Athens Greece

This morning we had breakfast delivered to our room – known on the ship as our stateroom, because we had an early departure from the port of Pireas, where we are docked by bus on a shore excursion to Athens. On the way in to the Theatre to be assigned to a bus group, we met Steve and Patty from West Palm Beach Florida. WE ended up spending the day together. Turns out Steve is a Civil Engineer, Patty is from New Jersey and they have a son at Cornell. We had no trouble with conversation, needless to say. Our tour guide gave us a history of Greece and Athens and surrounds on the way to the Acropolis through some narrow streets in Athens rush hour. Our first stop was at the base of the Acropolis where we joined the other throngs of tourists climbing the centuries-old pathways to the top of the city (acro – polis). More history, changes of civilization, the coming of Christianity, preaching locations of St. Paul and St. Luke. We walked up through the Propylaea (monumental gate) over the slippery partly in-situ marble and partly imported marble steps to the Parthenon datingto the 5th Century BC.in Pericles’ time and dedicated to the goddess Athena. Awesome. After a look-out over the city, we walked back past Erechtheion, a tomb and shrine of Kekrops, adorned by the Caryatides – six statues of beautiful maidens holding up the roof on their heads. Our stay was not long enough and I’m not even sure if we were informed of the Acropolis Museum and the adjacent amphitheatre – the Odeon of Herodes Atticus built in 161 AD and holds 5000 spectators – still. WE met back at the bus and drove a few blocks to a gift shop. No purchases. Then we stopped at the 1898 first Stadium of the modern Olypic Games for photos. We drove past the Parliament and were dropped of at the entrance to Plaka, the old city, with narrow streets, now mainly a tourist shopping and restaurant area – with some ancient ruins. We decided with Steve and Patty that we would stay together in Athens and then share a cab back to the ship. After some searching for an ouzerie recommended, and after about 6 street inquiries not found by PV (you know who you are) we returned to Plaka and, in spite of offers of free carafes of wine by street maitre’d’s, we sat at a very nice outdoor patio and enjoyed some traditional Greek fare – Greek salad and keyros (sp?) a grilled lamb and pork sausage affair, with vegetables and pita bread. Excellent. The house wine was good so we asked the name (Agiorgitiko) where we can get some (to sneak back on the cruise ship) - and were given directions to a liquor store/bar. The proprietor said his bar - just a hobby for him - was 100 years old, sells mainly liquor to the after dinner crowd, and after our inquiry, he told us of the grape from Peloponnese, and that there are various qualities of wines from the region. He let us sample 4 wines from that grape. We bought one we liked in our price range, and after it went through the scanner re-boarding the ship in my backpack without question, we are enjoying it very much. We have been told that the Greeks don't export the good stuff. We shopped for a while in Plako and then cabbed back to the ship. Tip for travelers – if asked about the bottle in your scanned luggage – it just might be olive oil.
For today's pictures, see:
http://picasaweb.google.com/PeterJudieMartin/2109AthensGreece