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SeaScape Trip Report - Installment 6 Mike Lee and Mary-Louise Johnson May/June 2002 Day 19/Athens,
Greece – Mike and I are up early today to do some “power
sightseeing.” There are a few
other SeaScape folks still in Athens today so we meet Linda at the rooftop for
breakfast at 7:00 and Richard at the Parliament Building by 8:00.
We arrive just in time to see the “evjones” (Macedonian guards) do
their “marchy” changing of the guards thing.
Chris is supposed to meet us too and we plan to follow the Lonely
Planet’s walking tour of the sites of ancient Athens today.
It quickly becomes apparent that it is difficult to walk as a group and
everyone seems to have their own agenda, so we split up and just Mike, Richard
and I continue our way through the Plaka and up to the Acropolis.
It’s a cloudy, overcast morning and I can see why many complain of the
terrible smoggy atmosphere in Athens. The
air gradually clears, however, and it becomes really warm and sunny by
afternoon. We manage to take in the
Roman Agora and the Acropolis, as well as the Theatres of Herodes Atticus and
Dionysos before lunch. Back to the
Plaka for a fast food lunch of gyros and beer before we do some final souvenir
shopping and plan our strategy for taking in the National Archaelogical Museum
in the afternoon. Athens is very
busy getting ready to host the 2004 Olympics.
There are shops everywhere selling all kinds of Olympic souvenirs and a
great deal of renovation and construction going on throughout the city in
preparation for the big event. Most
people are predicting that it will be right down to the wire before everything
is complete. Traffic is chaotic and
cab drivers are known to be scam artists, so we are finding it less hassle to
travel on foot to most locations. We’re all tired but decide to press on since
there is much to see in a short period of time. Mike and I walk with Richard back to his hotel, the Royal
Olympic, to drop packages, and then head on to ours to do the same.
On the way, we walk past the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Arch of
Hadrian, as well as pass through the Zappeio and National Gardens.
The thing about Athens is that amidst all the drab concrete office
buildings and shops, there are loads of archaelogical sites that just pop up
here and there. The city is full of
surprises. Once back at our hotel
and after checking out the distance to the National Archaelogical Museum on the
map, we decide it is a good idea to take a cab.
The driver tries to charge too much for the ride as well as sell us a
whole evening’s “package” tour, but after much fussing we eventually reach
our destination at a not-too-inflated rate.
The museum is overwhelming. Luckily,
one floor is closed for renovation so we’re able to navigate the facility is a
few hours. Have never seen so many
ancient artifacts/statutes/etc. that are so incredibly old (most are hundreds
and thousands of years BC!). It’s
after 6 p.m. by the time we finish and my feet and legs are throbbing!
Is it happy hour yet?!?! After
a short-lived attempt to get a cab back to our hotel (driver tried to charge us
three times what it cost to get there!), we bit the bullet and decided to walk.
Instead of ending up back at the hotel, we somehow found ourselves back
at the Plaka and decided to search for a good dinner spot.
Suddenly, two of the Sharons from our SeaScape boat pop their heads out
of a taverna and beckon us in. Small
world – amidst the busy maze of Athens shops, restaurants, and streets we run
into a couple of familiar faces! The
five of us have a “last, last supper” before saying a final good-bye.
Both Sharons and Richard are headed for home first thing in the morning;
Mike and I still have one more day to take in the sites of Athens.
As I lay in my hotel bed back at the Astor, I can gaze out the window
over the rooftops and see the Acropolis beautifully lit up in the distance.
Have to pinch myself; seems like a dream. Day 20/Athens
and Amsterdam – Well, it’s the final day of vacation and time
to wind down and think about heading home.
But first, we have more sights to see in Athens.
Mike and I take our time getting ready before heading for breakfast on
the rooftop of our hotel. We have
to get packed up and checked out by noon, although the hotel has agreed to store
our bags until later in the day. We
don’t have a flight to Amsterdam until 8 p.m. so still have plenty of time
before catching a cab to the airport. We’ve
decided to take in the Ancient Agora today.
The Agora (market) was Athens’ meeting place in ancient times. It was the focal point of commercial, political and social
activity and is home to a number of monuments such as the Temple of Hephaestus
and the Stoa of Attalos. I’ve
checked our map and it appears we can save time getting to the Agora by
short-cutting it through the Plaka and entering on the north side rather than
near the entrance to the Acropolis which is much farther away at the south end.
We set out through the winding streets of Athens and accidentally come
across one of Athen’s most popular retail shopping areas about two blocks from
our hotel. It is a pedestrian
walkway called Ermou Street and is full of high fashion shops with more spandex,
tank tops and gaudy accessories than I’ve seen in the past three weeks.
The Greek women are very much into western fashion and tend to dress
quite provocatively, even during the day (much to Mike and Richard’s
delight!). Mike and I continue to
wander the streets, alleys, construction zones and along the metro line in
search of the elusive entrance to the Agora.
What starts out as a “short cut” soon becomes “Mary’s death
march” as the temperature gets warmer, we get thirstier, and it becomes more
and more apparent we have no idea where we are.
Fortunately, the Acropolis looms high over the city and becomes a
landmark to keep us from getting lost. After
walking completely around the outer perimeter of the Agora (which is huge), we
finally end up entering at the opposite end from where we had planned.
So much for using maps!!! Again,
I am truly amazed at how ancient these sites are and that we are walking in
places that were once frequented by people such as Socrates and St. Paul.
Mike and I finally discover the “short-cut entrance” and use it as an
exit as we leave the Agora. Immediately,
we recognize where we are and can’t figure out how we ever missed it in the
first place. Lunch for us is on the
outer edge of the Plaka at Eabbae, a more “local” restaurant (as opposed to
touristy). Service is extremely
quick as they are mostly serving Athenians on their lunch breaks, and there is
only one item to choose from (a type of grilled meat with pita bread), but it is
one of the tastiest and least expensive meals I’ve had in Athens.
Mike and I take a leisurely stroll back to our hotel, stop in a couple of
shops in the Ermou Street area, have a drink at the hotel bar and do a quick
wash up in the hotel WC before we’re finally off to the airport.
It’s rush hour, the afternoon heat is upon us, traffic is awful, and
our cab driver tries to charge us too much (again!) but we arrive at the airport
in plenty of time, get checked in for our flight and wander the airport shops
before we finally board for Amsterdam. This
is the first flight I’ve been on in a long time that has more empty seats than
full ones. We actually arrive in
Amsterdam early, but it doesn’t matter because we spend forever waiting for
our bags to arrive. Traveling
within the European community is incredibly easy now – virtually no customs
and immigration to be checked – just grab your bags and go.
Amsterdam is just an evening layover for us before catching our final
flights home to the states so we’re booked at the Dorint Hotel near Schipohl
Airport and our ground shuttle conveniently arrives moments after we claim our
luggage. After a quick 15-minute
ride we arrive at the Dorint and check in around midnight.
It’s a very nice modern property with – what else! – a great
bathroom and a huge shower/tub! I’m
actually feeling as if I’m almost home. Day 21/Athens
to Minneapolis – I get up early and prepare to catch the 8:30 a.m.
shuttle back to the airport since my flight to Minneapolis is at 11 a.m.
I say my good-byes to Mike at the hotel because his flight to Seattle
doesn’t depart until early afternoon and he will be able to sleep in and
explore the area a little before heading out.
It’s raining and everything is very green – a huge contrast to the
stark, rocky and arid portions of Turkey and Greece that we have just spent the
last two weeks in. Check-in with
the airlines is efficient and thorough. After
flying around Turkey and Greece where there was minimal security in place,
Schipohl security is extremely cautious, perhaps even more so than in the U.S.
I’ve got my business class ticket (thank goodness for FF mile
upgrades!) so know this final leg is going to be a breeze no matter how packed
the flight is. We’re on a 747 and
I get one of the upper deck seats. Gee,
I feel like I’m part of an exclusive club for the day!
Can’t believe this vacation is nearly over; seems like we just got
started. It’s been a great trip, but I’m ready to get back to my own reality. My best memories will be of all the wonderful people I’ve met, the exotic and ancient places I’ve seen and the opportunity to experience cultures much different from my own. Personally, this trip in no way resembles a Windjammer sail, but if you’re willing to spend a couple of weeks with lowered hygiene standards and without the luxuries of home, don’t mind pitching in to help sail, cook or clean, and have the ability to be flexible and accept people’s differences in some rather tight quarters, you may enjoy a SeaScape sailing vacation. The trade-offs, to me, were well worth it! Photos on Webshots: Istanbul before boarding: http://community.webshots.com/album/40676351JlBcqZ Week One from Turkey - Part 1: http://community.webshots.com/album/40678737PuYeqv Week One from Turkey - Part 2: http://community.webshots.com/album/42007934xyvvvC Week Two from Greece - Part 1: http://community.webshots.com/album/41924549DeSznv Week Two from Greece - Part 2: http://community.webshots.com/album/42007991CCbeww Athens After the Cruise: http://community.webshots.com/album/42009364CKxFbV |
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