03/23/2025
📸🧓🏼👴🏻 YSO North Macedonia / Greece Tour Journal Entry #11, featuring the father of the YSviOlas…
“Our first blustery morning in Athens, clad in layers that had sat unused in suitcases all tour, we ascended the Acropolis. As we climbed by grand ruins—including the Odeon of Herodes, with its remarkably preserved arrays of arches, and the shining Temple of Athena further up the hill—and saw the city sprawling beneath us, I was reminded of East Rock, only if East Rock were a billion times cooler. Reaching the Parthenon, we valiantly combed down wind-blown strands of hair as we admired the history around us, and, of course, posed for flicks. At the heart of a city devoted to the goddess of wisdom, I managed to learn two things: one, the Acropolis is the hill, while the Parthenon is the temple atop the hill, and two, there are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns (although I would continually misidentify them the rest of the day).
When we felt we were going to be blown straight off the Acropolis, we descended to Monastiraki Plaza, where we enjoyed a delicious souvlaki lunch and danced the traditional Sirtaki to a bouzouki. From there, we ventured into the nearby flea market, which sold everything from vintage coins to “I ❤ Athens” baby tees, and later explored the colorful Plaka neighborhood. Before dinner, we managed a speedrun of the National Gallery, which was dedicated to Greek artists—I loved this painting by Pavlos Mathiopoulous, doesn’t she look so sly?
We ended the day with a YSeniOrs dinner with Brian and Maestro Boughton, where we FEASTED on the most delicious 14-course meal. Wine and good conversation flowed, and I felt the magic of closing tour with the most amazing people. Onto our final concert in a sold-out Megaron!“
- Derek Song ‘25
