Athens

Yesterday we met up with Eileen and Steve who are staying in a beautiful resort about an hour away. We spent the day on a beautiful beach followed by a lovely Greek dinner al fresco and watching the sunset.

We have one more day before we board the ship and we are ready. It's still hot. I fulfilled my quest for a second bathing suit which Jerry actually found for me for ten Euros. I don't know how I only took one bathing suit but half the trip was in cold weather so !i guess I thought one would be enough.

Today .will be another day at a glorious beach so I guess we all will handle it quite well. Last night we ate grilled octopus for the first time. It was delicious as has all the food been, no matter where we have eaten. But we are walking our asses off to counteract the effect of the food. Also sweating copious amounts from the excessive heat. I am visualizing the beach as I write this. I am now on the tram headIng towards that beach. It's ironic that we hardly go to the beach at home and that's a.ll we want to do here. Maybe it's because the beache Here are so different and we are swimming in the Aegean Sea just like Aristotle did at the dawn of civilization

Maybe I am walking on the same rocks Plato did.

 

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Athens

Went out to the Plaka tonight. It was like New Years Eve. Everyone was out and about. Little children running all over the place, entertainers, stores open, restaurants crowded. Walked around for hous after dinner taking it all in. We're not in Boynton Beach anymore, Dorothy!

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Athens

Athens is under siege , my friends. A large ferry picked up a whole boat load of refugees near one of the Greek islands.and this morning dumped them at the port of Pireaus. They are swarming all over the place and it is just awful. They are pushing and shoving to get on the local trains and buses. I have no idea where they are going. They are in full desert garb and are followed by

Endless screaming children. The locals here are at their wit's end and are just throwing their hands up in frustration. Seeing this happening on the news is one thing, but being involved first-hand is another. They really are taking over the world and people had better wake up fast or buy a burka. I just can't believe what I am seeing.

I am now wondering what will happen if our ship comes across a boat load of refugees. Will they pick them up? Will they be joining me for dinner? Will they go on a shore excursion? As far as I know, it is the law of the sea to rescue anyone stranded at sea for any reason. Oh well, this could get interesting.

In the meantime, we made it through the mobs to downtown Athens where we decided to visit the main food market and it was fabulous. Fresh caught fish and slaughtered meats and freshly picked fruits and veggies, not to mention spices and nuts. It was colorful an exciting and well worth seeing. Now we are resting before the evening dinner excursion.

 

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Angina

Today we took an hour's ferry ride from Piraeus to the island of Aegina where we spent the day at a lovely beach. The water is very warm and there were no waves. We found that we had to break up the sightseeing with beach days because it is so hot.

I think two more bus loads of Chinese checked in. Tomorrow's breakfast ought to be fun. I might have to say something like haven't you ever eaten before? Or seen food?

We might have a problem here tomorrow because they picked up a boatload of migrants on one of the Greek islands and are bringing them into Athens tomorrow. It could get really nasty. Stay tuned

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Athens/Piraeus

Today was major sightseeing. We didn't go up to the top of the Acropolis because it was too hot and we have done that twice before. They still have the scaffolding up. It has been up for years. I guess they will never finish it. We did go to the Agoura and the library of someone who I forgot. It might have been Heracles. Some Ancient Greek. I really enjoyed it till the heat got to me. After a siesta we went for a lovely al fresco dinner at the marina. There was a nice sea breeze which helped. Then we decided to walk back to the hotel and of course got lost. At which point a Chinese couple who spoke no English asked us for directions and showed us a card from the hotel we are staying at. So, no Chinese, no English, no Greek, we found our way back to the hotel with the Chinese couple tagging along.

It will be an early night, before midnight that is, because we are taking a ferry to one of the islands tomorrow to get away from some of the crowds. It is crazy here. Millions of visitors from all over the world. It is rare that they will take credit cards. It's cash only in this shaky economy but it's a good rate for the dollar. So I am not finished shopping. I am just waiting till my shopping guru gets here in a few days. In the meantime, we are walking miles and sweating copious amounts while drinking gallons of water.

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Athens/Piraeus photos

These photos are from today at the Agoura and the Plaka in Athens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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