Ancient to Modern Greece in One Day

I landed in Athens at 1am with news that our ferry to Santorini in the morning was canceled because of a strike. At the time, I thought it was a lie or a rumor because we had heard about it at the baggage claim in Athens huge new airport that was built for the Olympics just 6 years ago. We took a bus to the port of Piraeus and slept for a total of 2 hours before we left to catch our ferry to Santorini. Once we got to the port, there was a sense of anger and confusion coming from the many tourists, who according to Reuters, make up 18% of Greece’s GDP, and residents alike. The strike is in response to the bailout package to tallying 110 billion Euros for the ailing nation. To receive the package, wages had to be cut all around the nation. This is Turing Greece into a battleground against the government by means of strike and violence. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65M1R520100623). After all the confusion and anger I experienced in my first day in Greece, we rearranged our plans to see the acropolis that day, then leave for Santorini in the morning.
After the long walk up stairs, slippery rocks and paths, I was standing on some of the oldest remains left on the soil in the world. I took a metro train past souvenir shops to see it. I am still memorized to this day. The acropolis was a place used for resident refuge in case of invasion. This is the reason why all the temples and memorials were at the top of the city. The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC as a monument to the political and cultural achievements in Athens (http://www.athensguide.com/acropolis.html). When the Romans conquered Greece in the 2nd century BC, many of the sanctuaries were looted. Statues and other works of art were taken back to Rome from Olympia and Delphi for example, but the Acropolis was pretty much left alone. Today, restoration projects are taking place all over the ancient city, including the Parthenon and the Agora. The restorations have not stopped the tourists from swarming in, but the economy of Greece has as tourist dollars have stopped flowing through and flights into Athens have been cut.
It is easy to see how everything in Greece is so laid back. As learned in Geography, many of the “Mediterranean Nations” tend to be more laid back, like Spain and southern Italy. Even our ferry back into Piraeus was over 3 hours late. The crewmember told me this was “normal.” I thought about this when taking the train back into Luxembourg from Frankfurt International Airport when the train arrived at 4:30 on the dot. The two countries are totally different economically, geographically, and by climate. Although different, they both share the same currency, and are subject to declines and improvements in the economies of every nation in the zone.
The recent events in Greece, the European Union, and beyond have stretched this country as far as it can go. The ferry strike that I witnessed and was affected by not only painted an image of “laziness” and “whiners” in my head about the Greek people, but also confirmed my decision not to visit Greece when in such a horrible crisis. The acropolis, once the “center of civilization,” now overlooks a city that is crumbling internally, like the Parthenon. The ancient city that brings millions to Athens every year is a reminder of the greatness Greece had on the world. The nation today depends on the EU and the generosity from nations like Germany to survive.
There is another strike planned for tomorrow (June 29) again to respond to “pension and labor reforms” that is accepted to be worse than the one last week. The continued anger from both tourists who help the ailing economy and the residents alike only build on the reality that Greece is in trouble and will not recover anytime soon. Like the acropolis that looks down on a city overcome by poverty, unemployment and economic woes, a major renovation from the inside out will be needed to ensure the survival of the ancient lands.