Finally have a bit of a chance to share about our trip! It's been really busy coming back and so I decided that I'd break my sharing up into bits...So, here's Chapter One:
Tuesday 9/9/08 – Wednesday 9/10/08
10:50 a.m. – Coach Bus – Mom took us to the 13th St station and it took us to O’Hare.
1:30 pm – O’Hare – check-in very quick and helpful airline attendant was a new US citizen. I welcomed him to the USA!
3:10 – Wandering around – not much to see in the airport, Mitchell Field much more enjoyable. Walking, walking, moving walkway that really speeds a person up! Beautiful sunny clear day and plane indicated on-time. Called Jo while waiting & asked her when cavity searches had become normal security procedure? Ha-ha….Completely surrounded by people speaking different languages while waiting to board our flight to Vienna. Getting onboard our Austrian Boeing 767, we all crowded in to begin our journey. I went to our 2 seats in row 26 and was immediately surrounded by seats, people, noise & my chest suddenly felt like someone was standing on it as the panic of claustrophobia rose. I looked at Dick & he could see my distress. He said he’d take the window seat & I was grateful to oblige! We settled in…
Our seats each had monitors on the back and remote controls on the armrests that allowed viewing of movies that rotated the length of the flight. We watched the “Sex and the City” movie, and snippets of others. The choices also included an animated view of our trip & it’s progress. We were fed 2 meals, both good, and the service was excellent. Don’t know if I’ll ever get used to an airplane’s cramped space, but I was better after all were seated and I was on the aisle.
The flight to Vienna took 7 ½ hours. It was weird to take off in the sunlight and then it quickly turned night, but then within the flight it was bright daylight again and sunshine in Vienna. Not good sleeping, but the brightness helps us stay alert. Vienna International Airport was definitely a shopper’s paradise with designer stores all over! Pretty things, but too expensive for me! We wait a bit for our transfer to Athens in the airport waiting areas that aren’t well-ventilated of the designated smoking areas. I noticed that the smoke smells more fragrant, though, and doesn’t seem to bother me as much as I feared.
On to our Austrian Airbus flight to Athens. Three seats on each side & I ask Dick to take my window seat in row 27. Unfortunately, there are little children in front and back of us, so we don’t get any more rest. The flight only takes 1 hr 40 min though.
Arriving in Athens is a bit of a blur…We get the luggage & find our Fantasy Travel contact who takes us outside. Neli shows us all our vouchers neatly arranged, but seems like a lot of information all at once. She encourages us with “simple” many times. She hails a taxi for us and we’re off to Athens!
He isn’t a talkative driver, but perhaps his English isn’t good…or he’s just tired of tourists now that the season is ending! The air is warm and dry. The landscape is hilly and scrubby. Driving here is a lesson in the benefits of living in the US. Everyone seems to go wherever they like. The freeway we take is about 10 minutes worth of the drive and then the city driving starts…Oh my Lord! The roads become more and more narrow with the same number of cars jockeying for position. No accidents witnessed, but so many US traffic laws broken over & over we thought it wise to warn Steve Kelly, a Milw police officer, NEVER to come to Athens…He’d be unable to deal with the chaos! Funny thing, thought, they have a strict helmet law for scooter and motorcycle riders.
Once we get near our Athens hotel, the streets are the narrowest, with cars & motorbikes piled on the sides. No official parking rules, other than “If my vehicle fits, here I will sit.” The motorbikes have no problem zooming in & out of traffic, moving through any narrow spot especially when traffic of cars slows down.
We pull up to Hotel Herodian. It is a modern structure with 3 floors of rooms, a 4th floor with 2 outdoor Jacuzzi’s and an Olive Garden, and the 5th floor being a rooftop sanctuary with a babbling fountain and comfy lounge chairs.
Our trip up the elevator caused me some angst since it was the size of a closet, but it got was exhausted, dirty travelers up to our room. Our room was smaller than the usual US hotel room but the modern fixtures were clean and adequate. Quickly showering, we needed a 2 hour nap. We hadn’t had more than a total of 3 hours sleep in the last 24 hours.
When waking, we ventured out. It was remarkable to go out, choose a direction, and not know what we’d find. We came upon a side road 2 blocks up and walked another 2 blocks to find some stairs among the trees and bushes. Amazingly, we came upon a side entrance to the Acropolis as it loomed above us! Our hotel was less than ½ mile from it. We didn’t go in, knowing we had paid for a guided tour the next day. On our way back to the hotel, we both were hungry. A rooftop restaurant was just up from the hotel so we climbed the precarious metal stairs. The rooftop had a bar and 9 tables for dining surrounded by potted plants. Since all the buildings around are all about 3-4 stories high, without yards, the rooftop gardens are common & so relaxing. Our server, a busy Greek man, pleasantly served us & all the other tables by himself. We put in our order for an appetizer of hot feta cheese topped by tomatoes & served with pitas. Then we ordered a gyro sandwich for Dick that turned out to be chicken and not the expected lamb/pork mixture of a US gyro. The server gave us some explanation later, but we couldn’t fully understand him and the food was tasty anyway! He had brought us a small bowl of dark olives & a thick crusty bread that had been spread with oil and seasoned prior to broiling it brown. The delicious olives were soft and melted around the pit. The bread was fragrant. Also, a big bottle of water was served. Ironically, we were then charged for the bread, olives and water, even though we hadn’t ordered any of it! They were good though. My meal was a perfectly cooked chicken shishkabob. I accompanied it with my first ouzo, served over ice, milky white in the glass. It was delicious! Our waiter also brought shots of a strong liquer that I later found out was called “raki” and he said, “to help the stomach”. It was a lovely, complete meal and had a nice culinary adventure.
Back to the hotel, with only CNN & the BBC news stations being English-speaking, we fell asleep.
Thursday – 9/11/08
We got up and ate a full continental breakfast in the hotel, really good selection of hot & cold foods. Then, we went to the lobby to wait for our tour guides to pick us up for our scheduled ½ day Athens tour. Soon, a GO Tour rep collected us and a few others as we boarded a bus made by Mercedes Benz! Our expert driver took off & expertly navigated the narrow streets to pick up other customers at their hotels. We then picked up our guide at the GO office and off we went.
Our guide gave us repetitive rundowns on sites as we drove by, and that repletion helped to solidify the information. Our first stop was the new age Olympic Stadium which holds 60,000 people, but only has 3 stalls of ladies toilets! BTW, the toilets here are labeled “WC” for the European known word “watercloset”. The stop was very quick and the WC time took up a lot of that allotted time, but we managed to snap a few pictures.
Next stop was the Temple of Olympian Zeus. There were just a few columns standing of the original 120 or so…Then, back on the bus to the Acropolis. On our way, we passed the Syntagma Square, AKA Constitution Square that also held the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guarded by 2 men in traditional Greek garb. In spite of the guide’s repetitive information, we are still having trouble remembering specific names of sites. Other groups are guided along and we are instructed to follow her raised water bottle at sites to stick together through the throngs of people…
As we entered the Acropolis, I pointedly thanked my recent workouts with my trainer Laura. She had been working with me on stabilizing my balance and all these paths to the sites were so uneven and hilly! One really needed good stable shoes and a keen eye on the paths at all times.
Soon we were to the Propylaia, the gateway to the Acropolis. There was restoration construction being done in both the Temple of Athena Nike and the Temple of Diana. Nike means victory, BTW. After the tour guide’s explanations of the surroundings, we were left to explore. We chose to go on our own since our hotel was so close and we could stay on the grounds all day.
We climbed up to the Erechtheion where a plateau allowed viewing all around the elevated area. The wind was cooling and constant, although dust bits would occasionally get in one’s eyes & mouth. All around, the city of Athens could be seen & we found familiar sites that we had just visited. So many people touring & so many languages being spoken! On our way down, we had been directed where to find the site of Paul’s speech to the Greeks in Acts 17. The Areopagus was up some steep and slippery steps that we managed to treacherously navigate. At the top, the hill was made of rocks that stuck out of the ground. I noticed that during our tour, the guide specifically stated dates with “B.C. – Before Christ”. Not once did she simply use the initials “BC”. It was wonderful to hear Jesus so clearly legitimized in this public place.
We ended up hungry & thirsty, so we started walking down to the road at the base of the Acropolis. We found water vending machines, not very cold, but thirst quenching. Still hungry, we walked to the base of the Acropolis where we had seen vendors day before. On the way, we spied an old man dressed in the traditional Greek garb sitting on a bench in the shade of the trees. He indicated I could take his picture of 1 Euro (1 Eu = 1.47 USD). I sat first and then he let Dick sit with him for no extra charge! Ha-ha…After leaving him, we found a food vendor and enjoyed a hotdog that was encased in a dough similar to a longjohn, but not as sweet. We got strawberry slushies to go with them that really refreshed us. When finished, we decided to find the Theater of Dionysius, since our tickets were good for many different sites. We wandered down the road, past the National Archaeological Museum that holds many of Greece’s treasures. Unfortunately, it is closed to build a new museum and wouldn’t be finished until next year! We found the theater & went in. There were exhibits of statues that had been excavated. Up a trail, we came upon the theater. There were rows upon rows of rock benches & some special chairs also of rock. The back of the “stage” area had representative statues of comedy, drama, etc. We saw some seats with holes in them & wondered what their purpose was? After being out and about in the sun, we decided to head back to the hotel.
As we came down, we found the famous Plaka that is the area of shops and restaurants in Athens. A few souvenirs were purchased and we enjoyed some gelato along the way. A shop on the way back to the hotel had a couple of pairs of earrings we got for Joanna, Noel and I. Returning to the hotel, we ventured up to the roof to check out the Jacuzzi’s to soak our aching, tired legs and feet. We found out, though, that 15 minutes cost 5 Euros! We paid it and relaxed our sore limbs. Back to the room, we called for a 4:45 am wakeup call to prepare for our transfer to Mykonos the next day.
10:50 a.m. – Coach Bus – Mom took us to the 13th St station and it took us to O’Hare.
1:30 pm – O’Hare – check-in very quick and helpful airline attendant was a new US citizen. I welcomed him to the USA!
3:10 – Wandering around – not much to see in the airport, Mitchell Field much more enjoyable. Walking, walking, moving walkway that really speeds a person up! Beautiful sunny clear day and plane indicated on-time. Called Jo while waiting & asked her when cavity searches had become normal security procedure? Ha-ha….Completely surrounded by people speaking different languages while waiting to board our flight to Vienna. Getting onboard our Austrian Boeing 767, we all crowded in to begin our journey. I went to our 2 seats in row 26 and was immediately surrounded by seats, people, noise & my chest suddenly felt like someone was standing on it as the panic of claustrophobia rose. I looked at Dick & he could see my distress. He said he’d take the window seat & I was grateful to oblige! We settled in…
Our seats each had monitors on the back and remote controls on the armrests that allowed viewing of movies that rotated the length of the flight. We watched the “Sex and the City” movie, and snippets of others. The choices also included an animated view of our trip & it’s progress. We were fed 2 meals, both good, and the service was excellent. Don’t know if I’ll ever get used to an airplane’s cramped space, but I was better after all were seated and I was on the aisle.
The flight to Vienna took 7 ½ hours. It was weird to take off in the sunlight and then it quickly turned night, but then within the flight it was bright daylight again and sunshine in Vienna. Not good sleeping, but the brightness helps us stay alert. Vienna International Airport was definitely a shopper’s paradise with designer stores all over! Pretty things, but too expensive for me! We wait a bit for our transfer to Athens in the airport waiting areas that aren’t well-ventilated of the designated smoking areas. I noticed that the smoke smells more fragrant, though, and doesn’t seem to bother me as much as I feared.
On to our Austrian Airbus flight to Athens. Three seats on each side & I ask Dick to take my window seat in row 27. Unfortunately, there are little children in front and back of us, so we don’t get any more rest. The flight only takes 1 hr 40 min though.
Arriving in Athens is a bit of a blur…We get the luggage & find our Fantasy Travel contact who takes us outside. Neli shows us all our vouchers neatly arranged, but seems like a lot of information all at once. She encourages us with “simple” many times. She hails a taxi for us and we’re off to Athens!
He isn’t a talkative driver, but perhaps his English isn’t good…or he’s just tired of tourists now that the season is ending! The air is warm and dry. The landscape is hilly and scrubby. Driving here is a lesson in the benefits of living in the US. Everyone seems to go wherever they like. The freeway we take is about 10 minutes worth of the drive and then the city driving starts…Oh my Lord! The roads become more and more narrow with the same number of cars jockeying for position. No accidents witnessed, but so many US traffic laws broken over & over we thought it wise to warn Steve Kelly, a Milw police officer, NEVER to come to Athens…He’d be unable to deal with the chaos! Funny thing, thought, they have a strict helmet law for scooter and motorcycle riders.
Once we get near our Athens hotel, the streets are the narrowest, with cars & motorbikes piled on the sides. No official parking rules, other than “If my vehicle fits, here I will sit.” The motorbikes have no problem zooming in & out of traffic, moving through any narrow spot especially when traffic of cars slows down.
We pull up to Hotel Herodian. It is a modern structure with 3 floors of rooms, a 4th floor with 2 outdoor Jacuzzi’s and an Olive Garden, and the 5th floor being a rooftop sanctuary with a babbling fountain and comfy lounge chairs.
Our trip up the elevator caused me some angst since it was the size of a closet, but it got was exhausted, dirty travelers up to our room. Our room was smaller than the usual US hotel room but the modern fixtures were clean and adequate. Quickly showering, we needed a 2 hour nap. We hadn’t had more than a total of 3 hours sleep in the last 24 hours.
When waking, we ventured out. It was remarkable to go out, choose a direction, and not know what we’d find. We came upon a side road 2 blocks up and walked another 2 blocks to find some stairs among the trees and bushes. Amazingly, we came upon a side entrance to the Acropolis as it loomed above us! Our hotel was less than ½ mile from it. We didn’t go in, knowing we had paid for a guided tour the next day. On our way back to the hotel, we both were hungry. A rooftop restaurant was just up from the hotel so we climbed the precarious metal stairs. The rooftop had a bar and 9 tables for dining surrounded by potted plants. Since all the buildings around are all about 3-4 stories high, without yards, the rooftop gardens are common & so relaxing. Our server, a busy Greek man, pleasantly served us & all the other tables by himself. We put in our order for an appetizer of hot feta cheese topped by tomatoes & served with pitas. Then we ordered a gyro sandwich for Dick that turned out to be chicken and not the expected lamb/pork mixture of a US gyro. The server gave us some explanation later, but we couldn’t fully understand him and the food was tasty anyway! He had brought us a small bowl of dark olives & a thick crusty bread that had been spread with oil and seasoned prior to broiling it brown. The delicious olives were soft and melted around the pit. The bread was fragrant. Also, a big bottle of water was served. Ironically, we were then charged for the bread, olives and water, even though we hadn’t ordered any of it! They were good though. My meal was a perfectly cooked chicken shishkabob. I accompanied it with my first ouzo, served over ice, milky white in the glass. It was delicious! Our waiter also brought shots of a strong liquer that I later found out was called “raki” and he said, “to help the stomach”. It was a lovely, complete meal and had a nice culinary adventure.
Back to the hotel, with only CNN & the BBC news stations being English-speaking, we fell asleep.
Thursday – 9/11/08
We got up and ate a full continental breakfast in the hotel, really good selection of hot & cold foods. Then, we went to the lobby to wait for our tour guides to pick us up for our scheduled ½ day Athens tour. Soon, a GO Tour rep collected us and a few others as we boarded a bus made by Mercedes Benz! Our expert driver took off & expertly navigated the narrow streets to pick up other customers at their hotels. We then picked up our guide at the GO office and off we went.
Our guide gave us repetitive rundowns on sites as we drove by, and that repletion helped to solidify the information. Our first stop was the new age Olympic Stadium which holds 60,000 people, but only has 3 stalls of ladies toilets! BTW, the toilets here are labeled “WC” for the European known word “watercloset”. The stop was very quick and the WC time took up a lot of that allotted time, but we managed to snap a few pictures.
Next stop was the Temple of Olympian Zeus. There were just a few columns standing of the original 120 or so…Then, back on the bus to the Acropolis. On our way, we passed the Syntagma Square, AKA Constitution Square that also held the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guarded by 2 men in traditional Greek garb. In spite of the guide’s repetitive information, we are still having trouble remembering specific names of sites. Other groups are guided along and we are instructed to follow her raised water bottle at sites to stick together through the throngs of people…
As we entered the Acropolis, I pointedly thanked my recent workouts with my trainer Laura. She had been working with me on stabilizing my balance and all these paths to the sites were so uneven and hilly! One really needed good stable shoes and a keen eye on the paths at all times.
Soon we were to the Propylaia, the gateway to the Acropolis. There was restoration construction being done in both the Temple of Athena Nike and the Temple of Diana. Nike means victory, BTW. After the tour guide’s explanations of the surroundings, we were left to explore. We chose to go on our own since our hotel was so close and we could stay on the grounds all day.
We climbed up to the Erechtheion where a plateau allowed viewing all around the elevated area. The wind was cooling and constant, although dust bits would occasionally get in one’s eyes & mouth. All around, the city of Athens could be seen & we found familiar sites that we had just visited. So many people touring & so many languages being spoken! On our way down, we had been directed where to find the site of Paul’s speech to the Greeks in Acts 17. The Areopagus was up some steep and slippery steps that we managed to treacherously navigate. At the top, the hill was made of rocks that stuck out of the ground. I noticed that during our tour, the guide specifically stated dates with “B.C. – Before Christ”. Not once did she simply use the initials “BC”. It was wonderful to hear Jesus so clearly legitimized in this public place.
We ended up hungry & thirsty, so we started walking down to the road at the base of the Acropolis. We found water vending machines, not very cold, but thirst quenching. Still hungry, we walked to the base of the Acropolis where we had seen vendors day before. On the way, we spied an old man dressed in the traditional Greek garb sitting on a bench in the shade of the trees. He indicated I could take his picture of 1 Euro (1 Eu = 1.47 USD). I sat first and then he let Dick sit with him for no extra charge! Ha-ha…After leaving him, we found a food vendor and enjoyed a hotdog that was encased in a dough similar to a longjohn, but not as sweet. We got strawberry slushies to go with them that really refreshed us. When finished, we decided to find the Theater of Dionysius, since our tickets were good for many different sites. We wandered down the road, past the National Archaeological Museum that holds many of Greece’s treasures. Unfortunately, it is closed to build a new museum and wouldn’t be finished until next year! We found the theater & went in. There were exhibits of statues that had been excavated. Up a trail, we came upon the theater. There were rows upon rows of rock benches & some special chairs also of rock. The back of the “stage” area had representative statues of comedy, drama, etc. We saw some seats with holes in them & wondered what their purpose was? After being out and about in the sun, we decided to head back to the hotel.
As we came down, we found the famous Plaka that is the area of shops and restaurants in Athens. A few souvenirs were purchased and we enjoyed some gelato along the way. A shop on the way back to the hotel had a couple of pairs of earrings we got for Joanna, Noel and I. Returning to the hotel, we ventured up to the roof to check out the Jacuzzi’s to soak our aching, tired legs and feet. We found out, though, that 15 minutes cost 5 Euros! We paid it and relaxed our sore limbs. Back to the room, we called for a 4:45 am wakeup call to prepare for our transfer to Mykonos the next day.
2 comments:
Thanx Margaret for such wonderful counting of your trip to Greece. I loved every word and feel as if were there too. I particularly chuckled when you talked about the traffic. I drive in that every day. There is only one rule....if you can do it...then do it. I can´t wait for you to write more...tell me when you do in case I miss one. BTW, I lost your blog address, so will put it back up on my blog. Check out my yesterday´s blog...Sundays, as it´s a special one. You might be interested.
So glad to have you back, and love it that you had a wonderful time. But isn´t it fun to come back home to your own little world? We missed you!
Hugs,
Lynda
Thanks for all the details, Margaret. And I know you will be happy you kept such good notes when you look back on your journal in the future.
I'm looking forward to the next installment!
Welcome back,
Joanne
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