Athens

Friday: We arrived in Piraeus very early this morning and went immediately to our hotels––the tour members who opted for the premium accommodations on the Serenade went off to the Athens Hilton and the rest of us were dropped off at the Royal Olympia. We all had to say goodbye to Sabrina, our excellent Trafalgar guide on the Serenade. Mary, our very helpful Trafalgar rep in Athens, met us at our hotel. My coughing had gotten worse, so I spent most of the day sleeping, just getting up for meals and to make reservations at a travel agency across the street for trips to the islands of Aegina and Spetses on Sunday and Monday. I was invited to join members of another tour who I met on the ship for dinner at a restaurant where you could get a good view of the Acropolis lit up at night. I was too tired to make it, but, luckily, Tom and Cindy were able to take this night photo of the Acropolis from their balcony at the Hilton.

Athens

Athens

Cropped and enlargement of Tom and Cindy’s photo.

Athens

Athens

Saturday: All the Trafalgar tour group was gone this morning except for Eric Chen and myself. He was flying off to Santorini. I felt a bit better this day and I went off to the Plaka to take some last photos and also to purchase a cheap suitcase that I needed to take home all that I bought in Greece. I got to the Plaka about 9:30 a.m. and I was able to take photos of the Plaka Almost Without People––an odd thing to see.

Athens

Athens

The Plaka.

Athens

Athens

The Plaka.

Athens

Athens

The Plaka.

Athens

Athens

The Plaka.

Athens

Athens

The Plaka.

Athens

Athens

All of sudden I realized that I was no longer in the Plaka area but had entered the Monastiraki area. I had tried on two previous days to find my way from Monastiraki to the Plaka and got lost both days. I could now see how I had gone wrong beforehand. Much easier finding your way in this direction.

Athens

Athens

Monastiraki. Athens is coming to life.

Athens

Athens

Monastiraki.

Athens

Athens

Monastiraki.

Athens

Athens

Monastiraki.

Athens

Athens

Monastiraki.

Athens

Athens

Monastiraki.

Athens

Athens

I made my way back from Monastiraki to the Plaka, wheeling my newly purchased suitcase behind me. Only the third time that I tried to find this route but this time I was successful. I left my camera at the hotel and went back to both the Plaka and Monastiraki to do some serious shopping. It was a great time to do it as this was the end of the tourist season and there were many bargains to be had. My coughing had gotten worse, so at dinner I ordered a shot of Scotch––this remedy worked in Scotland. I was served a large amount of Scotch, which I drank, hoping that I wouldn’t stagger too much when I walked out of the restaurant. But the Scotch didn’t agree with what I had had for dinner––Greek spaghetti and vanilla ice cream and I was up all night alternating between Tums and those cough drops that I bought in Turkey.

Athens

Aegina

Sunday. I had been to the island of Aegina before on the Three Island Cruise that I had taken, but since I went to see the Temple of Aphaia on that trip I didn’t have time to investigate its waterfront. I took a taxi down to Piraeus, still coughing, and took this Flying Dolphin hydrofoil to Aegina––a 45–minute trip. I have put the photos that I took of Aegina on a slide show on this site: Go to Slide Shows, Western Europe, Greece, “Athens: Island of Aegina.”

Aegina

Piraeus

We passed this interesting sight in the harbor of Pireaus on our return: our ship the Serenade, on the right, berthed next to the QE2.

Piraeus

Spetses

Monday. Cough almost all gone! Scotch finally worked! There was no one left from our tour at my hotel and even Mary and the other Trafalgar reps were gone from the hotel. My breakfast companions now were a large group of French people who had come to run in the Athens Marathon. Today, I again took a taxi down to Piraeus and took another, this time larger, Flying Dolphin hydrofoil to the island of Spetses––about three hours away.

Spetses

Spetses

Along the way to Spetses, we first stopped in Poros, Hydra, and at a port on the Peloponnese Coast. I have put the photos I took on Spetses on a slide show on this site: Go to Slide Shows, Western Europe, Greece, “Athens: Island of Spetses.” There was very little activity on the island––the tourist season was over on this island. Most of the stores were also closed. The small amount of activity could not drown out the constant noise of the motorcycles and motorscooters––everyone seemed to be riding one. But I was happy to have been able to visit another Greek island. Photo: windmill seen on our way to Spetses.

Spetses

Spetses

Church on a hill seen on our way to Spetses. When I got back to Athens it was already early evening. Time to pack, as tomorrow I was flying home. Tuesday: I got up very very early to get to the Athens airport before my flight. Flying on frequent flier miles can sometimes result in an interesting itinerary: Athens to Munich, Munich to London, London to San Francisco, and San Francico to Los Angeles. A long trip, but with two very interesting sights: When flying into Heathrow, we flew low right over London––what a view of all the tourist attractions. It was like being on an aerial sightseeing trip. We did the same when flying into San Francisco, giving us a great view of the sights of that city. Arriving in Los Angeles––I was very happy to be home.

Spetses