That’s why, when I’ve talked about Nomad Cruises recently, almost everyone’s eyes have sparkled. Everyone sees the adventure and the beautiful moments in the journey. So far, I’ve made two posts about the Cruise (“Nomad Cruise 14 – I’m going on a cruise”, “The 14th Nomad Cruise is approaching”), but the posts on the topic are going to multiply now. You can see how many such posts there are here:

https://online-dentist.hu/en/tag/nomad-cruise-en/

So far I have written 10 posts about the cruise, and this post is only indirectly related to the trip, because on this day I actually slept on dry land. But somehow I still feel like a Nomad Cruiser.

I didn’t get up too early that day. The room I stayed in is an interesting example of an accessible, but in the long run unsuitable space. It was a basement room, the window was at knee height for people passing by on the street, and at a height that was inaccessible from inside the room. So it couldn’t be opened, and there wasn’t another one. The room had air conditioning, which at least circulated the air, because without it it would have been quite difficult to sit and exist there all day. Sitting would have been the second most difficult thing, because there was neither a chair nor a table in the room, only a well-known coffee table from IKEA. Despite all these difficult circumstances, I finished a few of my posts this morning and was finally able to post them, because there was internet.

This accommodation was two kilometers from the city center. After writing, I went for a walk into the city. I had planned for an indefinite time, I had no goal, but the idea of ​​a program nested in my brain yesterday. So I went to the Electric Mama tattoo parlor not far from my room and told the guy who opened the door to me what I wanted.

The sign on my body

Yesterday I saw this tattoo parlor and a symbol was born in me. I imagined an alpha sign on my wrist. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. So I thought it would be nice to have a reminder that I had already taken the first steps in my new life, but not to be complacent, because there are still many steps to go. These are just the first steps. So we agreed on the details of the birth of my reminder symbol. He asked if I could come tomorrow, and I told him that it was my last day in Athens. So we organized something and I got an appointment a few hours later.

I hope that in thirty years I will be able to add the beta to the alpha, indicating that I am on the path. I don’t know how long the journey is, but maybe on my last day I will call a priest who can tattoo, so that the omega can be put on my skin.

Lunch

I was supposed to spend lunch with my former roommate, but he became unreachable on Saturday, and I still haven’t heard from him on Monday. I hope he’s okay. He’s involved in a family problem, so I can only hope that’s why he disappeared from the map.

In any case, I had no reason to worry then and there about having to eat lunch alone in a big European city, because on the one hand I’m not the type to worry, and on the other hand, I’ve had one of those before, not too long ago.

The menu of the second restaurant I visited caught my eye. Obviously, the traditional moussaka was one of my choices, but I also asked for some seafood, just because of the Mediterranean presence. I was still under the influence of yesterday’s unpleasant discovery, so I skipped the beer, but not the Mojito. The Mojito on the ship was much better than here in the city. I gave it several chances until the evening to change my mind, but it didn’t work out. Here – if I remember correctly – Limoncello is used in Mojito, which to me looks like someone using a stew cube to make stew simmering over a campfire.

I was sitting alone and had already eaten – while watching a movie that had just started in Hungary – when the waitress signaled that someone was waving to me from the neighboring tables. It was the Australian psychologist woman with whom the four of us had walked the streets in Palermo. I told her to sit next to me and have lunch together. And so it was. In the meantime, we discussed with the 65-year-old lady that if I were going to go to Australia, she would help me with my immigration. Amen.

After our lunch together, we went about our business. Which, for me – and I think for her too – meant at that moment that we should just keep on wandering. I didn’t go far, because while I was eating, one of the magical ladies wrote in the common group that they would be having lunch right near me. So I went there to have a coffee with the company.

The interviews

I found the company easily, some were still eating, but most had already finished. I ordered myself a coffee and joined them. I had already talked to most of the people at the table, but if that hadn’t been the case, it wouldn’t have been a problem. Slowly, however, everyone went about their business, the three of us stayed to talk.

Suddenly, the lady who had stayed there and who I had described earlier – not by chance – as magical, after a 5-10 minute conversation suddenly said that she would do an interview with me if I didn’t mind. Such a big moment cannot be missed. Why would I have any reason to mind this? She made a small handle for the microphone she had in a matter of moments and the equipment was ready.

So in the next few minutes I had a very pleasant experience. It was exciting to answer the questions asked in an imaginative and honest way. It felt good to only give myself in the meantime. At the end, I was able to ask questions. I was interested in how the lady came up with the idea for the interview. She said she likes to interview honest and interesting people with independent thoughts. I hope to see the end result.

There was another guy there, so there were three of us at the table, a Pole, an American and a Hungarian. With the microphone in hand, the sorceress also conducted a second interview, and I watched from the background. In the end, all I could say was that it was fascinating to watch the whole thing. And how many moments like that did we have during the many days…

The lady and I walked aimlessly around the city. Well, we had a goal, or rather, we wandered aimlessly. We had good conversations and walked along streets that I knew, because I had been here in Athens twice last year, and she lived here in a relationship with someone. While wandering around, we bumped into a German guy, whom none of us had seen on the boat, but we recognized from his t-shirt. After a little chat, he joined us, and we wandered around together for another 45 minutes. This is a taste of how almost every minute of the past few days has passed.

Electric Mama

Sophie was the lady who finally made the sign on my skin. She did the preparatory work while I was still talking. We discussed the direction, location, size of the alpha sign, we brainstormed for a long time about the color, but in the end every detail was clear. The tattoo itself only took about 5 minutes. Yes, it hurt. But this pain can’t really hurt, so while the machine was buzzing, we continued talking.

I’m very happy with the end result. It’s exactly how I imagined it. I have to protect it for a few days, I hope I can fix it. The cover can be removed on Thursday. I sent the fresh picture of my wrist to my daughters. Both of them immediately wrote that it was loose and that I should tell them what it meant. I told them what this stitch symbolizes to me.

The last party

I went home, rested a bit, and wanted to take a shower, but this was not possible because of the fresh tattoo. So after a little sleep I checked my mail. There are quite a few times when I can’t sort them out all day.

I decided to have a bite to eat before going to the announced party location. I saw a company on the corner next to my apartment, about 30 meters from my window in the morning. I went in there. There was a small courtyard where a magical outdoor restaurant was set up. And the smells were so good that I immediately decided to eat here. I was alone in the whole courtyard. The owner didn’t really speak English. But I was able to tell him that there were very delicious smells in the air and that I would order what I could smell. And so it was. What I ate was probably papoutsákia. I had a cozy dinner, that’s for sure.

A lot of people came from the boat to the party. I suspect almost everyone who was still in Athens. I think we picked up where we left off. Lots of talking, lots of drinking, less dancing. In addition to the previously agreed bar, the group slowly occupied the area of ​​the neighboring bar, and in fact, a few of us used the tables of the neighboring hotel for our conversations for quite a while. In vain, digital nomads have conquered the world. Or – tonight – at least Athens.

I got home in three hours. I really missed the shower, so I did. I re-attached my body mark. I packed my things, in case I overslept in the morning. Then I quickly went to bed and slept for almost 2.5 hours.

The way home

On the last night on the ship, a Hungarian guy and I found out that we were going on the same plane. I checked in for the plane that night, so I was able to book a seat next to him. After that, it was clear that we would go to the airport together. He organized the trip. We shared the costs.

We divided our time well at the airport, because we were able to check in my luggage, we had time to eat, after the security check. However, we slept well throughout the flight in our seats next to each other. In vain, those few hours of sleep were not enough for either of us.

In Hungary

The Hungarian guy and I got off the plane together, and then everyone went about their business. I had received quite a few hugs in the past few days. This was the last one from this company.

I called the parking company to let them know that I had arrived and was ready to be taken to my car. They asked for 20 minutes of patience. I thought, I’ll have a coffee until then, I’ve somehow missed this many times in the last 10 days.

Well, in the airport cafe I immediately felt that I was where I wanted to go. There were two women working in the cafe. The following message could be read on one of them’s faces: “It’s Sunday again, I’m going to fuck this slave life to hell, this cretin wants coffee too, instead of staying at home.” I obviously didn’t have much to do with her, she just made the coffees. There was minimal communication with the other woman, I told her twice what I wanted, because it didn’t go through the first time. A lot of attention, eye contact, or a smile seemed unthinkable. Of course, you can tell why my mouth is crying, I didn’t come to a circle of friends, just to a cafe. That’s true! However, in the last 10 days it felt so good that they asked me how I was every second place. Smiling. Looking into my eyes. They were happy when I asked them back. I was given a glass of water with my Mojito, even though I didn’t ask for it. Then the bartender laughed with me, barely 12 hours ago, when I pointed to the popcorn in front of me and told him, laughing, that I would never lose weight if my head was full. Here, the greeting of Josua, the bartender from the Philippines, “Isztván!” and his wide, kind smile echo in my head…

Even if the welcome wasn’t hot, the coffee was. I’ve never understood why a 90-degree liquid needs to be put in a paper cup. It could practically kill you. I could just drink it in half an hour. That’s how long I had to wait for my ride. The young guy apologized for the delay. I told him it wasn’t a problem at all, because I wasn’t in a hurry. He was a little surprised by this – like everyone usually is. I told him why not. Then the smile-free cafe, and how I felt about the atmosphere in our country, and why I was leaving. Suddenly he got very quiet. And he told me, “Man, what you’re saying gives me chills! Everyone here really fucked up like that.” I’m sorry I have to talk about things like this at home. I would feel much better if I could tell you something like, “Imagine, Josua always gave me mojitos so kindly, but his smile couldn’t compete with the Hungarian girl I saw in the café earlier…” If that were the case, maybe I wouldn’t leave here…

I even stopped at a gas station on my way home. I bought a little melon and a bottle of water with lemon, with real plants. I wanted to taste the past few days. The girl at the counter wasn’t nice here either. At least not to the woman in front of me. She tried a little too hard with me, but she didn’t break up with me. I tried to fight my feelings so as not to be hostile to her. I thought, I brought something home with me from the long trip, so I wanted to ask her how she was. And at the same time, I didn’t want to worry that she would answer with a question like, “What the f…k have to do with her, you bastard?” But looking at his face, his expression, his movements, I lost the desire to be nice to him… He asked, “with a card?”. I haven’t been waiting for full-sentence questions for a long time, we can understand what the other person wants from the first words. The card reader was in front of his hand. If he – politely – pushed it 25 centimeters forward, or, God forbid, took it in his hand and put it in front of me, then I wouldn’t have to strain myself on my stomach on the counter to pay my bill. But he wasn’t polite. It’s okay, he definitely wanted to help, he probably thought I could use a stretch after the long drive.

After the difficult mood, I arrived home. Around 1 o’clock. I told my parents and my younger brother about my most memorable adventures, then I went to my friends’ house at 4 for an afternoon and evening of board games. On the way home, I stopped by one of my friends’. So after the two less cheerful places, I was still able to collect quite a few smiles in the afternoon and evening.

The post 101. | Nomad Cruise Days +1st and +2nd – Athens (14.06.2025 – 15.06.2025) first appeared on Digital Nomad Blog.

Official programs planned for today:

• Disembarkation
• Discover Athens, the adventure begins

Finally, it was possible to book a program for this day. I did this on 2025.05.29. The description of the program known in advance was this:

Join one of the original and most iconic walking tours of Athens! This immersive experience takes the participants straight into the heart of ancient Athens, where history and mythology come to life.

Additional Information:

• Date: June 14
• Starting times: 10:00, 18:00
• Duration: 2-3 hours
• Meeting point: In front of the bronze statue of Theseus, across the street from the Thissio Metro Station at 10:00 / 18:00 sharp.
• Price: Tips-based. Please note that this walking tour is tips-based. There is no fixed ticket price – just contribute what you feel the experience was worth at the end of the tour.

In the end, I didn’t go to this program that day. Especially since it was/is “tomorrow”. The last day didn’t start too early. I tried to wake my roommate up, but it didn’t work. The toilet broke down in the evening, so morning hunger and natural needs led me to the restaurant. I liked that I could eat as much as I wanted at every buffet meal. Many people complained that the food wasn’t the best on this ship. Well, this is where what I wrote in my post “The Gastronomic Revolution Was Left Out of Me” definitely worked to my advantage. I woke up with good feelings at every meal.

I packed my big backpack at night, around 0:45, because we had to put it out in front of the door by 1:00 to pick it up. So there wasn’t much left to pack in the morning, except my laptop. When I finished packing this, my roommate and I decided to stay on the boat until 2:00 PM. So, we stocked up on mojitos and looked for a sunbed in the shade. I slept well, had a couple of cocktails, and talked. Then we went to lunch and had our last drinks. Then we left the boat around 2:00 PM. The port exit was in a part of the city that I knew well. I had been to Athens twice last year, and the memories of that immediately came flooding back.

We took a taxi home, so we walked together for a while, and then I continued on foot. I got to the room I had rented just in time, I had received all the instructions, so I was able to get into my little apartment right away. I showered, rested a bit, and headed back to the city.

My ex-roommate and I walked around the city. Today was a big discovery. I don’t drink alcohol very often, but when I do, I usually drink beer and Jäger. I almost only drank cocktails on the ship, and mostly Mojitos. This week I drank quite a lot. But this drink didn’t bother me at all all week. We started with beer today, we also drank a few during the day, and I realized that beer is a heavy drink. This is quite a discovery at 49 years old. I mean, I have to say that beer is not the best alcoholic drink for me. I may only drink Mojitos for the rest of my life. Let’s just say, I have a hard time imagining the moment when I ask for a Mojito in any of the rarely visited pubs in Hungary…

We had dinner with the guy, and then everyone went home to rest their fatigue.

Today I felt like my feelings were overflowing. I have had so many good experiences, so much positive feedback, and confirmations these past few days that I felt like a full glass. Even with so much happiness, it is sometimes difficult to cope… I felt that way after Milan.

Today I went after an old symbol. Last year I bought a ring for a woman who ultimately did not love me enough to accept the meaning of this ring, and did not become my wife. I wore rings when I was young, even before my marriage, but I did not know the reason at the time, if there was a reason at all. Yesterday I understood the meaning of the ring. And I bought one for myself. The self-identity I have lived with, the acceptance and love of myself, deserves a symbol. I have engaged myself to my own life and I am sure that I will not be disappointed in this relationship. The ring will remind me that I love myself, even when there may be moments when I do not feel that way.

The post 100. | Nomad Cruise Day 7th – Athens (13.06.2025) first appeared on Digital Nomad Blog.