GREECE  -  Synopsis (pictures to be added later)
May 1-11, 2014

We were joined on this excursion by our grandson, Bryce- actually it was he who chose the country and planned the itinerary...

May 1st – on our way

• Howie and Pat were at the gate with Bryce.
• The flights went well but on the leg to Athens there was a large contingent of older HS students from France who were quite loud.

May 2nd – Athens

• Met at the Athens airport by Ann holding a “LAMBERT” sign.
• The Amelia hotel is across the street from the city park and the parliament building. A small room with three beds and large bathroom. A small balcony overlooking the park an Athens.
• We walked into the Plaka- the hotel is located on the edge of that district. We were looking for a restaurant and there were plenty of them within just a few blocks. After walking around a bit (B bought a present for Sammy- a small sundress) watching the people and street vendors and “buskers” we enjoyed a delightful meal- B seafood, L- pork, J- chicken- and finished with profiteroles.

May 3rd

• 5 am and we are all up. The problem is that Athens is still asleep!
• Went for breakfast at seven- what a spread! Hot and cold, breads, cheeses, fresh orange juice and back cherry juice, pies and tortes and crapes.
• The Athens Marathon, but did not realize the start was in front of the Parliament building just down the street from the hotel.
• We met our guide Natasha and driver Mickel in the hotel lobby and started our half-day tour, first to the Acropolis.
• The Parthenon, Temple of Hera and a theater built on the side of the hill. People all about but not super crowded.
• Old stadium where the original Olympic Games were held and, nearby, watched the changing of the guard in front of the prime minister’s offices. Medieval costumes and choreographed movements in very slow motion.
• Out into Athens about seven pm. We strolled down the pedestrian mall to its far end where we found the Athens Flea Market. We walked, stopped in stores and Bryce purchased a new SD card for his camera, looked at ruins of the original “agora” and saw many uncared for cats and dogs. Chose a restaurant and enjoyed a very nice meal while watching other Diners. Our walk back to the hotel gave us wonderful sights of the Acropolis lit up for night.

May 4th – to Delphi

• Met Natasa and Aekeis
• The archaeological site of the Delphic Oracle and the temple of Apollo. Natasha used a variety of pictures to explain the ruins and we walked up the path taken by supplicants 4500 years ago. A most picturesque scene looking out into a valley. N. Explained that the mountain area had numerous sulphur steam emissions and the it is believed that the oracle’s chamber was built over one, and that it helped the oracle get into the hypnotic-type stupor.
• Delphi Museum which houses artifacts, statues, offerings, etc. that have been unearthed at the site.
• the small town of Delphi and ate lunch at a restaurant looking out over the slopes down to a town and lake. Thousands of trees in “serried ranks assembled” could be seen- olive trees
• then strolled about the town with Natasha. The number if stray dogs and cats is alarming and Bryce was quite concerned about them

May 5th – to Kalambaka

• We drove the hairpin turns down the mountain through the thousands of olive trees and then north up into steep and picturesque mountains. Small towns built in small valleys, on the side of the mountains and on the top of some of the smaller mountains
• a parking are next to a large statue. We were in Thermopalae, the place of the famous battle between the Greeks and the Persians under Xerxes. The statue was Leonidis, Spartan commander of the (Greek forces. We enjoyed several presentations about the battle and naval battle in a museum built by the town of L---.
• We stopped for lunch at a delightful small restaurant and conversed with three young men, two brothers and a cousin who owned the place with their father.
• we entered a very large and fertile plain- Thissaly. We crossed it for quite a long time noting the number of stores that were advertising in English. And then, before us, we saw the stone pillars of Meteora jutting up into the sky.
• Kalambaka we stopped for lunch at a terrific restaurant where we were escorted into the kitchen where the mother had several large pots with coking food open for our inspection. Her son and she explained each dish and we placed our orders looking at the food. His daughter supervised the delivery of the food to our table (she is the fourth generation in the restaurant) and we ate listening to parakeets, budgies and a parrot singing and vocalizing.
• we drove up into Meteora where we could see the various monasteries perched on the tops of the spires. We walked down a path and visited one of the smaller monasteries, a nunnery.
• Bryce was ready for a swim so we got ready to go to the pool, A buffet supper, a bit of quiet time – J at the pool while L worked with B on a computer on Spanish, and then to bed.

May 6th – Meteora

• We visited the largest one, clImbing down, steps and then up more steps into the monastery. Lots of tour busses but the place is so big that we were able to move around relatively easily despite several tour busses. Again, N And L had to wrap I a skirt around themselves to enter.We saw Devotional rooms, the kitchen the ossuary and other parts of the buildings.
• Back in Athens we walked the pedestrian mall, then down the Flea Market street but the store was closed. So we wandered a bit more around the old Agora and visited an outdoor market where Bryce looked stupid watches and other odds and ends. Then to dinner at a local restaurant and listened to musicians (guitar and bazouki). Then a long walk back to the hotel through an area we had not walked before passing the ruins of Hadrian’s library.

May 7th - to Santorini

• A very short trip to the port at Pireaus because there was not traffic- the high speed catamaran ferry left at seven- sharp!  Fortunately the Aegean Sea was smooth and we enjoyed a stable ride passing freighters and islands.
• It’s a Long trip, over 5 hours.
• when we reached Santorini we were met by a car, driver and “welcoming guide.” At the hotel in Fiera we rested briefly and then met Marina who took us, with car and driver, for a four hour tour of the island. We drove from north to south and up to the highest point. We spent. An hour at the ruins of a  civilization that flourished 4500 years ago and  was completely wiped out by the Santorini eruption in 1680 BC. 
• The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering through Fiera. It is completely a tourist town- so many shops all selling the SAMs stuff. Beautiful views of the caldera and the islands created after the explosion.

May 8th – Santorini

• We were picked up and transported to a Dive Shop by the eastern shore- we were going snorkeling. Robert fitted us out with wet suits (the water temp is chilly) and we and four others were driven to a power boat.
• Robert is from Barcelona and he chucked a job as a stock broker to buy this business and live in Santorini. A couple from Bolivia, a girl from Brazil who was studying in Dublin, a young man from N Zealand and a young man from Amsterdam (via Syria) plus three crew members.
• Four went scuba diving and the rest of us went snorkeling. Linda had great trouble because her natural buoyancy plus the buoyancy of the wet suit made it hard to control her body position in the water.
• Bryce and Jon floated, kicked and looked at the various colored fish, the sea growth on the rocks
• We then sped up the coast to a place with volcanic sea caves (the rocks are among  the oldest found in the Mediterranean) and snorkels. We floated above the divers enjoying a “bubble bath” and saw many fish, individually and in schools. Great fun! The return trip was wild because the wind had created large swells- we all were thoroughly soaked with sea spray by the time we reached the dock
• We found a restaurant suggested by Marina after which we walked along the cliff top and watched a beautiful sunset.

May 9th – return to Athens

• After breakfast B took a dip into the pool and then we strolled the town foe one last time. 11:15 we were picked up and transported to the port to catch the Superjet Ferry back to Athens.
• The trip was very rough with spray covering the windows of the cabin

May 10th – Athens

• the changing of the guard to the parliament building. About 100 troops and band members came doing that slow walk with flourishes. The road in front of the hotel was closed to traffic for the duration
• we purchased tickets for one of the Around Athens open-top tour busses. We then proceeded to ride throughout the streets listening to the recorded commentary. We disembarked at one point to stroll around one of the squares and then got on again until the bus reached the Plaka area and wandered through the street markets buying the last of our souvenirs. 
• We ate lunch in a restaurant where the whole square was covered in tables from two eating establishments.

May 11th – return to USA

• We were picked up by a taxi at 5:45 am so we could get to the airport in plenty of time. While we were waiting in the lobby in walked Akeis so we said goodbye again
• The flights were fine but SO cramped. The seats were narrow and there was no room to place bags under the seat in front- one of our seats had a stanchion holding up the front row in the middle of the storage area and all seats had a lifejacket stowed underneath the seat = no room
• So we travelled Athens – Vienna – Frankfurt – Denver and then home.  In Denver our plane left a half-hour before Bryce’s but he had become a seasoned traveler and just settled down by the window at his gate as we said goodbye.