6/5/2015 – Athens

On Friday morning we pulled into the port of Piraeus the harbor for the city of Athens. We docked just before sunrise.

The port of Piraeus, City of Athens

We had an early start to the morning as we were joining a morning excursion to the Acropolis of Athens, and the Parthenon. As we made our way on the bus to the site we could see it in the distance –

Acropolis and Parthenon

We also drove by the Stadium where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896 and where the Marathons complete. We didn’t stop so we had to take photos from the bus.

Stadium of the first modern Olympics.

We arrived at the Acropolis and climbed to the top to the Parthenon. We took lots of pictures on the way up, and of the site and from the top looking out at the city. There is a lot of scaffolding covering portions of the building as they are doing restoration but it was very impressive.

Parthenon

Parthenon showing some of the restoration.

Parthenon

Parthenon

us in front of the Parthenon

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens.

The Erechtheum, porch of the Caryatids (Porch of the Maidens)

The Erechtheum

The Propylaia

Lykavittos Hill as seen from the Acropolis.

View of Athens from the Acropolis

View of Athens from the Acropolis

Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major open-air theatre and one of the earliest preserved in Athens. It was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysus

After we came down from the Parthenon we took a brief city tour on the bus just to orient us to the different things that we could go and see while we had a few hours on our own. Here are a few pictures from the bus ride.

The Evzones, an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament building. On Sundays they wear a really neat ceremonial white outfit but we missed it.

University of Athens

University of Athens

Once we got back off of the bus Conrad had a plan that he wanted to go to Lykavittos – the highest hill in the city so that we could look down on the Parthenon and get pictures of the side that did not have scaffolding.  He wanted to see Lykavittos because he had spent a summer in Athens when he was a child and had been at the top of Lykavittos several times. In order to make it back to our bus in time we would need to take a taxi. We had been warned not to take a taxi that stopped for us but only one that we needed to flag down because some of the taxi drivers like to take advantage of the tourists. Just about then the skies opened up and they had a rare June downpour and thunderstorm. We tried to get out of the rain, eventually buying a poncho from one of the shops and waiting under the overhang of a bank. I was skeptical that we could make it to Lykavittos but Conrad really wanted to go. A taxi pulled up and offered us a ride and we declined. A greek woman came by trying to flag down a taxi and we pointed out the one that had tried to give us a ride and he wouldn’t take her. She said that he only wants to take tourists so that he can charge them more and that we should be careful. We crossed the street and in the rain all of the taxis that went by were full. Finally we flagged one down and we met Stavros our taxi driver. He was super nice. He agreed to take us up to Lakavittos and to wait for us to take some pictures and then to bring us back to the main meeting place for the busses across from Hadrian’s gate.

Stavros was a really nice guy. He pointed out lots of things along the way. He was a little bit overweight but he told us he’s really not fat he’s just too short. He also told us as we passed a hospital that his son is a young cardiologist there. He was very proud. He said that the taxi business in Athens is very difficult right now because of the economy.

We made it to Lakavittos and we were almost the only ones there because of the storm. The pictures were spectacular and I have to admit that Conrad was right to make the trip. We were afraid that we were going to run out of time so we did not stop at the American School where Conrad spent the summer.

View of the Acropolis from Lykavittos

View of the Parthenon from Lykavittos

View of the Acropolis and the city from Lykavittos[

Little chapel on top of  Lykavittos – St. Georges

After we got back down into the area where we had to meet the bus, we said goodbye to Stavros and tipped him well. We went to eat at a little restaurant in the square across from Hadrian’s gate. The sun was out by now and it was a beautiful day. We had greek salad, Gyros and Souvlaki. It was delicious. The waiters in Greece were very funny, they would talk to me the whole time and almost completely ignore Conrad. After Conrad gave our waiter a nice tip, he turned to me and said “Thank You Lady”.

Lunch spot

We were still a little bit early for the bus so we took a little stroll at the garden across the street.

Hadrian’s gate with a view of the Acropolis in the background

Hadrian’s gate with a view of the Acropolis in the background

Temple of Zeus behind the Arch of Hadrian.

We met our bus and drove back to the port to rejoin the ship. We took a few pictures on the way back and then realized that we could also see the Acropolis and Parthenon and Lykavittos from our deck on the ship.

A pretty church that we saw on the way back

View from the ship of Lykavittos to the left of the bell tower and the Parthenon to the right of the bell tower.

We have had some truly spectacular sunsets this trip but the sunset on the way out of Athens has been the best so far.

Conrad took these pictures so I may have to turn the photographer duties over to him from now on.

Sunset leaving Athens

Sunset leaving Athens

#MediteraneanCruise2015