Athens at least we are with the Cabanas kids!
Trip Start
Nov 21, 2007
1
126
158
Trip End
Oct 01, 2008
Athens,
Attica,
Greece
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
We checked into Tempi Hotel (thanks Steve and Pam for the suggestion) where both couples had their own room but we did have to share a shower and bathroom with others on the floor. Alex and Heather had a great porch with a neat view of the Acropolis too! Then, we headed to the touristy dining area where we feasted on COLD beer, Greek salads, GOOD french fries and beef and chicken kabob plates. YUM! Don't worry, we stopped for ice cream on the way home...there just haaaapppeeennned to be a place about 4 blocks from our hotel
ATHENS welcomed us in a great way
. They had 52 flavors to choose from so we had to test a few of them out each night. The next day we took in the National Archaeological Museum which has a great collection. Over 70 rooms filled with things found in the area and country that dated back to the 6th Millennium B.C. Pretty nuts. Really none of us are big museum people, but we all took our educated selfs through the world-known artifacts.
We had to have a break in the day because it was TOO HOT to go to the top of the Acropolis in mid-day. So, Layton and Jana tried to find out where they will go next and how (don't worry, we squeezed in some relaxation time too.) Alex and Heather were able to rest and do a bit of catch up on email. Then, around 6:00 pm we headed up the climb to see the iconic symbol of Athens. The area is on a hill so it was a steep climb up but worth it. Heather and baby Cabanas did great getting up to the top. We wandered around for a while, and then, just sat and let the sun set a bit lower. It was neat to see the light change the structures and of course to people watch!
We then roamed around the Plaka area where there are loads of shops and restaurants
moon and ruins...what more
. We ended up having dinner at a small cafe and then of course, we had some ice cream....helloooo, you ALWAYS get ice cream with Alex. It is what you do! Our second day in Athens was pretty random. First of all, it was a holiday for Greece. The Feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15th. Mostly, people have family reunions and spend time together with family. Basically, most of Athens was closed down for the day. So, we went and had a LONG coffee session at Starbucks (our first trip since Lima, Peru) where Layton was able to find out some info for our next destination. It was fun to just chill out together on nice comfy couches. Then, we went to a travel agency and to the port to buy some ferry tickets. After that, we had a chance to watch some women's water polo and have another COLD beer and french fry snack with tzatziki.
We got dressed for our final dinner together. We even made reservations! WOW! Then, we took a long stroll around the Grand Promenade which walks you by many ruins spaced out in the city. It is where a lot of the locals get their walk in for the day. People gather after the sun goes down which makes it a very pleasant stroll. Once we were done with our walk, we looked for our dinner location.
Heather and Layton
After a few wrong turns, we found our place but it was CLOSED! BUMMER! We called them and found out that they must have two locations...and the one we made reservations at was outside the city center. So, we just found another location for our celebratory dinner. And yes, don't worry....we did have some ice cream before going home. Layton and Jana have teased that they are going to have to go through ice cream detox for the next few days! It is hard to write exactly the feelings that we have about our friends heading home. We had such a great time with Alex and Heather (and baby Cabanas). However, we know we will see them again soon. Alex and Heather, if you are reading this...know that tears fill Jana's eyes and both of our hearts are full of rejuvenation! We had a GREAT time with you guys, as usual. Words won't do justice...love you tons.
RANDOM
We did learn to eat dinner at European times, like 9:30 pm and beyond. It meant we had some down time in the afternoons but no one seemed to mind to have nap time, reading time and internet time!
Sayings from our trip with the Cabanas kids: "then, that is not Greek!", "that is not for me", "what are you, a.... world traveler?", "wow, this doesn't suck", "I'll be there about 5:30, but don't think I'll make it to the party."
