Best of Greece and 7 Day Aegean Cruise
Day Two – 12 Sept 2009
Weather: Pouring rain in the morning, cloud, sun and warm in afternoon.
Again I slept like a log.
We were up at seven and down to breakfast. The selection was average for a breakfast buffet. I got my eggs, bun and tea and was off for the included Athens tour. Because of the rain, Joanna decided to do the bus ride around the city first and hoped that the rain would let up before we hit the Acropolis. Much of what was included in the bus portion of the tour is easily accessible from the hotel, so if you see something you want to see closer, it’s likely within walking distance.
We visited the Olympic stadium, drove by the Parliament building and archaeological museum as well as the New Acropolis museum. By the time we finished the short tour, the rain had begun to let up.
The walk to the top of the Acropolis was no where as bad as some let on. The marble was very slippery when it was wet, so we had to take our time.
Even some of the older members of the group couldn’t believe how much easier it was than we expected. We stopped along the way while Joanna used the Whisper system to speak to us, describing the entrance, the Parthenon and other structures.
We were given about an hour to wander around the site on our own.
Since it was cloudy, I decided I needed to return on another day to get pictures of the Parthenon with a blue sky in the background.
There were guards throughout the location armed with whistles, so if you happened to sit or step on a precious rock, or dare you try to step over a barrier, beware of the whistle. Do it twice and I imagine Zeus will strike you down with lightning.
I took my time descending to the bus and we returned to the hotel. Since we were returning from the direction of the Acropolis parking lot, the bus couldn’t make the turn onto our street and had to make a long detour in order to enter the narrow street from the other direction. The detour took almost twenty minutes when it would have been a 30 second walk had he just stopped at the top of the street. (Though I imagined he’s required to pull up to the hotel for safety reasons).
Joanna gave us some ideas for lunch. She pointed out some cafes that were two streets down and to the right. I found a shop that sold gyros. I got a chicken gyro that also included french fries in it. It was delicious.
At 2:30 about half the group departed for the Cape Sounion optional (34 Euro or 77 Euro total when combined with the evening Greek taverna optional). The drive to the Cape took a little more than an hour and the drive was along the very scenic coastline.
The temple of Poseidon graced the top of a hill on the Cape.
It was like a mini-me of the Parthenon.
But it was a great place to get a good picture as the views from the windy hill were beautiful. We even had blue sky.
Joanna had warned us that it would be chilly at the top with the wind off the sea, but I found the breeze incredibly refreshing. Just don’t stand too close to the edge of the cliffs. A gust could do you in.
There was not much on the Cape except the one ruin and the great view. The optional was worth it if you’re caught up on your jet lag and have already seen what you wanted to see in Athens. Some people who signed up dropped it at the last moment simply because they were beat and opted to sleep instead. Others slept on the bus.
We returned by six and had an hour to get ready for the Greek Taverna dinner. The bus picked us up and drove us to Syntagma Square and from there we walked to the Taverna.
The meal was a choice of chicken or lamb with a number of interesting appetizers including fried zucchini, cheese pastry, salads and a vine wrapped something.
I had the chicken with roasted potatoes. Those who had the lamb loved it. It looked very tender. Dessert was a local specialty called baklava – a pastry with nuts that is immersed in honey. It was far too sweet and I wished I had opted for the ice cream. There was entertainment throughout the night including dancers (who would dance for us then disappear into a neighbouring taverna before returning to dance for us again).
Timesharing dancers. Loved it.
It was a good night and a great chance to get to know others on the tour. I’ve hooked up with five other women. Three retired Albertans that were traveling together, a younger Albertan traveling solo and a retired woman from Boston who was also traveling solo. We seem to have clicked very well.
The taverna was actually located close to the hotel, but instead of walking straight back, we returned to Syntagma Square and took the bus to the hotel. It was 10:30 by the time I settled into my room and I was spent. Wake-up was at six in the morning when we depart for the land portion of the tour.
Have I said how much I like the jet-lag recovery pre-day? Worth it.
Go to Day Three
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