, so not only is there no hurry, but I can keep warm for as long as possible.
My next "hotel" will be Blue Star 2 – the almost cruise ship sized ferry that Sennen marveled at in 2019. Much like how we've upgraded our hotel accommodation standards over the years, the same is true with ferries. I have a cabin and can have some personal space and get some sleep before the ferry pulls into Patmos at about 2:30 am. I could have approached Patmos from Rhodes or Kos via a smaller high-speed ferry – but in light of the time of year and potential weather, the giant, stable Blue Star 2 seemed like the safe, if not longer, bet.
Of course the question many will have is why am I so dismissive of Athens – one of the oldest cities in the world, steeped in history and culture? Athens may well be the Bangkok of Europe with a number of key sights every foreigner wants to see wrapped in a modern city that is hard to navigate and frankly, not that pretty. Athens – like Bangkok – takes on the role of the necessary big city of its country. Unlike Bangkok, which I enjoy, I just don't have a deep personal connection to Athens and feel like that aside from a few pockets, the Athens I have seen is neither very pretty nor inviting. Sure, there are definitely some neighborhoods with good vibes – it would be hard to imagine anywhere in Greece where the people didn't have a communal feel and make their environment as nice as possible. But Athens is not the metropolitan cities of Paris and Hong Kong, nor does it have the understated charm of Istanbul, Singapore or Hanoi. Athens' tourist value is its physical city-center with the Acropolis, surrounding museums and pedestrian-only market streets. Beyond that, it's a bit run-down and dirty yet flecked with apartments that have potted plants filling up ledges and balconies to bring a little green to an otherwise cement and stone town.
But perhaps it's not Athens' fault I'm not so interested. Maybe on another occasion, I might get out there and learn to love Athens the way I love Bangkok in spite of all of its rawness and inaccessibility. This trip isn't about exploration or celebration – at least not in an outward sense. If I were in Paris, I don't think I would want to hit the grand boulevards or the small, charming side streets the way I would normally. It's just not that time. Athens is a stop on the way to where I need to be. So don't take it personally Athens, we'll have other times that go beyond tiropita and hamams.
Nonetheless, everyday can have value and today is still, in a way, a beginning. I'll try to stay open. I'll see what's out there. I'll try not to retreat at the first snow shower. I'll wear both a sweatshirt and a jacket. But no promises.
