Greece - Day 7

On our last day in Greece, I woke up early to get some sprints in before breakfast. We enjoyed the breakfast at the Central Hotel and headed off for a short day of sightseeing before our evening flights.

Our main stop for the day was the National Archeological Museum, home to many of the artifacts from ancient Greece. I used the Rick Steves audio tour and it led me through the museum in chronological order, starting with the Neolithic era (6800 B.C.) and ending with the Roman Era (500 A.D.). In between, we saw the development of Greek art and culture over time. It was incredible to see figurines and carvings that are older than the Pyramids!

After the museum, we briefly walked through the Athens Market, a modern-day version of the Agora. There were rows of hanging animal carcasses with butchers carving and selling all the cuts. The smell didn’t hit me until we got to the fish section, at which point I had to turn around. Christina enjoyed seeing all the varieties of meats and vegetables that you can’t find in the States.

After the marker, we snacked on classic Greek doughnuts. We then headed back to the hotel to grab our bags and check out. We had lunch at a teriyaki restaurant because that is one thing that I definitely cannot get in Foggia. After some last-minute shopping in the Plaka, we headed for the airport.

The train to the airport took a little longer than expected because we had to transfer trains, but we made it with plenty of time to spare. We both checked in for our flights and headed through security. We said our goodbyes and Christina headed off for Paris while I waited for my flight to Rome.

My flights were relatively uneventful, but I ended up arriving in Bari at 11:00 (3 minutes late). While in Athens, I had gotten several calls from Hertz asking about the insurance on my rental car. I stopped by the Hertz desk in Bari and was told that my insurance had expired 13 days ago. And I couldn’t renew the insurance at that time because the central computers in Rome were down. After some negotiation, we determined that it would be easier for me to just exchange my old car for a brand new one. So I bid adieu to Mercedes A160 and traded it in for a Ford Fiesta. It definitely worked out in my favor, as the Ford drives much better and handles better than the Mercedes. After all the logistics, I didn’t leave Bari until midnight, which put me in Foggia a little after 1:00 am. From there I jumped right into my normal schedule, waking up at 6:30 to go for a run before work.

We certainly had a whirlwind adventure in Greece. It was great to see Christina for a week! We saw some amazing sights and ate incredibly delicious food. Someday I would like to go back and explore the islands of Santorini and Mykonos, but that will have to wait for another time.

Greece - Day 6

We woke up on Tuesday and I headed out for another run. This time I was expecting the hills, but that didn’t make them any easier. We followed our example from the previous day and heading into Poros Town for breakfast. I had a delicious bacon and mushroom crepe, while Christina had a decadent chocolate banana crepe. After breakfast, we wandered around town and climbed the steps up to the clock tower. From there, we took in the wonderful panoramic views of the island and surrounding terrain. Then we walked to Neirio Beach for some last-minute sunbathing (it seemed a lot closer when we had the moped!).

After the beach, we headed back to the hotel to check out. Takis gave us a ride back to town with all our stuff. The ferry back was on a Flying Cat, which turned out to me mush more stable than the Flying Dolphin. The boat was mostly empty and we found ourselves back in Piraeus about an hour later.

Back in Piraeus, we lugged our suitcases around the port, up and over the main street, and finally to the subway station. We boarded the train and headed back to Monastiraki Square. After a brief stop for a gyro, we walked back to the Central Hotel and checked in for our last night in Greece.

On the way to dinner, we went on a quest to find a painting to bring home and put in our living room. We’ve been in our house now for over a year now and the walls are still bare, so we’ve been trying to fill them with paintings from our travels. In this case, we were looking for a canvas seascape that was the right size for a specific wall. After looking through at least 5 galleries, we were starting to get dismayed. Luckily we found a gallery near Monastiraki Square that had just what we were looking for!

We ate a great dinner in the heart of the Plaka at a restaurant that specialized in small dishes. They brought out a platter of 18 different small plates, and you took whatever you wanted to eat. We ended up with beef meatballs, grilled eggplant, grape leaf rolls, and tzatziki. After dinner, we wandered the shops in the Plaka and enjoyed more gelato. Once again we found ourselves lost in the Plaka, but this time we weren’t very concerned. We knew eventually we’d make it back to the hotel, but there was no hurry.

Greece - Day 5

Monday was a day off in my training schedule, so we took the opportunity to sleep in. The weather was changing from the day before, with high clouds and wind moving overnight. After our breakfast experience the previous day, we decided to head into town to get a filling meal. We found a café and enjoyed eggs, bacon, toast, and an omelet.

After breakfast, we headed out on the moped to explore more of the island. We crossed over the crest of the hill and were bombarded by a chilling wind. We descended the northern slope of the island and arrived at Vagiona Bay. Here we again found people working to get ready for the upcoming tourist season, staining tables and painting walls. It was too windy to comfortable sit on the beach, so we took some pictures and headed back to the leeward side of the island.

After a brief stop at the hotel we headed to the sandy Neirio Beach, where we had eaten lunch the previous day. It was sheltered from the wind, so we were able to read our books. Since we were still full from breakfast, we had a light lunch of tzatziki with bread and crackers.

From the beach, we rode up to a monastery overlooking the water. Christina spent time looking through the garden and admiring the chickens while I took pictures of the view. We briefly stepped inside but they were having a service and we didn’t want to interrupt. We headed back into Poros Town and returned the moped, eventually (after calling the owner to show up and unlock the door).

For dinner we selected a restaurant further down the road than the main part of town. The owner seemed surprised to see us there, but he was excited nonetheless. He offered up all the local specialties, including fried zucchini, field greens, and of course fresh tzatziki. Christina was in the mood for fish, so the waiter took her over to a case and she selected from the fresh fish that were caught that day. I had a “beefburger” which was essentially a burger patty and French fries (very good though!). Christina found another cat to keep happy during the meal.

We then headed back to the hotel for our last night on Poros.

Greece - Day 4

Sunday is the day of my long runs on my training schedule, so I woke up and headed out for a 5-mile jog along the coast. I had mapped out the route assuming that the road along the shore would be relatively flat, but I soon discovered that this was not the case. The road stayed flat for about a mile, then rose up to a series of bluffs before descending back down to the water. Having run in Foggia for the last few months, I was not used to the hill climbs. Couple that with my stopping to check out the various beaches along the way, and I could tell there wouldn’t be any records set that day.

Back at the hotel and thoroughly famished, we headed down to what we hoped would be a filling breakfast. We were disappointed to discover that the breakfast was nothing more than toast, jam, and dry granola. We thought that maybe there was more food on the way, but this was not the case. We returned the room and I ate a couple granola bars to make up the calories.

We headed into Poros Town with a goal in mind: rent a moped. There was a place listed at the hotel, so we showed up and found the door locked. As we were turning around to leave, a nice man walked up and unlocked the door. After some discussion about my driver’s license, he agreed to rent us a moped for two days. We hopped on and whisked back to the hotel. We changed into swimsuits, packed up towels and snacks, and headed for the beach.

We rode the moped down the same road I had run down in the morning. It was a much easier journey the second time around! We pulled into the first beach, called The Love Bay. It was a small rocky beach that had shallow and crystal clear water. There was a beach club, but everything was still boarded up for the winter and all the chairs and lounges were stacked. We rolled out the towels and read our books in the lovely sunshine. Eventually it got warm enough to swim, or so we thought. I told Christina that if she went in all the way up to her shoulders, I would go in too. After a few minutes, she held up her end of the deal, so I took a flying dive into the water.

As I hit the surface, it was as if I was jumping into an arctic pond. The cold water was such a shock that it almost took my breath away. I started swimming around thinking that I would warm up, but it never happened. After about 3 minutes of swimming, we headed back into shore. So much for the new swimsuit I had gotten! I wouldn’t use it again for the rest of the trip.

Back in the warm sunlight, we dried off and decided to keep our adventures on land. As we were reading our books a man arrived at the beach with a toolbox and started hammering away, preparing for the “real” tourist season later in the year. At the same time, a very friendly dog found us and decided that we wanted to play with him. After running him around the beach several times, he was hooked and kept wanting attention. At one point, he walked up an just sat in Christina’s lap (which was a fun sight because the dog weighed about 50 pounds!). Eventually we gave up and decided to look elsewhere for our serene island atmosphere.

We took off on the moped and explored the island. Working our way up the western coast, we climbed higher and higher until we were almost 1000 feet above the water. This gave us great views of the surrounding area and the rest of the island. Near the very top of the island was the Temple of Poseidon. Actually, it was the foundation of the Temple of Poseidon. We walked around the site, but there was really not much to see. We got back on the moped and headed down the other side of the island back towards Poros Town.

We stopped at a little waterfront café for lunch, and enjoyed wonderfully fresh tzatziki and bread. Christina had fried squid for the main course, while I had chicken souvlaki. Christina befriended a cat at the restaurant and discretely snuck it bites of squid. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel.

For dinner we had take-out gyros from a different place than the previous night. While we were walking around town after dinner, we realized that Poros is mostly a destination where the Greeks go to vacation. There were very few Americans, and just a couple British and French couples. That was just as well with us, as we felt like we had most of the island to ourselves!

Greece - Day 3

Saturday was our day of transition from the hectic streets in Athens to the relaxed atmosphere of Poros Island. I woke up early and headed out for a run around Athens. Running through the National Garden and circling the Acropolis, I used the amazing scenery as an excuse to back off my typical pace. After all, this was vacation!

We ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and then walked down to the Ancient Agora. While the Acropolis was the center of government in ancient Athens, the Agora was the true heart of the city. It consisted of huge open markets, shops, and theaters. This was where the Athenians spent their time. The highlights of the site were the Stoa of Attalos, the Temple of Hephaestus, and the spectacular views of the Acropolis.

After the Agora, we headed back to the hotel to grab our bags and check out. We boarded the subway and headed to the port of Piraeus. Emerging from the train, we were vaulted into a chaotic scene rivaling the Rome train station. The difference was that instead of train platforms, we were looking at a sprawling port with massive ships and very little semblance of order. Without seeing any clear signs for our ferry, we took off walking. We eventually found what we though was the check-in counter for the ferry company and we jumped in line. After about 15 minutes, the sole ticket agent had helped a total of 3 people. We discovered that this was not only the place to check in, but also the place to buy tickets and apparently recite your entire life story. As the minutes ticked down towards our scheduled departure, we started to wonder if we’d make the boat. Finally we got our boarding passes and took of briskly for the dock.

The ride from Athens to Poros was on a Flying Dolphin, which is a high-speed hydrofoil like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The interior was cramped and there were very few seats that actually had a view of the outside. As we sat on the boat waiting to leave, the small waves in the port tossed the little boat from side to side. This was enough to make Christina a little dizzy and she was able to move to a window seat for the rest of the journey. Once underway, the boat was actually quite stable. The trip took us into the Aegean Sea, past the island of Aegina and down the western shore of Poros.

As we left the ferry, we were greeted by a couple from the Saga Hotel and they took our bags and drove us the short distance to the hotel. As we looked around downtown Poros, we knew that we would enjoy our time on the island. The harbor was lined with quaint restaurants, bakeries, and boats of every color. It was definitely off-season, so there were very few people around. Quite a different atmosphere than Athens!

We checked into the Saga Hotel and met the owners, Zefi and Takis Alexopoulos. They showed us our room, which was a large 1-bedroom apartment with a huge balcony that overlooked the water. We settled in and enjoyed the relaxing environment. The only quirk with the room was that the refrigerator wasn’t working, but Zefi quickly solved that problem by turning on a switch in the cabinet. We got the impression that the room hadn’t been used in a while.

Once we were settled in and relaxed, we set off on a walk that took us back to the main harbor and downtown. We walked along the waterfront and found a café for lunch. By this point in the trip, I was ready for a break from Greek food, so I tried to get a hamburger. Since they were out of that, I settled for a club sandwich. Christina ordered a crepe and we enjoyed the view while we waited. The food was excellent, though the crepe turned out to be more of a stuffed pancake with very thick batter.

Back at the hotel, we took a long afternoon siesta and lazed around reading our books until it was time to eat again. We were both pretty stuffed from lunch still, so we ended up with take-out gyros that we ate on a waterfront bench. After the quick meal, we explored the town a bit more. We found an absolutely wonderful bakery on one of the side streets and we enjoyed decadent chocolate brownies and cookies.

In Athens, I had realized that I forgot to pack a swimsuit for the trip. On Poros, we set out on a mission find me a suit so I could swim at the beach. After searching long and hard, we found a store that had several pairs at drastically marked-up prices. Since everything else had been so cheap up until this point in the trip, we forked over the cash and got the suit.

We eventually made it back to the hotel and settled in for a restful slumber.

Greece - Day 2

We woke up the next morning prepared for adventure. We ate a surprisingly filling breakfast at the hotel and headed towards the Acropolis. After riding the metro down to the next stop, we emerged at the base of the site. What looked amazing from a distance was absolutely breathtaking up close! With our Rick Steves Audio Tours playing on our iPods, we set off to explore the site.

As we climbed the hill towards the entrance, our first stop was at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an ancient theater that has been restored and is used for live performances every summer. From there, we climbed to the Propylaea, the official entrance to the acropolis. This was a bottleneck for all the school groups and cruise tours, so we found a somewhat quite spot to listen to Rick explain the history of the ruins.

Passing through the column-strewn entrance, we emerged at the top of the plateau and focused our attention on the Parthenon. Although the ruins themselves were striking, I was more impressed with the views of greater Athens from the top of the Acropolis. The ruins were in worse condition than I expected, with large cranes and scaffolding installed everywhere as part of a large restoration effort. The Greek temples in Paestum (Southern Italy) are more intact than the Parthenon. However, the monumental importance of theses buildings far outweighs their current condition.

After circling the Parthenon, we spent time observing the Erechtheum, along with the fantastic views from all sides of the plateau. At the end of the audio tour, we learned the reason that the buildings were in such poor shape. Back in 1687 when the Venetians laid siege to Athens, the Turkish forces that controlled the city were using the Parthenon to store gunpowder and ammunition (in hindsight, probably not the best idea). When a well-placed mortar shell exploded in the middle of the site, the Parthenon and surrounding buildings were severely damaged. If nothing else, it highlights the incredible history of wars and battles in the area.

From the Parthenon, we descended the slope of the Acropolis and stopped at the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, another ancient theater where Socrates and other scholars were known to speak. This one hadn’t been restored for modern-day performances, so the site was in poorer shape.

From there, we headed further downhill, crossing through the Arch of Hadrian before arriving at the Temple of Olympian Zeus. When fully constructed, this building was far larger than the Parthenon, consisting of 144 large columns. We circled the site and visualized what it must have looked like back at the peak of Greek civilization.

Our next stop was the historic Panathinaiko Stadium, site of some of the original Olympic Games. The stadium is quite a site, seating nearly 60,000 spectators and made completely of marble. We couldn’t figure out if tickets were required for entry, so we stayed outside and took pictures.

From the stadium we walked through the National Garden, stopping along the way to look at the ducks, chickens, and goats that were in a makeshift zoo in the middle. Our winding journey next found us on the steps of the Parliament building, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The tomb is guarded by two Evzones, and every hour they perform a traditional changing of the guards. We arrived just in time to see the spectacle and were amazed by the military precision of the show.

For lunch we had traditional meat pies that were melt-in-your mouth tasty. Christina had a chicken pie while I had one with mushroom and bacon. After lunch we were both ready for an afternoon siesta and retreated to the hotel for a break from the tours.

We spent the afternoon at the Acropolis Museum, a newly built museum that houses many of the artifacts that were removed from the site. The highlight was a room that was perfectly to scale and at the same orientation as the Parthenon. The room was built so that the sculptures and carvings were hung in the precise location where they once stood on the Acropolis.

After spending the afternoon at the museum, we headed into the historic Plaka district in search of traditional Greek food. We followed the guidebook up the “Restaurant Steps” to a restaurant at the base of the Acropolis. We enjoyed a feast of garlic bread, fried eggplant, fresh tzatziki, and herb-stuffed leg of lamb. In the spirit of trying the local flavor, I had my first (and hopefully last) experience with ouzo. The drink was about 30% alcohol and tasted like fermented black licorice. I think I’ll stick with limoncello!

After dinner, we wandered the Plaka and got lost at many points along the way. We eventually escaped and discovered we had wandered quite a way from the hotel. After the long walk back after a day of sightseeing, we had absolutely no trouble falling asleep.

Greece - Day 1

The goal was simple: meet in Athens for a week-long vacation in Greece, including a relaxing few days on the island of Poros. The logistics were much more complex. Christina’s trek started a day before mine, as she flew from Seattle to Paris on Wednesday night. Thursday morning found us both on the same continent, but still miles away from each other. Her route took her direct from Paris to Athens; mine was circuitous from Bari to Rome and then on to Athens.

My travel went smoothly, driving to Bari in the morning and catching the shuttle flight up to Rome. I’ve never seen the flight more than half full and this day was no exception. It was a beautiful day in Southern Italy and the flight provided great views of Foggia and the Gargano Peninsula as we made our way North. After a quick pizza lunch in Rome, it was on to Athens. The route took us south over Naples and the Amalfi Coast before taking a left over the Ionian Sea and across the Peloponnese. The weather stayed nice for the whole flight, and I was able to get some great views of the terrain.

Upon landing in Athens, I was thrilled to find Christina waiting for me in the baggage claim area. From worlds away, we were together again. I picked up my bag and we headed for the train. We took the subway into central Athens, and after a 45-minute ride we got off in Syntagma Square at the heart of the city. We emerged into a chaotic scene that reminded me a lot of downtown Rome. We hauled our suitcases down the narrow cobblestone streets and found the Central Hotel. We checked in and rode one of the smallest elevators I’ve ever seen to a room that was not much larger. But it was clean and offered all the amenities we needed. After dropping off our bags, we headed to the best part of the hotel: the rooftop terrace overlooking the Acropolis. We had arrived in Athens!

Our first outing was a walk to Monastiraki Square, another popular gathering place in the city. We were on a quest for some fantastic Greek food and were not disappointed by Gyro’s with shaved chicken and fresh tzatziki sauce. We could not believe that the whole take-out meal cost us a total of 4 Euros (a little over $5.50). We continued our walk through the relatively empty flea market (most of the shops had closed for the day), picking up gelato along the way. After viewing the Acropolis at night from various angles, we both crashed for some well-deserved rest.