The beginning of the end....

  Aegina, Saronic Gulf Islands, Greece
Sunday, September 28, 2008

Last  night we attended the "Captain's Dinner" with cocktails all around for everyone and a great meal. Of course, we ladies, wanting to out do everyone, dressed in  our Arizona finest and wowed the crowd.

Captain's Dinner

We had a great time - I would love to add dancing and singing....but still none of that happening.... We docked in another island called Aegina - or on the Greek map 'Egina'. Sunday morning we did a brief walking tour - as there wasn't too much to see here. A visit to the fish market and a 'floating' fruit stand and a pistachio tree...

Floating Fruit Market

 There were some significant ruins here - this was a port where they fought to keep attacks from other countries that they did not want to reach Athens.   A lot of the locals work in Athens and take the water taxi's back and forth because it is only 30 minutes away. I would want to live here instead as well - since Athens is so congested.

Elayne and Kathy on the Beach

 Elayne and Kathy and I were walking on our own and found a wonderful old building where a young man was restoring the property to make it into a second hand store. It was our first look inside one of the local old structures in a state of major disrepair. He had uncovered an old stove, an old fireplace, and some wonderful walls he was fixing.

Old Stove

His English was impeccable and it was great to able to talk construction to someone with a little knowledge about what was currently going on in their housing and commercial development market. Aegina was a little dissappointing because it seemed the people didn't care as much for their town as much as some of the other islands we had been on. It seemed a little dingy and not as well kept. By noon we were back on the ship and on our way to the Port of Pireaus in Athens.

The Sailor's Chapel