Day 8 - Athens, Greece
Today we are in the capital of Greece. This morning we woke up and went to breakfast at the dinning room (much better than yesterday). After breakfast we left the ship and headed to the port with no plan or idea of how big or small Athens really is. We decided to try to get to Plaka, the old part of the city of Athens. We figured from there we could walk to most of the major sites of the city. We asked a cab driver to take us there and he gave us a reasonable price. While on our way over, the cab driver offered to be our tour guide and take us to all of the important places in Athens. He explained that there was no way that we could walk to all the places that we would want to see, and he was right. He then quoted us a price that was well below anything we could get through the cruise or even from the local tour buses. We all agreed and he began our tour by introducing himself. His name was Yannis. First, Yannis took us to a restaurant on the harbor with a view of Jackie O's former residence. He insisted that we eat lunch there later before returning to the port. Then, Yannis took us to the Acropolis. He gave us an hour to go to the top and urged us to be quick because he wanted to take us to see the changing of the guard at the parliament building. We took his advice and booked it up the hill to the Acropolis. When we reached the top of the hill we saw the beautiful Parthenon and the temple of Athena, the patron god of Athens. We took a lot of pictures in front of each of these monuments and then began to take in the views of Athens. We saw many other ancient monuments from that vantage point, as well as most of the city. We then raced down the hill and jumped back into the cab. Yannis took us over to the parliament building just in time for the road to close. The changing of the guard ceremony was very impressive and started with a marching band that came down the street. The guards followed closely behind with an interesting March. They would bring their knees up very high and then slap the ground with their foot as it came down. They marched up the street and then stopped right in front of the parliament building. Once they were there, one line of guards intricately marched towards the two who were at their posts. Two guards from the line changed positions with the two at the posts and the line went back into formation. The band then played the Greek national song, after which the guards and the band marched back up the street from where they came. We were very lucky to see this ceremony because it only takes place on Sunday's at 11:00 am. That is why Yannis insisted that we be so quick at the Acropolis. He didn't want us to miss the chance of seeing the ceremony. Once it was over, we hopped back in the cab and Yannis took us over to old Plaka. He kept telling us that he wanted to show us the real old town, not the tourist Plaka. He wanted to make our tour worth while and was adamant about earning his pay from us. While driving through old Plaka, Yannis asked if we had taken a picture with the guards at the parliament building. We told him no because there we too many people. He then said that we needed to take a picture with them because it is a good souvenir, so he took us back over and waited while we each got a picture with the guards. Next, he took us to the Academy of Greece, which is an exclusive university. It is very hard to get in to the Academy. Only the smartest Greeks can enroll and there is no tuition. After taking pictures at the Academy, Yannis took us up to one of the highest points in the city. He drove us as far as he could and then we had to walk up a ton of stairs to make it to the top. The hike was well worth it though. The view from the top is unparalleled. We could see all of Athens from this one spot. Once we got our panoramic photos, Yannis took us to the Panathion Stadium where the Olympics originated. The first modern Olympic Games were held here in 1896. While in the stadium Mom took some awesome pictures of Sean running the track. Maybe one day he will run in the games and come back to Athens a champion? We then got back into the cab and Yannis took us to the temple of Zeus. This once was a huge temple built to honor the king of the gods. We took a few pictures in front of the temple and then Yannis took us over to a shop to buy some souvenirs. When we were done shopping he took us back over to the harbor to Zorba's restaurant, the place he had told us about in the morning. He suggested that we order a Greek salad and one or two dishes to share, which we did. He explained that this was how the Greeks ordered and that we would be eating authentic Greek food, not the tourist food that is in the busier parts of the city. The food we ate at this restaurant was the best food we have eaten on the entire trip so far. We ordered a Greek salad, bread for the table, penne with chicken and vegetables, and spaghetti with lobster. The Greek salad had tomatoes, onions, capers, cucumbers, feta cheese and olive oil and it was fresh and tasty. The cheese was just right, not too strong to overpower the other flavors of the veggies. The bread came with oil and balsamic vinegar, butter, olives, and a delicious olive paste. The penne had a white sauce with chicken, zucchini and carrots, and all of the vegetables were very fresh. The lobster spaghetti came with red sauce and fresh lobster that was caught this morning in the very harbor that we were dining next to. After devouring our delicious meal, the waiter insisted that we try the chocolate soufflé. He explained that it was the best chocolate soufflé in all of Greece. Since our meal was so good, we decided to go for it. As we waited for it to come out, our waiter brought us sliced watermelon to share and told us it was on the house. Even the watermelon was delicious. It was the sweetest watermelon that we had tasted in a long time. The soufflé finally came out and it did not disappoint. It was like a warm molten brownie with ice cream on the side. It was so good we all fought over the last bite. When we finished our meal, Yannis took us back to the port. We said our goodbyes to one of the nicest guys we have met on this trip and got back on the ship. The people of Greece have been so kind and hospitable. They have made our trip one we'll never forget because of their kindness. It is sad to think that they are struggling so much with their economy. As we drove around the city Yannis pointed out the lines of people at the ATM's drawing out their money. He jokingly said that when asked if he is worried about the run on the banks he said "no, I haven't got a Euro in the bank." Even though he was joking, you could tell he was feeling the strain of this broken economy. He is supporting his family day to day with the the pay he gets from driving his cab. We were happy to be able to help out our awesome cab driver and the local restaurant during our visit today. We plan to go to Bingo later tonight after dinner. Tomorrow we will be in Mykonos.
