Between Parkland and Pagkrati

Jason We had most of the day to ourselves, due only to meet up in the late afternoon for a movie and a group dinner. Most of our group met at the cafe, Astro Selida, next to our class building. We had our first taste of Greek coffee, a supremely gritty (but deeper) coffee preparation that most American companies do not offer. Greek coffee (distinctive by procedure, not by the origin of the bean) showcases the ground of the bean where American coffee discards and does its best to strain as much of the coffee ground out of the product. Greek coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the cup, forming a thick, grainy sludge that becomes a thing of beauty when stirred together with the last half-ounce of liquid. The morning was off to a good start!

We separated after coffee, making our way into the Plaka District to explore. We found several interesting stores (the movie '300' is a popular subject for t-shirts in touristy stores) and restaurants. Several staff members of restaurants offered us free wine or discounts if we would eat at their restaurant; one in particular kept upping his offer as we walked by multiple times. However, we decided on a less assuming restaurant situated on a terraced staircase in the upper Plaka. We ordered prix-fixe (set price) lunches and were treated to good, classic Greek plates. The roasted lamb was supremely tender and my grilled sardines were exactly what I wanted out of a Greek lunch. The house wine was unfortunately sweet, but the salads were fine and the bread service was very good.

What is one of the major differences I've noticed insofar between Tacoma and Athens? People take a lot of pride in their food here. Fast food is rare in the area we've explored (a high traffic, heavily tourist area) and the abundance of good, affordable food is stunning. I've paid too much for a beer already, but I have not felt like any plate of food was astronomical in cost. And it's pretty good! It seems that even the mediocre restaurants take pride in one or two of their plates, and if you ask, the wait staff will point out something good. The mediocre food in Athens is still more special than some of the slap-bang casual food that we have in America. (The romanticism of a foreign country aside, there is simply a marked improvement of the quality of ingredients and the technique involved.) I'm looking forward to exploring more of the differences between the culture of the Pacific Northwest of of Athens!