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.
No comments:
Post a Comment