Carnival in Patras!

Snow on the top of the mountain

On a Sunday morning at 6 am me and my neighbour girls: Maggie from Germany and Anais from France left to the Evangelismos metro station to meet some other Erasmus people. Then together we headed to Viktoria metro station where our meeting point was. There were around 200 Erasmus students gathering to buses to get ready for Patras which is the third biggest city in Greece. On the bus ride some people started drinking whisky and beer at 8 am. :D We stopped at Corinth Canal for 15 greek minutes so around 30 minutes and then continued our way towards Patras.

Corinth Canal

On our way we passed the famous Rio-Antirrio bridge

We arrived to Patras around 10-11 am and the buses left us a bit farther away so we started walking towards the center. When we got closer to the center we could see the carnical mood that was going on! The streets were full of people selling whistles (everybody had a whistle that they blew all the time!), wigs, costumes, funny sunglasses, serpentine, confetti and everything you can only imagine! At every corner of the building there were coffees or snack bars and already at 11 am they were all full! Me and Anais looked for a place to eat around an hour or so! 

The first meeting point for us was in front of this Magazara bar at 1 pm. Outside the bar people were finishing their costumes and drawing stuff to their faces, acting crazy and of course drinking. Then we started making our way to the main square and it was really difficult to keep everyone together but we managed to get maybe 50 people with whom we spent the most time to the same place. The parade was supposed to start at 2 pm but it started around 2.45 pm and it started with a small demonstration. There were lots of police officers to make sure nobody goes to the street were the parade walks. The parade lasted around 4 hours and it was just amazing how they had some many people walking there and particapating and all the costumes and stuff were different! (I read from the internet that there were around 30 000 people actively particapating to the parade and around 300 000 following the parade! BUT that really can't be true, can it?! 'Cause that's hell of a lot people!) So after the parade was over people started to make their way to the harbour were the burning of the floating carnival king was supposed to start at 9 pm and after that there were fireworks. At the harbour there was also a stage with some bands playing there. 

Callum at the first meeting point

The French guy who only drank raw Vodka and while being drunk told that he is gay!

Pierre

First people of the parade

On the parade there were many hidden or well, not so hidden message about the situation in Greece. Money played a big role in the parade. Also there were really open messages how much the people in Greece hate the german Angela Merkel right now..

money, money, money..

Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel

Neighbours: Anais, me and Maggie

:P

So many diffirent costumes!

After the parade ended we went to get something to eat and then to the harbour to wait for the fireworks. Time went past so slowly! People started to be really tired and not everyone were drinking any more so.. We just waited for the time to go past. Maybe 9.30 pm they light the carnival king of which we didn't see anything because there were so many people there.. The fireworks were really cool!! :) Me and Anais started walking towards our bus to ask the driver if we could come in and sleep. The driver said no. :( We were so tired and at every bar there was loud music and drunken people. Finally we found this coffee place with old greek men there watching football. We went in and stayed there for almost three hours.. I've never watched so much football before.. :D At 1 am we headed to the New Marina were our after party was. The buses left from Patras at 2.30 am and I desperately tried to get some sleep since I had promised to go for my first ice hockey practise in the morning at 7 am!! Well I didn't get almost any sleep on the bus and I got home at 6 am so I had to text Georgia that I can't come. I was so disappointed! :( I really would have wanted to go! 

Carnival King

The next morning there was supposed to be a picnic because it was a Clean Monday which meant free day from work and school! Clean Monday, in other cultures is also known as Ash Monday or Lent Monday! It symbolizes the start of The Great Lent; a 40 day period (before Easter) of fasting during which certain foods are not eaten. People cather to parks to have picnics and fly their kites! :) It started at 1.30 pm and I had my alarm set at noon but I woke up at 2 pm.. So I didn't go there. I went for a walk to the nearest park but the wheather was so terrible that there weren't any people at the park. 

27th of Feb was also the first day of my membership in the gym! So I went there and I really really would have wanted my Jillian to be there with me. I really didn't get anything done because all the equipment were so different and there were also lots of hot guys there.. :D

In the evening my flatmate Alice had sent a message through facebook to invite people to Plaka (area under the Akropolis) to a nice and cozy bar. We were maybe 12-15 people there and the bar was so nice!! We got home at 2 am. 

Today the weather was also really boring so in the morning I headed to the gym even though my legs were really hurting! After I went again to the Cosmote store because my sim card didn't work. Then I just hang home, went to stores, made food, washed laundry, cleaned and took it easy. :) I also called to my teacher to get some info about my practical training since it was supposed to start on Thursday.. Well I have to call her again on Monday and I might start it next week on Wednesday.. And what I understood that the place is not so close.. So, we'll see.