The last few days of our stay in Greece was spent in Athens. We were not sure what to make of it. It was quite different from the island life that we experienced in Santorini and Mykonos. This was the other aspect of Greek life – the urban side. This was where everything was moving at a faster pace. We were excited to check out this kind of life in Athens.

The late arrival to our hotel.

Darkness was setting in when the shuttle bus dropped us off at our hotel. The hotel entrance was at a side street and the shuttle bus had to really hug very close to the sidewalk. That was the only way not to block the flow of traffic of the narrow road. A whole busload of people were scampering to claim their luggages and heading for the main lobby. The main lobby itself was not so much as it was resembling more of a narrow hallway rather than a lobby. It was a relief that we were the first ones to check into our room.

The room was long and narrow. Basic amenities were as expected of a standard hotel room. The room was oldish-looking but clean. No A/C – we had to get used to the idea that, unlike the USA, air conditioning was not standard in Europe. The room gets cooled down by opening the windows!

Our priority for the night was to find a decent place to eat. However, it was not the ideal time to search for one. The hour was too late, most of the shops were closed, and the streets were too dark and deserted. We checked the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and found a cozy place. A hostess was waiting outside the door and had us seated immediately. The restaurant was catering late for the hotel’s occupants. Greek cuisine was definitely on its menu including some other international dishes. The best part was the view of the distant Acropolis Hill and Mount Lycabettus.

The schedule for the next day was a morning tour of Acropolis and an afternoon tour of the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon.

The Acropolis

It was still dark and very early when we arrived at the main gate of Acropolis Hill. The flood lights were illuminating the Monument of Agrippa at the top of the hill. There were barely any people around while we waited. An estimated 15 to 20 thousand tourists visit Acropolis every day – a very popular World Heritage Site by UNESCO. That was one reason why the walking tour was scheduled to start as soon as the main gate opened. People began trickling in and soon we were forming a long line in front of the gate.

The Acropolis walking tour was very informative. The tour included the ruins of the Pedestal of Agrippa, the Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion with the Caryatids, the Parthenon, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and the Theater of Dionysus, to name a few. It was very informative in terms of facts, fiction, and history. I must say, it opened my mind more than just the readings that I did about Greece. We spent most of the day walking among the ruins of Acropolis. By mid-afternoon, we were back at our hotel room to cool off and freshen up.

Exploring the streets of Athens.

There was a bit of time between the morning tour and the scheduled afternoon tour. This was our opportunity to explore the city streets of Athens. A slow walk brought us to the areas of Plaka and Monasteraki. The streets were more for pedestrian traffic than motor vehicle traffic. The shops were on both sides of the road, small, and easily accessible. Shops were selling a variety of goods from from clothing to souvenir items. Browsing through the small shops was fun.

Eventually, we had to stop for a meal break. We came upon Alexander the Great restaurant, a truly great Greek restaurant that served our meal with a warm, friendly smile. A meat dish that we ordered was served on a tin charcoal grill on our table. We joked that the only thing missing was a dip of vinegar, soy sauce, lemon, and pepper. We knew that this was not common in a Greek restaurant but the wonderful staff produced all of the ingredients! It turned out to be a wonderful meal experience! Feast for the eyes and appetite. Rest for the tired feet!

The afternoon tour.

The afternoon tour guide was right on time. We were guided to our tour bus that was parked some distance away. The streets were too narrow that shuttle buses had to be parked at designated areas only. Once aboard, our tour bus did a slow drive through the city streets that gradually took us to the outskirts of Athens. Along the way, we did multiple stops to view interesting sites along the route. The final destination was the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon. There wasn’t much for this tour nor at the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon. The tour guide did his best though to keep us entertained while en route.

On our last day, we took a taxi and did a self-guided tour to Mount Lycabettus. We opted to ride the rail train to the top instead of climbing the 200 plus steps. We knew we couldn’t make it. At the top, the view of Athens was panoramic. A Greek Orthodox church on Mount Lycabettus, the Holy Church of St. George of Lycabettus, was open to the public. We felt lucky to be given the chance to be inside this church, offer a prayer, and admire all the wall murals.

We went back to Plaka afterwards for some more browsing and shopping. Our day ended with watching the honor guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Syntagma Square. This was the end of our visit to Greece. Going home was a flight to Dublin with a long layover before reaching home.

It was enlightening and enriching to experience visiting Greece. We experienced the island life of Santorini and Mykonos as well as the urban life of Athens. We saw more than what we bargained for and gave us an unforgettable experience. For this, we were thankful!