Today dawned bright and sunny. How we are up and moving is beyond me as we both awoke around 6:00 a.m. Athens time, which is still 11:00 p.m. at home, going to bed time. We enjoyed breakfast at the Grande Bretagne Roof Garden. The restaurant provides incredible views of the Acropolis, Syntagma Square and the ancient wonders of Athens. Also clearly visible is Kalimarmaro Stadium—the first stadium to host the Olympic Games. The restaurant provides an American style breakfast buffet. Even though the views are incredible we did not dally over breakfast we wanted to be at the Acropolis when it opened at 8:00 a.m.
Views from the Grande Bretagne Roof Garden restaurant at breakfast
We left the hotel and walked down avenue Vasilissis Amalias, past the parliament, and the Arch of Hadrian to Dionysiou Areopagitou, where we headed up to the Acropolis. This route took us by the New Acropolis Museum, The Theater of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a theater which is still in use. We also passed dozens of dogs. There are dogs all over Athens, all well behaved, most with collars, and all seemingly harmless.
Athenian Dog
As we walked I heard the sounds of a typical Sunday morning church service drifting over the area. We found a small church that was broadcasting the Othoros over there loudspeakers. A little later we heard the same service emanating from another church. Both very beautiful, but both are very different. One was being sung in the traditional “Byzantine” style and the other in a more “Western” version. It was very moving as this day happened to be Pentecost.
Views on the walk up
When we reached the Acropolis ticket area, we presented our tickets and proceeded up the few switchbacks leading to the top. As you climb the hill the first thing you notice off to the right is the beautiful Odeon (Theater) of Herodes Atticus, which is a 5,000 seat amphitheater, built in approximately 161 A. D., that is still in use, for musical productions. The view is incredible.
Odeon of Herodes Astticus from different locations
As we continued up we were met by a troop of Evzones descending from atop the Acropolis. I can only assume that they had been there to raise the flag that morning. It is worth noting that they were all armed with some type of rifles.
The Evzones
We finally rounded a corner and came upon the Propylaea, or main gate to the Acropolis. It is a large U – Shaped area, with a central hallway flanked by six columns on each side. The central building of the U looks like a mini Parthenon. Once atop the Acropolis, which is really a flat slightly sloping limestone ridge approximately 7 acres in size, you are struck by the massiveness and beauty of the Parthenon.
Views of and from the Propylaea
The Parthenon speaks for itself and no description here could be complete or needed.
To the left of the Parthenon is the Erechtheion, a building that may have been even more prestigious than the Parthenon itself. It is a two story structure, with Ionic columns on both ends and stands on one of the oldest sites on the hill. On the south side of the building is the famous Porch of the Caryatids, which is a balcony that has six statues of maiden acting as columns to support the roof.
Erechtheion
At the East end of the hill flies a huge blue and white Greek flag. The view from this site is incredible, and includes the Plaka, Lykavittos Hill, and the Panathenic Stadium. The view to the south includes the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, the Arch of Hadrian, The Theater of Dionysys ( it is now in ruins), and the New Acropolis Museum. In the distance you can see the sea and the Port of Piraeus.
Views from atop the Acropolis
After spending an hour or so atop the Acropolis we continued our journey by heading down the hill. Our first stop was Mars Hill, which is also known as the Areopagus. The Apostle Paul is said to have preached to Athenians from atop this hill. We enjoyed the views, and then headed down to the Ancient Agora, entering it from the rear entrance.
Our first stop was the beautiful Church of the Holy Apostles, which was built around 1000 A.D. It is in the shape of a Greek cross (four equal arms) and topped by a dome. It has tall horseshoe shaped windows. The icon in the dome, as is traditional is the icon of Jesus as Pantocrator. The iconastion still stand but lacks any icons.
Church of the Holy Apostles
We then proceeded to explore the rest of the agora, stopping first at the Stoa of Attalos, which was an ancient version of today’s malls. It is two stories high, 381 feet long and 64 feet wide. There are numerous columns supporting the structure. It also contains the Agora Museum. After paying these sites a visit we continued wandering the site and made our way to the Temple of Hephaistos.
The Temple of Hephaistos, is one of the best preserved and most typical of all temples. It was finished around 415 B.C. There are six columns on each end and thirteen on each side. I found this temple to be even more impressive than the more famous ones because of its completeness.
The Temple of Hephaistos
As it was approaching noon we made our way back to the hotel to finish packing, checkout, and a light lunch at the Grande Bretagne Roof Garden. FT enjoyed a wonderful Mozzarella and Tomato salad. As to what I enjoyed, that shall remain a mystery as I simply do not remember. We saw a number of other couples at lunch who we would meet again shortly on board SDII.
We were picked upped by our cab at 2:00 p.m. and whisked to Piraeus. After a short 20 minute ride we were dropped off right at the SD check in desk. Check in was a bit strange in the way they do things because you have to clear security before the porters take your bags, however I digress. Who do we immediately see, but the commodore - James. He and his family had been on board and he had some work to finish up before departing. We spent a few minutes with him and his family and then it was off to the ship.
As we walked up the gangway we were greeted by Captain Johan Drynes, and some familiar faces, including Hotel Manager Peter. We were handed the “obligatory” glass of champagne and cold towel. We were then escorted to the lounge where we waited just a few minutes to be processed in. I was greeted by Zoltan with one of my favorite Hungarian martinis that he makes for me! FT noted that Chef Jose was serving caviar in the lounge. We were quickly checked in and escorted to our suite by Smylia our stewardess, who did a wonderful job for the two weeks we were on board. Our luggage quickly arrived and we unpacked.
As we have been on the yacht numerous times there was no need to explore. FT went and had a foot massage and I visited Clint at the TOY. After the mandatory safety drill I had a massage and missed sail away, which occurred promptly at 6:00 p.m. Oh well, when I looked up we were out in the Aegean and it was time to get ready for cocktails.
As FT hates to dine in the dining room she had arranged a table outside for us on Deck 4 aft (This was a nightly occurrence, though occasionally when everyone was outside we dined on deck five.). The sunset was absolutely gorgeous.
Tonight’s menu included:
Starters
Rosette of Prosciutto Ham with Melon Tricolore, Grissini and Crushed Black Pepper
Grilled Escalope of Norwegian Salmon on asparagus Salad and Egg Tartar
Sea Scallops Skewer on Thai Risotto and Chicken Galangal Soup
Soups
Cream of Celery Flavored with Nutmeg
Chilled Cucumber and Dill Soup
Pork and Noodle Soup with Red Chilli
Salads
Greek Style Salad with Feta Cheese
Hot and Tangy Prawn with Fruit Salad
World Flavor
Grilled Veal Saltimbocca with Fresh Sage
Herb Linguini and Marsala Sauce
Chef’s Main Dishes
Fresh Yellow Fin Tuna Steak on Roasted Zucchini
Mignon of Beef Tenderloin on Truffle infused Demi-glace
Supreme of Free Range Chicken on Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Dessert
Grand Marnier Soufflé
Sautéed Strawberries with Candied Black Olives and Olive Oil Ice Cream
Coconut Rice Pudding
After dinner a DVD was shown in the main salon – “Yanni – Live at the Acropolis” In addition the Piano Bar was open with Zoltan serving drinks and the TOY was open with Clint and Colin taking care of everyone’s needs. (As per Sea Dream customs the TY and the Piano Bar operate every night so I will not mention this again.) We ended up turning in early, as is our habit because every day is packed with off ship activities. When we got back to the cabin we found the usual first night treat - Sea Dream pajamas, which of course were embroidered with our names, as is the custom. Our distance to the next port, Santorini, is 134 nautical miles.
More pictures are available on my flickr page by clicking HERE
The author of this blog is not compensated by Sea Dream Yacht Club in any manner.
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