September 16, 2012
Greece here we come! Dad and I arrived in Athens a day and a half before the official start of our Rick Steves' tour. In our travel packet from Europe Through the Backdoor we received very detailed directions to get from the airport to the Acropolis Select Hotel using the Metro. It was a quick and easy ride into the heart of Athens. The Metro station was only a block or two from our hotel. It had been a long day of traveling from Stockholm to Munich and finally Athens. We settled in and relaxed the rest of the day and went to bed early knowing tomorrow would be a busy day. |
September 17, 2012
To get an overview of Athens we booked a taxi tour of Athens and Cape Sounion. First stop our guide took us to the ancient Agora or market place. It was our first, but definitely not our last, exposure to Greek ruins. It was intriguing walking the grounds seeing the rubble and remains of ancient structures. You couldn't help but think what the Agora looked like so many centuries ago when it was a bustling public gathering place. Next stop was the Temple of Olympian Zeus where all that remains is a dozen or more massive 56-feet tall columns in what used to be the temple. A few of the columns had fallen and we could see how they had been constructed. Back in the taxi we headed to the Panathenaic "Olympic" Stadium followed by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Luckily our guide timed our visit to see the changing of the guard. A short drive through tight and winding streets we arrived at the base of Lycabettus Hill and took a funicular tram to the top for an amazing 360 degree view of Athens. There is a charming white washed church at the top of the hill. Our last stop was the Temple of Poseidon about an hour southeast of Athens. The drive was gorgeous as it followed the coast with turquoise blue and green waters. It was wonderful to have an Athenian guide to show us his city. His love and pride of his country was evident in his passion and enthusiasm as he talked about Athens and Greece. He provided candid remarks on the recent economic turmoil of Greece, politics and unemployment. It was a great way to get acquainted with Athens. In future travels I will definitely hire local guides. |
6:00 P.M. was the ‘official’ start of our Athens & the Heart of Greece tour with a meet and greet in the hotel’s conference room. It was an exciting time to finally meet our guide Colin and our tour mates. Colin had bottles of Greek wine and mezethes or hors d’oeuvres for us as we mingled and introduced ourselves to one another. Immediately I knew this was going to be a fantastic trip. Everyone was so warm and friendly. As we introduced ourselves it became apparent that my Dad and I were in the minority of people who had been on previous Rick Steves' tours. This was our first tour and most of the other travelers had been on at least one, if not two, three, five or even more, tours. Colin explained the Buddy Check system and asked each of us to select someone, other than the person we came with, to be our Buddy during our two week journey. Jennifer from Anacortes, WA was my new Buddy. She lives only an hour from me! To account for everyone Colin would do a Buddy Check when we got to a new location or on the bus. For dinner Colin led the group several blocks to the nearby Gods Restaurant for dinner. Food was served family style with a variety of fresh and delicious Greek food. I have to say I've never really had Greek food back home. Oh my what was I missing! The Greek salad made with fresh ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives and topped with a slab of Feta was like no other salad I have ever had. I had Moussaka for the first time and loved it. I have a feeling this will become my new favorite food! Conversation and laughter filled the air as we shared our first group meal together. It's going to be great to travel with this group! The restaurant was only a block from a great night view of the Acropolis which was flooded with light. What a stunning sight. Tomorrow we would visit the Acropolis. |
September 18, 2012
Today was a big day as we would visit the most visited site in all of Athens - The Acropolis. We arrived shortly before doors opened. Colin introduced us to local Athenian guide Faye who would show us around the Acropolis and its museum. Faye was passionate about sharing Greek history with us and had a great sense of humor. It was surreal to walk around the Acropolis, a place I had only seen in pictures and now I was here. We were really in Greece! Dad and I took turns taking pictures of each other standing in front of the Parthenon. |
After an hour of free time to explore the site we walked to the Museum of the Acropolis. The museum is built over a current excavation site, so outside we could watch archaeologists work on the ruins. Faye walked us through the spectacular exhibits of ancient Greece. I was awe struck seeing pieces of history thousands of years old. After the museum Colin gave us the rest of the afternoon and evening to explore Athens on our own. I convinced Dad to return to Gods Restaurant. Tonight we sat outside under an umbrella and people watched as we enjoyed another wonderful meal. |