Monday, August 20, 2012

Greece


Greece…Land of sun and sea, blue skies and gorgeous weather! We arrived in Athens in the late afternoon – met by those warm breezes, blue skies, and a driver ready to take us to our hotel. Our long, winding trip to the hotel took us past quick views of ruins and temples dotting the landscape. The hotel was fine as hotels go but…the special thing about it was the rooftop dining. Jeff had requested (probably when he booked the room) a reservation for dinner that night – complete with a view of the Acropolis (the famous hill with the Parthenon on top). We had the opportunity to dine with the setting sun, watching the lights come up on the Parthenon. There was no hurry to dine, no one waiting for the seat so we relaxed with drinks and took in the ambiance.
It was interesting to also watch the city down below. We had a view of many apartments, apartments with windows and doors wide open, curtains swishing in the breezes, kids playing on the balconies. One young mother had bathed her child and was playing and tickling the baby on the balcony. Another group was having a big dinner on the roof – lots of people climbing the stairs, carrying food and such up, others sitting around talking and eating. Everything outdoors was alive and moving.
We also had a view of the Athens new Acropolis Museum. The top floor is a recreation of the Parthenon, actual size. They have placed in it replicas of the Parthenon, the statues they’ve pieced together, the murals, the various carvings. While later on we did see it in person, that first night we had the night view through windows that surround the reconstruction, giving a hazy, golden view of the Parthenon.
The next morning our driver met us bright and early to take us to the ferry. Greece has an extensive, spectacular, and cheap (especially when you consider the cost of a cruise) ferry system that allows you to travel from island to island in pretty good style.  We roamed the boat, finding wonderful views of islands, clear skies and blue waters.

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