SeaDreaming: Grecian Holiday – Part I – Athens

It clear to me that this is going to be a very lengthy report. It is also going to be unusual, because unlike a Caribbean voyage, where we place a lot of emphasis on the ship, this Grecian Odyssey is about the ports, with that in mind here I go!

We left home on a sunny spring afternoon and flew to Athens by way of Atlanta. The trip was for the most part uneventful. I say for the most part because as usual in the spring time Atlanta was struck by thunderstorms that delayed us for an hour or so, which resulted in a late arrival into Athens. The flight itself was smooth and took the usual route. We left Atlanta and flew north east over central North Carolina, Washington, New York, and Newfoundland. We then crossed the pond cruising just south of England, then over France, Monaco, just south of Rome and into Athens.

We were greeted by our driver, George, from Greek Taxi (more about this company much later). He was wonderful, helped with luggage, waited on us while we exchange some money and stretched. He gave us a nice explanation of the sites as we drove into Athens.

We stayed at the Grande Bretagne, which is located on Syntagma Square, and right across the street from the Parliament. The Grande Bretagne is large “neoclassical” structure that is pastel colored with white trim. It was built in 1842 and completely remodeled in 2003. As a point of comparison, in the US this would be like staying across the street from the capital in Washington. We arrived at the hotel round 11:30 a.m. and were able to check in and get our room immediately. While I did not take any pictures of the room, it was very nicely appointed and well maintained. The only issue, and it wasn’t really an issue, is that for the lights to function, a key card has to be placed in a special slot in the room. A great power saving feature, but we had to ask about how to get the lights to work.

Hotel Grande Bretagne Typical Room

FT rested and I went out and explored the area. My first stop was in front of Parliament at the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Evzones. The Evzones are an elite infantry unit of the Greek army. They change guards every hour in an elaborate ceremony, and on Sunday mornings they even add a band and the full complement of the guards. These men are the ones that are seen clad in the colorful pleated kilts, in Greek fustanella, with white britches and pompoms on their shoes. During the week they wear a drab brown version of the costume and on weekends the traditional colorful white version with elaborate vests. The US equivalent of this is the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.

Evzones at the Tomb of the Unknowns in front of Parliament

I walked down Ermou Street taking in the sites. I discovered a number of tiny churches hidden in little nooks. The first church that I stumbled on was the Church of Kapnikarea. This is a classic 11th century church, built in the shape of a square and topped with a dome.

Church of Kapnikarea

I then found the main cathedral of Athens, known as Mitropolis. The church is clad in scaffolds both inside and out due to earthquake damage over the past 20 years. It was built in 1842. Right next door is the beautiful Church of Agios Eleftherios, a 13th century structure that was used as the cathedral before Mitropolis. As an aside the churches are all much darker than in the US. The windows, when present are very small, and the lighting is often nothing more than candles. Many churches contain relics, making any visit a humbling experience.

The nave in Mitropolis – Notice the scaffolding that has been present both inside and out for years

Other sites that I discovered include the Library of Hadrian, which was once a cultural center. This is located just up the street from a former mosque that is now a ceramics museum. I then headed back up the hill passing through the “famous” Souvlaki Row, which is a quaint lane clogged with tables from a string of restaurants that serve the wonderful grilled meats. I then headed back to the hotel for a short rest before FT and I headed out to do more exploring.

Library of Hadrian

We left the hotel and headed to the Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. (The admission for each of the ancient sites is a few Euros, but you can buy a single ticket for 12 Euro that allows admission to all of the ancient sites, but not the New Acropolis Museum.) The Arch was built in 132 A.D. to celebrate the completion of the adjacent Temple of the Olympian Zeus. It marked the dividing line between the “ancient city” and the new “Roman” city. The Temple of Zeus was the largest in Ancient Greece and took almost 700 years to complete. It was 360 feet long and 145 feet wide. There were two rows of 20 columns on each of the long sides and three rows of eight columns along each end. The remaining columns are 56 feet tall.

Temple of the Olympian Zeus Hadrian’s Arch

We then walked to the New Acropolis Museum. This is a wonderful museum That displays dozens of ancient treasures and provides a stunning view of the Acropolis. When we left the museum we walked by Lysicrates Monument and Square. This is a marble monument with Corinthian columns that support a dome with a statue on top. The area is well shaded and very peaceful.

We wandered by the “Tower of the Winds” on our way to eat. It is an octagonal shaped domed building with carved reliefs that depict winds as winged humans who fly in.. It was originally a combination clock tower, weather vane, and planetary guide when built in the first century B. C.

Since we had not eaten FT and I headed back to Souvlaki row where we had a light snack at Thanasis. The souvlaki was very tasty and the salad that FT had was huge, with fresh local tomatoes, feta, and Greek cucumbers. (We were to soon discover that the tomatoes are wonderful throughout the entire region.) I also sampled the first of many glasses of Mythos, a wonderful smooth Greek beer. Note that I said glasses. While you are served the bottle everything comes with a glass. Portion sizes are much smaller than in the US, and the glasses are perfect. The only negative was the street peddlers who were so irritating that FT had to actually scream at one, to leave her alone.

Souvlaki Row

We then went back to the hotel for some much needed rest. That seven hour time difference can be a killer. Later for dinner we went to one of the hotel restaurants, the GB Corner. First opened in 1974, the Corner is famous for its traditional burger made from 100% fine beef. The GB Corner is the Hotel Grande Bretagne's signature restaurant, boasting a sophisticated, yet lively atmosphere. Much of the ambience stems from the Art Deco interior design and original décor details. We soon discovered that the people at the table next to us would be joining us on SDII tomorrow afternoon. I ended up having diples for dessert. These wonderful pastries are not made at all like we get in the US. (This was to be the first of numerous occasions where I discovered this phenomenon.) This was the perfect ending to a wonderful, albeit long day. We ended up crashing early because we had plans to visit the Acropolis first thing in the morning.