【Greece】Sunset in Athens /【希臘】日落雅典

The first time I met P was right in front of the McDonald's near Syntagma Square. Yes, if you have visited Athens, you would know which McDonald's I am talking about. He messaged me on Couchsurfing when I posted a public request about visiting Athens. We didn't have a plan or destination, so we decided to just walk around Athens. 

我和希臘的P第一次見面是約在Syntagma Square前的麥當勞，就是每個去過雅典的人都知道的那一間。我們是因為沙發衝浪認識的，他在網站上看到我po要去雅典的消息寫信給我。我們沒有計畫和目的地，所以他決定帶著我四處走走。

We walked through streets and alleys, then we stopped in front of a tiny narrow door. It looked like a bakery and smelled like one, but to be precise, it was more like the back kitchen of a bakery. P bought two whole grain raisin bread rolls that were topped with sesames. He gave me one and said the shop we bought bread from doesn't have a store front. Other restaurants or coffee shops bought baked goods from them. I felt its warmness in my hands. The sweet smell of raisins was floating in the air. "The is so unfair. I know I am definitely going to miss this when I go back to Taiwan. Where can I find this? What should I do if I cannot find it?" I treasured every single bite I took. 

我們穿過大街小巷，在一個窄到不行的小門前停了下來。門內漫延出來的香氣告訴我這是個麵包店，或更精確來說，它是麵包店的廚房。P用一歐元買了兩個鑲有葡萄乾的紮實雜糧麵包，上頭有芝麻的那種。P把裝在紙袋裡的另一個給我，「他們自己沒有店面，都是出貨給別的商家的。」在手心裡溫溫熱熱的，麵團在齒與齒之間被撕裂，香味從唇間迸出，「這太過分了，我回到台灣時一定會一直想念這個味道的，我要去哪裡找這個味道呢？！」我向P哭訴著。

We kept walking for a while, and the sun is slowly going away. "What should we do next?" P asked me. "How about sunset? You know any good spot for catching one?"
我們繼續走了一陣子，太陽正慢慢地帶走天上的亮光，「那我們接下來要幹嘛呢？」P問我，「看日落好不好？你知道哪裡是看夕陽的好地點嗎？」

"We'll need to hike for that ... it will take about half an hour. Is that okay for you?" "I am pretty good at walking. I don't think it will be a problem."

「我們得爬山喔，走過去大概半小時可以嗎？」「我很能走，應該沒問題。」

View from Lycabettus Hill, Athens, Greece

Catching sunset is like a running contest with the sun and with time. "5 more minutes, 5 moreminutes ... We'll be there in 5 minutes." P said this is the only way to keep us going. We took many shortcuts up the hill and were covered in sweat entirely. Finally, we arrived Lycabettus Hill, the highest point (277m) of Athens. The whole city was in our views.
追日落就像是在跟太陽和時間賽跑一樣，5 more minutes, 5 more minutes ... 再五分鐘就到了，他說只有一直這樣說，我們才不會半途而廢。我們切了無數條陡峭捷徑，最後滿身大汗的來到277米的雅典最高點Lycabettus Hill，整個雅典市盡收眼底。

"Actually, we could have taken the cable car, but a round trip would cost us 6 euros. Hiking up would feel more rewarding anyways."
「其實有纜車可以搭啦，但要來回就要6歐了，而且這樣努力過後比較有豐收的感覺。」

"This is fine. It's okay to hike. It's well worth it." My legs were shaking, but it was one of the most memorable moments during my 3 weeks in Greece. I and P weren't talking much, and I was just trying to capture all the colors under my eyes. I still remember how I felt at the time as if all the other people there didn't exist. All the noises and voices around me were far far away. Athens, one of the most ancient cities in the world, a marvelous accomplishment since the history of humans.
「用爬的沒關係啊，很值得。」我的腿在發抖，但站在這裡的確是我來希臘三星期以來，最記憶深刻的事情之一。我和P沒有什麼交談，而我只是站在那裡，試著用雙眼抓住所有的色彩。我仍然記得當時的感覺，周圍所有的噪音及聲音都好遙遠。雅典，世界上最古老的城市之一，人類歷史上輝煌的成就。

"You aren't taking pictures nonstop like other Asian tourists ... Where's your selfie stick?" P asked.
「妳沒有像其他亞洲來的遊客一樣一直拍照耶，你的自拍棒咧？」P問我。

"I only need one picture. One picture is enough to remind me everything that happened today."
「我只要一張就夠了噢，一張，就足以讓我想起今天的一切。」

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Camera: iPhone 6