A Very Quick Tour of Athens

A Very Quick Tour of Athens

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Happy Halloween. I deliberately chose an orange shirt and black pants for today. I doubt that anyone in Athens noticed but this outfit made me feel a bit closer to the festivities at home.

Our day began very early this morning, even before the sun had risen. Our transport to the ferry to Athens was arranged for 6:00 am for our 7:00 am ferry. The ride to the port is about 30 minutes so we did not want to be late leaving. Promptly at 5:50 we left our room and moved our luggage to the parking area where we would be picked up. It was still dark and a cold wind was blowing. It made us wonder what the seas would be like as we travelled 13 hours on our ferry.

At 6 am on the dot, a van pulled into the parking lot. The driver helped to load our luggage and we were off to the pier. At this hour of the morning, there was very little traffic so the trip was much faster than expected. The only traffic on the roads was also heading toward to port so there was quite a line of cars, trucks and motorbikes at times.

The port is located 300 metres below the main road on the island. The road is steep with many switchbacks, some better graded and wider than others. We had come up this road when we arrived on Santorini and I said then that I would never want to drive this road, up or down. I feel the same way now. Our driver certainly knew what she was doing though and there was never a moment of doubt that we would make it to the bottom safely.

Once there, she dropped us off near the ferry and went on her way. Unfortunately, it was too early to board so we had to wait outside in the dark for about 15 minutes. No fear of missing this boat.

When we finally boarded, we were escorted to our very modest cabin and settled in for the day. As it turned out, the seas were very calm and the ride was pleasantly smooth. Jim and I spent most of the day in our cabin, snoozing or reading or watching out our window. It was amazing to see all the islands that we passed by en route to Athens. Hundreds of them!!! Some so small you might call them large rocks; others with substantial towns and permanent populations.

There are over 200 islands among the 6000 Greek islands that have permanent populations. Although this water does not ever freeze, there is a significant change in transportation options at the end of October. Summer season is over and everything related to tourism seems to grind to a halt. That means that ferries that service some of the inhabited islands cease to run. Many of the islands are not large enough or have sufficient population to have an airport so during the months from November through April, some of these islands are extremely isolated.

Something that we have noticed while travelling among the Greek Islands is the very few birds we have seen. Of course, there are pigeons and seagulls as well as many sparrows. But we have not seen any other varieties. A question worth exploring, to be sure.

We arrived in Athens after the sun had set. As we disembarked the ferry, we immediately spotted our driver holding up a sign with Jim’s name on it. A welcome sight, especially when we realized that he was the same person who had driven us from the seaport to the airport when we were en route to Rhodes. He was a very friendly and informative person and we thoroughly enjoyed the ride to our hotel.

Athens Centre Square Hotel is located in the midst of the City Market District. We could tell by the market stalls that were still open (9 pm) that we were going to have a good time exploring this area tomorrow.

We checked in and went directly to our room, to discover that we had once again been upgraded and we had an unobstructed view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. They are beautifully lit at night. It was a thrill to see them so early in our brief visit in Athens.

Our hotel is very well appointed, newly renovated, and very comfortable. And the wifi was very reliable. We were happy to be staying here.

Having not have dinner, we were disappointed that there was no food service in the hotel. But it did not take long for Jim to find a great little take-away place just steps down the street. He came back with a small Greek salad and a pork gyros to share. It was delicious and just the right amount of food.

Not much later, it was time for bed. Even though we had both slept quite a bit during our voyage, we were still tired and sleep in this comfortable bed came easily. Tomorrow will be a new day.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

How can it already be November? Time flies …

Our plan today was to have a good look around Athens. There is a substantial Hop On Hop Off bus service here with three different routes. The main route (the red route) has a stop about two blocks from our hotel so shortly after breakfast, we set out to find the stop and hop on board.

It was a bright and sunny day and we chose seats upstairs to begin our tour at Stop 15, the final stop of the tour. This stop was featuring the many food and merchandise markets that line the streets and alleys of this district. More about that later.

The bus moved on to Stop 1, Syntagma Square, one of the many squares in Athens. This one is particularly busy with many forms of public and tourist transport converging. There is a light rail system, a subway system, a bus system, 3 tourist bus systems and yellow taxis galore! Thousands of pedestrians scurried to and fro. Those sporting cameras as part of their attire were clearly tourists. The square itself is large, tree filled and inviting. The trick is to safely cross the street to get there.

Finally, our bus was filled and it was time to really begin the tour. Our next stop was an area known as Plaka which seemed to be primarily a shopping area and then we proceeded to the New Acropolis Museum. The exterior of the Museum was very striking. We chose not to hop off here since we had not yet been to the Acropolis. The joy of this tour is that we can repeat the route.

We carried on to the Acropolis and Parthenon stop and had a good look around. The depth of history represented by this area is both fascinating and deeply significant in the development of culture and government in Greece. Of course, there were hawkers with a wide range of products to sell and little tourist and refreshment shops to meet your every need.

Back on the bus, we headed toward the Temple of Zeus, the Parliament House and the Museum District. We passed by several impressive buildings, many built in the classic Greek style with pillars adorning the front. In between, we were in busy shopping areas, crowded residential areas and we passed by several embassies with their various flags identifying their homelands. The National Library came next. It was a very impressive building as was the subway stop associated with it. In digging the tunnels or the subway system, so many historical artifacts were uncovered that subway stations were developed as museums as well as places of transport. In each station, the artifacts that were uncovered in its development are now on display with some informative signage so that all who pass by may learn about the heritage of that specific area.

Our next stop was the National Archaeological Museum. Jim and I disembarked here, much in need of a coffee, and with an interest in a couple of specific exhibits in the Museum. While in Santorini, we visited the ancient village of Akrotiri which was buried with volcanic ash about 1500 BC. In the Archeological Museum are several significant artifacts from that excavation site including frescoes from buildings that had remained intact as well as pieces of pottery that would have likely been used to transport water as part of a sanitation system in place in the village. It was nice to have actually been to Akrotiri and better able to understand the exhibits here.

Back on the bus, we passed through an newer area of Athens that was constructed within the last 50 years to accommodate a quickly growing population. Most of the area was dominated by multistory apartment blocks, all rectangular in shape and solidly built so as to be earthquake resistant. Unadorned and flat-roofed, the buildings were pretty mundane compared to the older sections of the city. Nonetheless, they did what was intended, providing housing for thousands of people.

The newer areas of central Athens seem to be designed in a grid. Streets intersect at right angles and run parallel to one another. Not so in the older part of the city where streets go in every direction, intersections are at all angles, and traffic comes to a standstill while those at the front of the line work out who has the right of way. Motorbikes operate with a set of rules unto themselves and crisscross traffic wherever there is a space wide enough to slide through. Interestingly, there is remarkably little horn honking in Athens. To drive in Athens certainly requires at least eyes in the back of your head and maybe on the sides as well.

I do like the old section of Athens the best though. Wide streets assist with traffic flow while the side streets are usually so narrow they should be one way but are not. Add to that the number of parked cars on any given street and the not quite so large number of cars that are double parked. The sidewalks are cluttered with merchandise that has spilled out of the stores; sidewalk cafes are abundant; and a previous generation (likely the Italians say the Greeks) had a penchance for planting trees at the very edge of the roadways. These trees were probably quite small when planted but they are not small now. They tower over the sidewalks and foliage covers the road, not always high enough to avoid contact with trucks and busses, especially a problem if you are travelling in an open-topped bus.

It seemed so fast but a few hours had passed between boarding the bus at Kotzia Square and arriving back at the same place. Nonetheless we decided to carry on. We headed back to the Acropolis stop, this time to board a new bus which would take us on a totally different route. We headed to the Piraeus area which includes the major seaport of Athens. On the way, we passed through the area where the Athens Olympic Games took place. All the facilities are still in use including the football stadium, the basketball stadium and the beach volleyball facility. The gymnastics building has been converted to a skating rink and now holds synchronized skating exhibitions there.

The waterfront area was everything you would expect. The major sea terminal is home to multitudes of ferries, daily arrivals of cruise ships, deep sea freighters, fishing vessels and all sorts of private sailboats and yachts. Some of those boats were small but several were enormous and staffed with sailors dressed in crisp white uniforms awaiting instructions from the owners.

Beaches were numerous and all the regalia associated with beaches was present – cafés, beach shops, pubs, clubs, lounge chairs, umbrellas etc. Even in this ‘winter’ season, there were people frolicking in the water or swimming seriously for exercise.

The day had changed from sunny and warm to overcast with a chill in the air. The chill was accentuated when the bus entered a highway and increased its speed. Sitting upstairs with the open top became significantly less comfortable. Even after putting my jacket on, it was downright cold. I was very happy to arrive back at the Acropolis one more time and catch the bus that took us back to our hotel.

It had been a long but interesting day. We feel as if we have a sense of Athens and will plan how to spend our time tomorrow to more deeply get to know this city.

Back at the hotel, we relaxed in our room before heading out for dinner. We headed to the same place Jim had gone to last night for our take away dinner. This time, under the heat of a lamp, we indulged in a Greek salad and Mixed Grill for two. Every component of the food was delicious and tender. We tried but failed to eat it all. We waddled back to the hotel and it was time for bed.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

We were a bit slow to get going this morning. We had to pack and check out of our room. Happily, the hotel provides luggage storage as our ferry does not leave until this evening.

Once organized, we ventured out into the local streets to explore the many, many markets that are located in this area. We started with two different fruit and vegetable markets. Vendors calling to pedestrians to come and buy there produce. The array of produce, most grown within the area, was remarkable. Olives of all sizes and colours, oranges of all hues, persimmons, beans, cucumbers and zucchini, grapes of various colours, long straight carrots, pomegranates galore, chestnuts, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, eggs – white and brown, and tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. What colour!! What freshness!

We walked on empty-handed and crossed the street to enter the largest meat market we have ever experienced. It was eye-popping in its variety of meats and, at the same time, nose-plugging in the collective odor of all the meats. Some larger animals hung as one piece (especially pigs and sheep); bunnies were suspended from hooks with their tails and feet fur still in place; goat heads were in a bin waiting to be made into soup; large slabs of beef were cut into pieces as determined by the purchaser – wooden slabs as cutting boards and knives that were razor sharp; pork hocks for the asking; chicken parts and chicken gizzards too. Three aisles the length of city blocks were lined on both sides with meat of all kinds and hundreds of vendors. It was an amazing experience.

We left the meat market and moved on to general merchandise. Some of the merchandise was organized into small stalls that had some order to them – dishes, fabric, plastic ware, pots and pans, brooms etc. Other vendors simply displayed it in a jumble, the more stuff the better. Some of the stuff was clearly used; old musical instruments, old toys and old coins seemed to be particularly interesting; some rings and necklaces were advertised as valuable jewellery. One vendor tried to interest me in buying a ring for 25 euros. When it became clear I was not interested, the price went down …. significantly down. I could now buy the ring for one euro. I still passed up the opportunity.

We moved on from the market into a pedestrian area with some quite smart shops. Men and women were engaged in real shopping and carrying bags that reflected their success. We stopped for coffee in a sidewalk café and watched the people passing by.

Refreshed, we decided to go to another part of town altogether and hailed a taxi. Greek people are so friendly and helpful and this taxi driver was just such a person. We showed him the address of the store that I wanted to visit. Ulla Popken is a chain that only has storefronts in Europe and we discovered that there was one in Athens. In the USA, Ulla Popken markets merchandise through mail order and it is not available in Canada at all. I have had great success with Ulla Popken products and so wanted to try my luck today. The taxi driver knew that the store was in a pedestrian area and he would not be able to drive directly there. When he got as close as he could, he ensured that we had detailed directions about how to reach the store. They worked perfectly and within three minutes of leaving the taxi, we were at the doorstep of Ulla Popken.

An array of winter coats greeted me. Clearly there was a sale going on. I was interested in other things and enjoyed browsing various shirts and dresses that were on the racks. I ended up only making one small purchase but the experience was pleasant. I love Ulla Popken.

Now to meet Jim who had gone off on his own mission. I chose a seat at a tiny Indian restaurant across the lane, right beside the Mexican restaurant called Grexico! I ordered a mango lassi, ready for a change from Greek coffee. When Jim came along, he also ordered a mango lassi and we decided to have chicken biryani for lunch/dinner. It was delicious and very spicy.

Time to head back to our hotel to wait for our driver who will take us to the ferry. Again, it was easy to hail a taxi and the driver took us right back to our hotel. Our port transport driver arrived very punctually and we once again loaded our luggage and headed to the port.

This time our destination is Crete. We will be sailing overnight so we hope the seas are quiet. Tomorrow is the day we will meet our Australian friends. Eight days of good visiting and adventure lie ahead.

For now, it’s over and out.