Day 25 - Athens

Another early start found us on the bus at 7.45am excited to finally be heading off to the Acropolis and other ancient monuments that I had studied so long ago back in high school. Patricia had gone over Greek Mythology and the highlights of Ancient Greece on the bus as we travelled to Athens a couple of days ago and I was surprised at how much I remembered…I guess it was my favourite subject! I was pretty chuffed to think that I would be soon standing where Pericles (not to mention Socrates and a few others) stood; or should I say Perricals (Patricia’s pronunciation).

 

Before this we had a date with the changing of the guard outside the Greek Parliament which takes place every hour on the hour. So with perfect timing, at 7.59am, we pulled up and just had time to jump off the bus to witness this extraordinary event. The soldiers were much more like dancers as they performed a series of manoeuvres that seemed to belong on a stage not a parade ground. There pom pom shoes and elaborate dress only added to the spectacle and we were all enthralled for the 5 minutes or so that it lasted.

 

So it was then back on the bus for a quick spin around downtown Athens which looked pretty much like most capital cities, department stores, offices, embassies and government buildings. The only hitch was when we went to drive down a street near the National Gardens and were turned back by a bevy of police who had closed the road – not sure what that was all about. None the less it was a great peek at the modern side of Athens before we then headed off to the Acropolis. Luckily it was not too crowded when we arrived so we were able to easily walk to the top, listen to our city guide and then enjoy some free time walking around checking out the monuments. The Parthenon is spectacular! I remember drawing those columns in my exercise book at school and labelling then Ionic and Dorian (what a bizarre thing to remember 35 years later) but I was unprepared for the absolutely amazing view of Athens you get from the vantage point of the Acropolis. You can see for miles in all directions, including out to the Aegean Sea and I actually stood there and imagined them looking out for the Persian Fleet (OK, I know I’m a dork…but I did say it was my favourite subject, didn’t I?).

 

The rest of the morning was spent visiting a few other important spots. Firstly, we saw the arena where the 1^st modern Olympic Games was held in 1896 – a site that continues to be used for outdoor concerts and some athletic events even now. So we have now seen where the Ancient Olympic Games started and also where the Modern Olympic Games started – pretty special!

 

We also visited the Theatre of Dionysus, at the foot of the Acropolis, another impressive place. It is interesting in Greece as you have the bits the Greeks did and then the modifications made by the Romans some 500 years later. In this case the Romans put a wall around the original “stage” area so it could be used as an arena of sorts, with wild animals, gladiators etc.

 

We also appreciated the free time we were allowed near the theatre and availed ourselves of some really scrummy orange juice before we sorrowfully left Athens. We have loved Athens and Greece and are so glad we made sure we included it in our itinerary. The trip back to Patras to catch the ferry to Italy takes a few hours so we stopped at the Corinth Canal for lunch at a tavern right next to the canal. It was also next to the weirdest bridge I’ve ever seen – instead of being raised to let boats through, it is submerged under the water and then rises again after the boat has passed – very strange!

 

So we were back on the ferry by 5pm ready for our 6pm sailing time. A large group of us had vowed to attend the disco which began at 11pm – Patricia asked if it could begin earlier but was told the DJ was not available until then as he worked in the self-serve restaurant so 11pm it had to be. Carly and I knew there was no way we would last that long so we went back to the cabin after dinner and had a snooze with the alarm set for 10.45pm. Can I just say at this point neither of us were really that keen to go but Patricia had insisted we all go to “have fun” so we thought we should make the effort and not look like the boring “non-partyers” that we are. So off we went and it was a pretty fun time (though Patricia and many others didn’t turn up as they had fallen asleep!) and we were glad we went. We were back in the cabin and in bed at 1.30am happy that breakfast wasn’t until 9am!