It's hard to believe that our visit to the Acropolis wasn't the best part of the
trip (that honor goes to Herculaneum), but seeing
the ruins of ancient Greece was a very close second.
Our plan was to spend two days in downtown Athens, one day seeing the
Acropolis and one day shopping. Then we were to spend three days on
the beach at the Astir Palace.
The first days in downtown Athens were great. We walked, we ate, we shopped,
and we explored.
But when we got to the beach resort, we discovered why the most famous Greek
literary work is about a man who has a lot of trouble while traveling.
Our hotel wasn't ready.
Not our room...the whole hotel was still under construction. The staff
silently sent us to a different property at the resort, and we didn't
actually discover we were at a different hotel until we tried to
find the restaurant and discovered that
Our answer was to call our travel agent, arrange to come home early,
and to call Bank of America to contest the room charge.
If you're planning to go to the Olympics, better call to see whether
your hotel exists, yet.
|
Jacey's sleeps the day away after partying all night the last night of the cruise
|
Kelsey takes advantage on a free WiFi connection
|
While Debbie reads
|
Fuzzy's turn at the Internet
|
More gaming on the plane to Athens
|
Hydrofoil (by Debbie)
|
Landing in Athens
|
Hope that bungee cord holds
|
This vertical curve supports a pedestrian walkway in Athens
|
A runner in glass, sculpture in front of an Olypmic venue
|
Sure they gave me the roll-away bed, but I got the free bottle of wine
|
Syntagma Square and the Parliament building
|
Like much of Greece, the Square is clean, new, closed to the public and still under construction
|
Arriving at 6pm on a Saturday, McDonald's was much cheaper than room service
|
I guess not everyone was happy to see us
|
The weekly parade for the changing of the "Evzones" guard
|
The military band plays
|
Three new guards arrive
|
To relieve the three on duty
|
Heavy equipment in Athens
|
"The Party"
|
This looks like a nice restaurant
|
Kelsey waiting for breakfast
|
Our first view of the Parthenon
|
The Acropolis seen from the southwest
|
The Agora
|
Debbie braves the slippery marble rocks to view the urban area of Athens below
|
Fuzzy on the hill (by Debbie)
|
The Acropolis
|
Debbie below the Acropolis
|
The amphitheater at the Acropolis (by Dan)
|
Kelsey
|
Kelsey, Fuzzy and Dan at the Propylaea
|
The columns of the Propylaea (by Dan)
|
Kelsey surrounded by Ancient Greek splendour (by Debbie)
|
Fuzzy at the Parthenon (by Dan)
|
Dan at the Parthenon
|
Debbie and Kelsey at the Parthenon (by Dan)
|
Kelsey and the Erechtheion
|
Dan and the Erechtheion
|
Erechthion (by Dan)
|
Dan, Debbie and Kelsey at the Erechtheion
|
The Parthenon (by Debbie)
|
Karyatids
|
The Erechteion
|
Original Karyatids (by Dan)
|
Fuzzy and Dan overlook Athens
|
Debbie and the Parthenon
|
Dan shoots another photo of Athens
|
Temple of Zeus (with Herod's gate below and left)
|
Dan and Debbie in front of the Parethenon
|
244W9474
|
Fuzzy the ancient explorer and Debbie in front of the Erechtheion (by Dan)
|
The entrance to the Erechtheion (by Dan)
|
The Karyatids
|
Dan and two ancient sculptures
|
Dan rides to victory in battle
|
A fountain in mid street
|
Dan chasing pigeons in the marketplace
|
Kelsey is happy to have found a bread vendor
|
Fuzzy sips a milkshake while the girls shop for clothes
|
Mother and daughter shopping
|
A Byzantine statue in Monisteraki
|
A tiny church
|
Trying Mexican food in Greece
|
The shops of Plaka
|
Debbie watches a sleeping cat in Plaka
|
The Acropolis towers above the marketplace
|
The sculpture restoration works below the Acropolis
|
The Parthenon from the east side
|
No entry
|
Tribute to a fierce fighter
|
Herod's Gate near the Temple of Zeus
|
Waiting for the bus
|
More heavy equipment in Athens (Fuzzy's is bigger)
|
Riding to the beach (by Dan)
|
Pounding Dan into the sand
|
Dan is stuck in the sand
|
A French warship guarding the area
|