Athens, Greece September 8-11, 2019
Sunday September 8 - We arrived at Athens International airport, got through a minimal customs check, and as soon as we came out to the arrival area, Maggie Johnson was there to greet us. Maggie was a client of Blaine’s, and is now with Johnson Bixby. She works for the US State department in Athens. Maggie drove us to our Airbnb apartment in Athens. We had planned to get together with Maggie for dinner tonight, but she had just flown in yesterday from Santa Barbara, and was pretty jet lagged, so we made plans to go out on Monday evening.
Jeri and I took a stroll down the pedestrian promenade and found a restaurant to eat. There are lots of choices, and unfortunately we didn’t choose the best one. I had a lamb gyro, and it was dry and without much flavor. Jeri’s Greek salad was not as good as the ones she had in Croatia! Oh well, there are lots of other choices going forward.
Monday September 9 - We didn’t get up as early as we wanted this morning so by the time we walked to the Acropolis entrance, it was already packed with tourists. It was also warmer than Jeri wanted, so we decided to visit there tomorrow, first thing in the morning. Today was really a lost day to some extent. Blaine’s back was really acting up, so we walked to Hadrian’s Arch, and then over to National Park, which was really nice, and provided some respite from the sun. Blaine downloaded the Lime scooter app so he could use the scooters around town to alleviate some of his back pain. That really helped!!
Blaine went back to the apartment to take some Ibuprofen and rest his back, while Jeri explored more of the city center. Jeri decided to stop at a cafe to for a bite and to read her book. As she was sitting there a man asked if he could join her at the table, and she said yes. After a brief conversation where he told her he was Greek and Italian, he proceeded to invite her for some ouzo at a bar down the street. When she told him she was waiting for her husband, he told her, don’t worry, nobody will see us at the bar!! Gotta love it!! My wifes’ still got it!!
We met up with Maggie at The Zillers for dinner. It is a rooftop restaurant that overlooks the Acropolis. The Acropolis and Parthenon is lit up at night and is so beautiful. After a wonderful dinner we headed over to the Electra Hotel rooftop terrace, where we also had a fabulous view of the Acropolis and the city of Athens. We would have never found these 2 fabulous places without Maggie. Thank you Maggie!
Tuesday September 10 - We did manage to get up early this morning and Blaine went down to buy tickets to the Acropolis while Jeri finished getting ready. Blaine enjoyed a cappuccino and cream filled croissant while he waited at Sonyo cafe. Jeri got there right at 8:00 when the Acropolis opened. We walked right up, no lines and proceeded to the top. What an incredible site!! It’s fascinating to read about the history of this place. All the civilizations that have ruled and conquered. We spent about an hour and a half here, and decided to leave when the tour groups and buses started showing up.
Back to Snoyo cafe for a couple of drinks and then Blaine scoped out the subway system while Jeri headed back to the apartment to do some laundry.
After the laundry was done we headed back to the subway to catch a train to the United States Embassy to meet up with Maggie. She had offered to drive us to the Temple of Poseidon, which is about an hour from Athens. The Temple of Poseidon was built between 444 and 440 BC. In Greek mythology, Poseidon, brother of Zeus, was the God of the Sea, so it is no wonder that he was highly revered and worshiped in a country with over 13,500 kilometers of coastline. The sunset here is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in the world, and it did not disappoint. Once we returned to Athens we stopped in Maggie’s neighborhood of Kolonaki, where we had dinner at the Italian restaurant Malkon. I ordered the Lobster risotto. Check out the picture below.
Wednesday September 11 - Moving day. On to Santorini.
