Day One Hundred Three - April 18

Our ship arrived in Athens at 06:00 to clouds and the possibility of showers.

The port itself is located in Piraeus some 12 kilometers from the city centre of Athens. The greater population of Athens including Piraeus is approximately 3.5 million people.

Piraeus is the chief port for Greece, the largest port in Europe and second largest one in the world servicing approximately 20 million passengers annually. There are twelve ferry services which uses Piraeus to service the Greek Islands. Estimates have the number of islands between 1,200 to 6,000 but only 160 to 220 islands are inhabited.

Today, Janice and I are going to visit the Acropolis, something we did 15 years ago. We left the ship just after 08:40 as we wanted to avoid the crowds at the Acropolis. Immediately leaving the ship Janice thought she had too many clothes so back to the ship she went. This was a good thing as well as a bad thing.

The good thing is that she met up with Jeff and his wife who told her to follow them because they were going into the city. The bad was that the weather turned colder in the afternoon so Janice could have used the extra layesr of clothing. They say dress in layers because you can always remove but you can never add if your clothes are on the ship.

Anyway our mode of transportation was walk, bus, train and subway. Walking out of the port you find a vending machine to buy transit ticket. These tickets are good for the bus, train and subway. All this for 4.60 Euros for both of us for the day, what a deal!

We arrived at the Acropolis subway station and made our way to the ticket booth to buy tickets. To our surprise, admission was free that day. There was an English speaking guide inside the gate who offered a one hour tour for 20 Euros a piece so we decided to take it. It was much better value than the ship tour even if her comments were limited.

The free admission brought with it more people. It is said that the Acropolis' most important sites date back to the fifth century BC.

We were continually walking up towards the Acropolis but our first stop was to the Odean of Herodes Atticus Ampitheater. Reminants of the old wall remain but the entire seating for 5,000 has been replaced with marble seats for concert events. Musical acts appearing at the site over the years include Yanni, Elton John and Andrea Bocelli to name a few. The 2022 International Festival appearing at the ampitheater reopens to live audiences this summer with international musicians such as Patti Smith an Diana Krall. For anyone travelling to Greece this summer this might be something to look into.

As you ascend the rocky and marble steps from the Ampitheater you come to the main entrance way The Propylaea with its three large marble columns on either side. This is where the wind began to blow harder and Janice wishes she had more clothes.

On the right side before walking through the Propylaea is the small temple Athena Nike the goddess of Victory.

The two main buildings which we want to see here are The Parthenon and The Erechtheion.

When we were last here, The Parthenon was under construction and it still remains under construction . The UNESCO World Heritage Site is funding the project to return the Parthenon to its original design. The project needs to be completed by 2030 as this is when funding will run out. The area is and will continue to be roped off from visitors even when completed to prevent columns from being marked or written on.

The second building of interest is The Erechtheion which is dedicated to the Goddess Athena. At least six weathered marble statutes of Athena adourned the building.

It is now time to leave the Acropolis as the crowds are beginning to increase.

Another option was to check out The Acropolis Museum with its many artifacts however there was a 90 minute wait time that made our decision to leave the Acropolis that much easier.

It was beginning to rain so seeing the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the front of the Hellenic Parliament was not going to happen. I did take several pictures of the Presidential Guards though. It reminded me of the Queen's Guard standing guard outside Buckingham Palace. Both guards stand motionless and expressionless while on duty.

It is now back on the subway and then the train to make our way to Piraeus and a thirty minute walk back to the ship.

The ship did not leave until 21:00 allowing everyone to have a full day in Athens. Our next port is Santorini 130 nautical miles away on Tuesday.