In transit in Greece 29 March

Today was a travel day. 

Still raining in Santorini (apparently this is very unusual), with the help of Panayotis we hauled our bags up the steep and flooded steps, then we were out to the airport to drop off the hire car and catch the short hop flight back to Athens.

While not raining in Athens, it was very windy but we managed to get our hire car sorted and before long we were in our fancy Peugout and on the motorway to Corinth.The motorway was an excellent road which made for easy driving and allowed us to bypass of Athens city and race along at 130km/hr for much of the journey.

 

We stopped at the Isthmia Bridge Cafe on the edge of the Corinth Canal. We thought this sounded like a nice spot for a late lunch and to enjoy the views…. wrong! It was a pretty run down establishment that had definitely seen better days, but the food was ok and in generous proportions although the coffee was the worst we had had in Greece. We walked across the bridge after lunch and did get some good views down the Canal - impressive.

Now on the Peloponnese Peninsula, we stayed on the motorway via Tripoli, for a couple of hundred kilometres; easy driving with views of snow capped mountains, which surprised us as we had though of Greece as a fairly warm and dry country. The easy driving had its price, as we passed through seven toll booths; it didn't take us long to realise that each time we drove though one of the many long tunnels through the mountains that there would be a lady in a toll booth waiting for us not much further down the road. We “donated” 14.85€ in tolls.

Turning off the motorway a bit before Kalamata, the country roads made for more challenging driving. More narrow and rough, and speed limit unclear, Kerryn did a great job unlike her navigator, who didn't know his right from left. Our host in Olympia later told us that all Greek drivers are crazy and “in Greece you drive by feeling not by the speed signs”, so most drivers must have been feeling a lot faster than us, as we were regularly overtaken! But the scenery was as you'd imagine rural Greece - large villas, in various states of disrepair, surrounded by groves of gnarly olive trees and occasionally similarly gnarled citrus and grape vine.

With the much needed help of the maps app, we navigated the backroads into Olympia, which is really only a small village, and met enthusiastically our host, Kostas, near the village square. We had a room in the centre of the village, which was handy, but Kostas is a real character and a local identity, being the son-in-law of the mayor, and a bit of a raconteur. He showed us to our room, then gave us a 45 minute lesson on Ancient Greek and the significance of Olympia - it was very entertaining but we are not sure if we will take up his recommendation to read all of Plato! He was very passionate about and proud of his village. Kostas then walked us around the village to show us where things were. A great host (who we kept bumping into during our time in Olympia - as he said to us when we said our good-byes on our last day, “we came as guests but left as friends”).

Dinner was at a local seafood restaurant (recommended by Kostas, of course), the Taverna Orestis, where we had this amazing fried feta with honey followed by grilled stuffed squid (for Andrew) and the “small” seafood platter (for Kerryn) which would have been more than enough for both of us! All delicious and incredibly cheap compared to Santorini and Athens.

Some days just aren't like the postcard…. 28 March

We woke to grey skies over the caldera and the gentle patter of rain on the patio out front of our cave-house. A quick check of the weather app did not give much hope for sunnier skies later in the day either….

In need of some indoor options, we visited the Museum of Prehistoric Thira, which had a number of ancient artefacts, many in excellent condition, from the various archeological excavations around Santorini. The sophistication and complexity of the people's living on Santorini over 4000 years ago, was remarkable. We viewed the range of decorated pottery and other artefacts, but what was most impressive was the fragments of wall murals and painted flooring. With such wealth, this must have been one of the significant commercial areas, along with Crete, in the ancient Mediterranean.

With some Greek coffee and lemon cake, we sat in a cliff top cafe and watched the rain spoil the views of the caldera, glad that we had chosen to do the walk to Oia on the previous sunny day, as this pretty village was now lost from view in the gloomy weather.

Despite the persistent rain, we were still keen to explore the island, so set out in our hire car for an afternoon drive. On the way we noticed that there are lots of vineyards on the island, but the grape vines aren't grown in upright rows (as we are more familiar with) rather in low circular bundles on the stony ground. We think this helps protect the grapes from the hot summer sun.

On our drive, we passed through Pyrgos and visited the black beach at Perissa, then stopped off at a 24 hour (!) bakery where we purchased some Greek biscuits (sold by the kilo, which seems to be the custom here for cakes and biscuits) and coffees. We then tried to find the archeological site at Akrotia, which challenged our navigation (and was closed when we finally found it), and had a brief stop at the nearby red beach. With better weather it would have been nice to do some walking at these locations, but the rain had really set in now and was quite heavy.

So no chance of a Santorini sunset for us; in fact the cloud had settled on the Fira cliff top and the rain was so heavy that streams of water were now pouring down the staired pathways of the Fira caldera. Nonetheless, we donned our wet-weather gear and set off in search of some dinner. We found nice looking taverna, Pernea, on the cliff top terrace and went in, hopeful for some good food but mostly glad to be out of the rain. As it turned out, it was a good choice. The service was friendly and fast and the food delicious - cheese  croquettes were amazing and tasty souvlaki. But a special shoutout to the poor waiter who carried the meals (covered) up to the terrace from the down stairs kitchen - what a legend! The views from the terrace dining area must be amazing but the cloud and rain didn't allow us to enjoy this tonight.

Walk to Oia 27 March

We woke to a glorious view of the caldera from our loft bed in the “cave”. Cloudy and rainy weather was forecast but the skies were blue, so after another yummy breakfast of coffee with Greek yogurt, walnuts, prunes and honey (also served as a dessert in many restaurants here, but  hey we're on holidays, so who cares), we decided to hike to Oia, on the northern end of the main island (as Santorini is an old volcano, the main island is a crescent and Fira is on the middle of the inside edge).

We headed out through the labyrinthine alleys of the Fira cliff side and it wasn't long before we encountered the notorious Santorini donkeys. As it was the low-season the donkeys, rather than carrying sweaty tourists, were hauling building materials for the many construction jobs in Fira (lots of construction, repairs and painting in progress in the lead up to the opening of the tourist season in a few days time - 1 April). 

Before long we passed the Three Bells of Fira and continued to walk along the winding walkways and alleys to the next village, Imerovigli where we took in the views of Skaros Rock.

After Imerovigli, the way became more of a rough track, mostly old cobblestone but sometimes loose volcanic scoria, as we walked through the countryside close to the cliff side of the island. There was plenty of steep sections, both up and down, and the walking was quite challenging, but the spring flowers were out, as was the sunshine, and the views were breathtaking; so we really enjoyed the journey.

A bit over three hours of walking, around 12kms, we arrived in the very beautiful Oia. After some spinach pie from one of the local cafes, we soaked up the iconic blue roofed chapels and views down the island; it was a lovely sight. 

One way along the walking track was enough of a challenge for us, so we set off to find the bus stop, arriving at Oia centre just in time to watch the bus drive off to Fira, with an hour wait, give or take, until the next….

Back in Fira, our hosts had recommended Svoronos Bakery so we dropped in for afternoon tea. Kerryn chose galaktoboureko (Greek vanilla slice - custard in phyllo) and I had a piece of fanouropita (sultana, walnut, cinnamon and olive oil cake with sesame seed “icing”) that was the size of half a house brick! We had our bakery treats with coffee on our patio, enjoying the view. No wind today, but the cloud and sea mist meant we were denied a Santorini sunset again…

Weary from the days walking, we decided on local takeaway - chicken gyros and Greek salad with beers and local white wine, rather than eating out. It was a good choice - delicious...then an early night.

Santorini-bound 26 March

After a quick Greek-style breakfast at our accommodation, we were packed and on the way to Athens airport. We decided to skip the train and took a taxi, as the train was only every half hour and we didn't want to miss our flight.

It was only a 30 minute hop by plane to Santorini (better than an 8 hour boat trip), but it then took us awhile to sort out (and find) our hire car. With Kerryn in the (left side) driver seat, it was our first go at international driving, and the 5km trip from the airport to the parking near our accommodation “only” took us 30 minutes as we tried to “acclimatise” to everything being back-to-front in the car and on the road! To her credit, Kerryn didn't succumb to Greek road-rage but was heard to mutter “what the frick-frack” more than once. That said, I was very glad that Kerryn was doing the driving as I was completely discombobulated and mildly terrified….

Our lovely hosts, Maria and Panayotis, met us in Fira and helped us haul our bags down the steep steps to our suite - an amazing and opulent "cave" set in the cliff side.

After walking with our hosts back into the village, via the not so steep route, and getting lots of tips and advice from them, we grabbed a few supplies from the supermarket then headed back to our suite to make a late lunch and take in the amazing views of the caldera from the patio at the front of our cave - breath-takingly beautiful!

The cliff face is lined with a maze of walkways and narrow alleys with villas, suites, restaurants, shops, churches and even an outdoor cinema. The locals just call it the caldera. So we went for a walk to explore, enjoying the spectacular views along the way and managing to find the Three Bells of Fira - one of the iconic sights of Santor

We sat on our patio with a glass of local Volkan beer (Andrew) and white wine (Kerryn) to watch the sunset over the caldera, but the wind had picked up and the cloud blew in just as the sun was dipping - oh well, can't have everything….

Our hosts recommended trying the fava bean (mashed broad beans), tomato balls and Santorini salad (cherry tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber, olives, capers and local feta) at at local restaurant, Naousa. While the service was slow, the food was amazing - we had their delicious moussaka as well. 

Greek Independence Day in Athens 25 March

Our accommodation in Athens had a small shared kitchen and a Greek-style breakfast was provided every morning. We enjoyed coffee, bread, butter and mermelada, cold meats and feta cheese, and yogurt with prunes and Greek honey.

As it was a public holiday, many of the museums and historical sites were closed, so we were glad we had already visited the Acropolis. We headed off along the Dionysiou Areopagitou cobblestones and walked up the Filopappou Hill, to the south east of the Acropolis, visiting Socrates Prison on the way. Poppies and other spring flowers were in bloom beside the path. From the Filopappos Monument we had great views of the Acropolis and the sprawling city of Athens.

We then visited The Arch of Hadrian and saw the Temple of Olympian Zeus (closed for the public holiday but could still get good views from the gates). The scale of these structures, and that they are still standing after around 3000 years, is truly amazing.

We got some Koulouria (Greek sesame bread rings) for a euro from a street vendor and munched on it as we walked along to our next location.

The highlight of the day was going to the Panathenaic Stadium. Fortunately this was open despite the public holiday, which was great as we spent a couple of hours doing the tour (there was an English recording). Cut into the side of a hill, this marble stadium (the only one of its kind in the world) has its origins in ancient times, but was revived and reconstructed in 1896 for the first of the modern Olympic Games and still is a significant part of the current Olympics being the site where the Olympic torch is handed onto the host nation. The Olympic torch museum also on the site was interesting, while the views from the top tiers of the stands across to the Acropolis were spectacular.

Later in the afternoon we hiked up to the top of Mount Lycabettus, to the north west of the Acropolis. This was a bit more challenging than the other hills we had walked in Athens, but the views were stunning, with Athens, and of course the Acropolis, stretched out to the sea and mountains beyond.

Tonight, Costas at Adrianos restaurant in the Plaka coaxed us in for dinner and, despite the bouzouki and plate smashing, the dinner of fried calamari and chicken gyros, washed down with house rose was very good. As were the homemade ice creams on the walk home (the honey & walnut yogurt flavour was delicious).

Antiquities in Athens 24 March

After a good nights sleep and a bit of a sleep in, we felt refreshed and ready to explore the many historical sites around Athens, on this gloriously sunny Sunday. Our accommodation in Plaka had us within walking distance of most of the key archeological sites and other things we wanted to do, so we headed for the most significant one first, namely the Acropolis. The most striking and iconic landmark in Athens.

Tickets were required, and a bit of queue, but soon we began to ascend the sacred rock. There are numerous remnant structures across the site and, not being well versed in Ancient Greek, the significance of each was not easily understood by us, even though there was lots of information on the signage; however the overwhelming impression was of the complexity and sophistication of ancient Greeks. We stopped at the Theatre of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herod the Atticus, on the southern slopes, both locations for ancient Athens’ theatrical celebrations. Then climbed to the plateau entering through the Propylaea to see the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike and, of course, the iconic Parthenon. While quite crowded, it was still amazing to soak in the sights and reflect on the significance of this sacred site, which has been inhabited for over 4 millennia.

After descending, we then climbed the nearby Areopagus Hill to look back at the Acropolis and also take in the views of the Agia Marina and National Obsevatory. Like the plateau of the Acropolis, the rock on Areopagus Hill was worn so smooth by years of human habitation, it was quite slippery and we needed to watch our step as we took in the views.

We then headed towards the Ancient Agora, stopping for a late lunch of falafel and coffee in one of the many cafes along the Adrianou in the Monastiraki area.

The Agora is close to the Acropolis and was the major commercial area and heart of public life in Ancient Athens and the birthplaces of democracy. There was lots of remnants of this ancient marketplace but most impressive was the Temple of Hephaetus, which is probably the most well preserved of all the ancient temples in Athens, standing largely as built. The Stoa of Attalos housed a museum of many artefacts from the Agora and remants of various statues and monuments. The Agii Apostolic, also on the site was worth a quick vist. We also walked the Dromos or Panathenaic Way, the significant ancient thoroughfare through the Agora to the Acropolis - you could imagine festivals, processions and chariot and running races happening here….

Kicked out of the Agora at closing time, we wandered through the chaotic Athens Flea Market in Monastiraki and ended up in Syntagma Square. While there, we thought we would get a photo of the Hellenic Parliament building and it turned out that our timing was perfect to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; with the guardsmen in their traditional costume and choreographed marching - it was most entertaining!

The cobblestone streets of Plaka are lined with souvenir shops, watched over my surly-looking Greek women and a multitude of cafes and taverns with enthusiastic sprukers encouraging you to eat at their establishment. We were barely out the door of our hotel when Yiannis was promising us a magical meal at Estia…. while somewhat sceptical we gave in and let him whisk us in to the “best seats” in the house to enjoy Saganaki and beer, lamb casserole with feta and potatoes (no knife needed promised Yiannis) and Moussaka washed down with house red then banana and Nutella crepe and hot chocolates - quite enjoyable (if not magical)

Another travel adventure begins with a Birthday celebration 23 March 2019

JAKEB is off on another travel adventure....but this time it's only AK with B already on a travel adventure of his own (Ringwood Secondary College Performing Arts World Tour) and JE staying home (for work and uni)

We flew out of Melbourne at 6:45pm on 22 March and arrived in Singapore for a brief stopover and watched the clock tick over to 00:01 23 March; Kerryn's 50th birthday - let the celebrations begin

Next stop was an early morning arrival, 4:50am, in Dubai. We had a 6 hour stopover here and were glad to be able to access the Emirates Business Lounge, thanks to Andy's Qantas Club membership, which meant we could have a shower to freshen up then enjoy some tasty choices from the extensive breakfast buffet. This included a Swiss chocolate ice cream for Kerryn - well it was her birthday....

Then the last flight had us in Athens by 2:30pm.

It had been a long haul so we were glad to finally arrive. After purchasing an EU SIM card for Kerryn's phone, we caught the metro train into Syntagma (central Athens), then walked  to our accommodation, Palladian House, in the Plaka district. Weary from the travel, but wanting to celebrate Kerryn's birthday is style, we walked to the Strofi restaurant, which had good reviews on Google and promised Athenian food with Acropolis views.... we were not disappointed.

We sat on the terrace and watched the sunset on the Parthenon, while enjoying our feast - grilled haloumi with tomato, pine nuts and olive oil lemon sauce; spinach pie in home made phyllo with feta; Kerryn had Sofrito (special dish from Corfu) slow cooked veal with rosemary on mash potatoes and cherry tomatoes; Andy had Lamb wrapped in vine leaves stuffed with feta and gruyere served with vegetables and roast potatoes - all washed down with a pretty nice house red wine. For dessert we had yogurt with honey and walnuts and "birthday" baklava while the waiters all gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday". We finished with ouzo then mastika (a local specialty liquor - on the house).  A throughly delicious and memorable dinner!

We wandered home along the Dionysiou Areopagitou, admiring the floodlit acropolis before collapsing into bed after celebrating Kerryn's birthday for more than 30 hours!