Mediterranean - Day 9 Athens, Greece

Welcome to Athens, Greece

The “Cradle of Western Civilization” and the "Birthplace of Democracy”

Today we arrived in Piraeus, Greece located about 7 miles from Athens. Piraeus is Athens’ main port, the biggest in Greece and most important in the Mediterranean. The port serves all travelers going to and from all of the surrounding islands.

Our tour today was called a “Taste of Athens” and that, it was. We departed the ship on buses for the ride into Athens. The capital city of Athens is 165 sq miles and is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a recorded history spanning some 3,000 years. It has a population of over 11,000,000 people. The population growth is a result of people relocating to the capital from the surrounding countryside due to access to jobs.

The “Taste of Athens” began with a 2 hour tour to the Acropolis, one of the great wonders of the world. The Acropolis (which served as a military fortress and a religious center) actually consists of 4 ancient buildings; the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and the Propylaca. The Acropolis was built in the 5^th century BC. We climbed the hill to the to reach the site. Many of the structures are presently undergoing restoration. It was truly an amazing experience. I won’t bore you with the millions of pictures we took as I know that after a while one ruin can look similarly like the next. If any of you have an interest in archeology or are interested in ruins I will provide more photos later.

Do you see the Acropolis perched on the top of this hill? We had to climb to the top.

More new friends from Chicago

we also saw the site of the first olympic stadium. Restored on the original spot

Modern Athens

Our next stop was to the Plaka. The Plaka is an older section of the city located on the north slope of the Acropolis. We walked the narrow cobblestone streets, had a nice lunch at a Greek restaurant where I had some Greek wine (which by the way, tastes nothing like the wines of Napa Valley). And of course…..we shopped at the many little shops and boutiques which lined the Plaka.

 Our  ship is now departing for a day at sea.We got a picture of the pilot getting onto the ship.

 I am writing today’s blog from deck 11 sipping on a  Margarita while being serenaded by today’s special guest singer.

Next stop (and sadly, our last) will be Sunday at Naples Italy, where we will tour the ruins of Pompeii.

Saturday is also another formal night. We have an early seating for dinner so that we can all go to watch the soccer match on TV, USA vs England. We have 4 Brits and 4 Americans. I have never watched a soccer game so should be fun.

For all you Mon-Fri readers, have a great weekend!!! 

I’m Just Sayin