Arcadia

We had the afternoon free after a quick group meeting about our final research projects. I spent the day shopping and exploring the city with Paige. We found some really unique places to check out, local shops with handmade soaps, candies, handcrafted artwork (everything from ceramics to paintings), clothings boutiques, a fresh market area, and more! We even walked through the street vendors selling odd nik naks. This was always a site to be seen having all the sellers throwing themselves and their products in our faces.

When lunchtime drew closer, we decided to take a break and get a juice- Paige's and my favorite pick me up. We had been snacking throughout the morning, so we weren't ravished but a boost of energy was definitely needed. As we wandered up and down one of the main thoroughfares, we ended up at this place called Mokka on a popular shopping avenue. The bar was very young looking with bamboo countertops and clean lines.

I ordered an orange, pineapple, and grapefruit drink. Once we got our juices, we just sat outside for a bit to catch our breath and then were ready to go again. The juice from this place wasn’t even a contender to Albero’s but it sufficed for what it was worth...a refreshing drink. They had this machine where you would stand and place your cup under a spigot as they fed the fruit through. The drink came out foamy and thick but it didn't quite have a pulpy feel. The texture reminded me more of an icy, flakey consistency like if you’d left peas out too long and then tried to freeze them again; however, the drink didn’t taste watery.

For dinner, we ate at this local restaurant by the Acropolis museum called Arcadia. The service was superb and the waiters were so friendly and welcoming. I don't know if it was the live music that brightened the atmosphere or if the waiters just really enjoyed being flirty and entertaining. They ended up sitting at two tables close to each other and immediately starting waiting on us.

For our appetizer, we had a plate full of different traditional Greek food including: meatballs, a block of feta with tomato and cucumber slices, rice wrapped in grape leaves, olives, falafel with tzatziki, and fried zucchini.

Once dinner was served, I was so content. I had an eggplant and parmesan appetizer, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, for my main meal and it was great. This trip abroad really made me fall in love with eggplant so when I saw that as an option on the menu, I was sold.