Adraneda

1


Janellyn Adraneda
Cal State University, Northridge
Prof. Florian
ENGL114B
21 Feb 2014

Dear Eiselle and Ysabella,
Im so sorry I havent written to you guys as frequently as I had promised. I just came
back from my trip to Athens, Greece and might I say, I fell in love. Next time you two have to
come. I know youd enjoy it. I was planning on writing at least once a day but there was just so
much to do that I was exhausted by the time I got back to the hotel. I really wish you guys were
there!
Do you remember when I told you I wasnt sure about what to expect this trip? And that I
wasnt sure how I felt about going to Greece? Honestly, the moment I stepped foot off the plane,
my entire perspective turned around. Everything from the people to the weather was absolutely
perfect! It wasnt too hot to be grumpy or too cold to want to stay inside. It was literally in the
middle between heaven and paradise clear skies, bright light, and just a little bit of a breeze to
add the perfect touch. I was so speechless the time difference had almost no effect on me. From
Adraneda

2


the moment we arrived, to each moment after, Athens never failed to make me fall in love with it
over and over again.
We stayed at the Marina Hotel (which was beautiful I might add). I felt it was the best
place to stay considering it was welcoming, clean, and located at the heart of Athens so
everywhere we wanted to visit was walking distance away. I loved walking around. I loved
seeing the new environment and having the wind blow through my hair. I especially loved the
fact that I didnt have to spend extra money on transportation! Did I mention it was clean? Also,
the Athenian seaside could be reached easily so on the days or times we wanted to relax we went
there! There was so much to do. I mean, if you liked swimming there were pools, if you wanted
to gamble there were casinos, and if you just wanted to relax there were spas too. I found out that
it was recently renovated so a lot of the rooms were new! The service there was awesome. It
wasnt your usual I dont want to be here vibe you get from other hotel staffs. Their staff gave
the best vibes and made me feel like I was at home, even if home was across the world!
The day after we settled in, we made our first stop at the Acropolis Museum. It was
actually ranked second of a hundred and eighty-one places to visit in Greece, so I was especially
excited for that. When I was there, it reminded me of the time we visited the Skirball Museum. I
thought about how much we enjoyed the art and architecture at Skirball and how we were
dumbfounded each time we encountered a new work of art. The Acropolis Museum focused
solely on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. This Museum would
be your favorite, Eiselle, because I know how much you enjoy artifacts as well as you, Ysabella,
because of the breathtaking views. There are nearly 4,000 objects exhibited over an area of
14,000 square meters. If you werent interested in the historical artifacts, there was a beautiful
Adraneda

3


view that overlooked the entire property, as well as contemporary music and films that played at
specified times. There was also a restaurant at the Acropolis that was amazing! I looked it up
online and found that each review was ranked with four or five stars. Id suggest eating there if
youre craving a well-cooked meal for a decent price, and an amazing view. In other words, Id
suggest it all the time because nothing beats a delicious meal for a low price. It features foods
such as pasta, salad, and sandwiches that will leave your mouth watering for more.
Day two was pretty exciting too! We went to the Museum of Cycladic Art (ranked
number ten). This, too, is one of the great museums of Athens. It houses a notable collection of
artifacts of Cyladic art covering a history of about four millennia. There is more than 3,000
artifacts covering an era from the fourth millennium BC to the sixth century AD on display,
spread over four floors. This museum is a well put together building that is especially renowned
for its collection of marble statues from the Cyclads, and island group in the Aegean Sea.
The Erechthion was the third attraction we visited on our trip (ranked six). This is an
ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece which is dedicated
to both Athena and Poseidon. I think wed all enjoy this because we all agreed once that
Poseidon was greatest god aside from Zeus of course. Also, rather than seeing artifacts preserved
in museums, the Erechthion is the actual structure at the exact location it was first built. The
architecture had me speechless. Going here reminded me of when we visited LACMA, and how
we enjoyed the pillars in front because on the porch of the Erechthion were six Caryatids,
columns formed in female figures. I thought this was so interesting because these human shaped
columns supported the building and when they were creating this, they had the entire building at
risk if they had messed up a column. Later that day, we ate at Geros Tou Moria, a lovely dine in
Adraneda

4


restaurant with entertainment. This restaurant featured some pasta, salads, and desserts that left
you wanting more. We were also entertained with performers doing what they called the Zorba
dance which they taught the second time we went! This night was so festive; I didnt want the
night to end.
Parthenon was the next place we visited. It was a temple on the Athenian Acropolis
dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron
deity. Its actually the most important surviving building f Classical Greece and includes
decorative sculptures that are considered high points of Greek Art. The Parthenon actually
replaced an older temple of Athena because the original was destroyed in I believe the Persian
Invasion of 480 BC. Similar to that we also visited the Temple of Olympian. It is a colossal
ruined temple in the center of the Greek capital Athens that is dedicated to Zeus, king of the
Olympian gods. For lack of better words, this was intense. There was a giant statue of the god
Zeus looking down at you. To me it was both breathtaking, and frightening. The amazing detail
in such a large work is simply unbelievable.
Lastly, one of my favorites was when we went to the sidewalk caf, which is kind of like
Larchmont in LA. Its a cute little place where people hang out and eat amazing food. I feel you
would enjoy this the most simply because of its simplicity. There was always something to do
there- shopping, eating, and street entertainment, socializing, and relaxing. I loved the good vibes,
outdoors, and food especially. There is just so much to love here; I cant keep up with it. I feel
theres something to do for everyone.

Adraneda

5


Overall I think the best part of this trip was that I managed to get through everything I had
planned to do an d still have some left over cash. I thought $4,000 wouldnt be enough, but it
turns out it was way more than enough because the prices at Greece are affordable and
worthwhile. Honestly I just cant wait to go back! Ill see you soon, okay? Ill talk to you when I
get back.

P.S. I got you some clothes!
With love,

Janel Adraneda