June 26:
We arrived a day early in order to get over jet lag and just in case of any delays. We are lucky and arrive in Athens without any issues. We are staying at the Hera Hotel for the next 3 nights and quickly collapse for a nap. We walk to The Plaka, a touristy area with shops and restaurants, which is only a few blocks away. We randomly pick a restaurant and enjoy the first of many Greek salads, a gyro and souvlaki. The area might be touristy, but dinning outside is a lot of fun and the area is buzzing with activity. |
June 27:
Andy and I walk to the National Gardens, the base of the Acropolis and The Plaka before meeting our tour members in the afternoon. To ensure the health of the group, all tour members are required to provide their Covid vaccination records and a negative test. There are 23 members of our tour plus our tour guide. Apostolos is Greek and has been leading tours for 17 years. He is fun, upbeat and will be an invaluable asset during our tour. We all head out for a group dinner to get to know each other. |
June 28:
Tour starts at 7:50am so that we can beat both the crowds and the heat at the Acropolis. No elevator, just stairs all the way up to the top. The Parthenon is awe inspiring and the views looking onto Athens are amazing too. Next we visit the sleek, modern Acropolis Museum. This is a world class museum that showcases the beautiful artifacts recovered from the Acropolis and is immediately ready to display the pieces that the British stole. This is a major sore spot for the Greek people. The rest of the day is ours, so we use the Rick Steves' App and complete the Athens walking tour: Tomb of the Unknown Solider, Roman Forum, Tower of the Winds and the Library of Hadrian. After an exhausting day we reward ourselves with a dinner at our hotel. They have a rooftop restaurant with a view of the Acropolis. Both the meal and view are excellent. What a fabulous day! |