Greece

I recently looked up the Itineraries for Royal Olympic and found that the Itinerary we followed is still offered and still called the Golden Fleece. At the time I chose this itinerary because of its inclusion of Istanbul. I had a special reason for wanting to visit Istanbul, but I will go into that on my Turkish Pages.

We spent a few days at the Divani Palace Acropolis in Athens prior to sailing. We loved this hotel. It is right below the Acropolis and from its rooftop terrace restaurant you can see the parthenon.

To me, dinner at the rooftop restaurant was a perfect introduction to Greece. Imagine a clear summery night with stars glistening on a black velvet sky. Add the soft strains of acoustic bazouki music wafting on balmy Mediterranean breezes with the constant Parthenon softly illuminated high above and you have the setting. Imagine a buffet feast with every imaginable delicacy, a few bottles of wine and all night to savor it. This was my first night in Athens.

The offerings on the buffet were a gourmet's delight. There were more than a dozen different preparations of octopus alone and each was a delight. An hour into the evening and I was still sampling the salads and cold dishes. The wait staff had to remind me to leave room for the hot dishes, carving station and desserts.

Unhurried, we lingered three hours over this repast until totally sated we succumbed to the arms of Morpheus. I cannot imagine a more perfect perfect way to spend our first evening in Athens.

The next morning we headed to the Acropolis to explore the Parthenon, Erechtheon, and Acropolis museum. We were stunned by the crowds. Every tour bus in the city must have been there with guides describing the site and history in every language imaginable. Climbing up and down the ancient stone stairs was an adventure in itself with people going up and down at the same time. We managed to stay with our guide most of the way but parted ways in the Museum. Later that afternoon when there were no tour busses in sight we returned to the Acropolis where we were allowed to reenter using our same ticket stub from our morning visit. Wandering over the same ground without the crush of the crowds was infinitely more enjoyable. We could stop, sit and ponder at our own pace.

In addition to planned tours to see the important monuments, museums and other cultural offerings each place has to offer, I love to meander through the streets and explore a new city finding things by accident. After a brief orientation tour of the city, Dick and I took off on foot to discover the city's secrets on our own. We followed the street circling the Acropolis keeping close to the retaining wall until until we found ourselves in the narrow streets of the Anafiotika. It is quite hilly and the pedestrian streets take gentle twists and turns with the occasional staircase. It is a charming and colorful old-world neighborhood that transported us for a moment to an earlier time.

Continuing down the hill we entered an area known as "The Plaka". The Plaka is a pedestrians-only area ideal for people watching. Filled with shops, theaters and outdoor cafes this area of town teems with a wide variety of people both day and night. We enjoyed resting our feet in the afternoon at one of the many cafe's sipping on cokes watching the passing parade of people. Time had lost its meaning for us.

Refreshed we resumed our journey. We were heading toward a busy main street with bustling with people heading every which way to accomplish their work day rituals. Across this street is a large green space known as the National Gardens. We crossed into the garden enjoying the tranquility when we spied the columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus a short distance away. We made a bee-line for it and spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering amongst the columns of the ancient temple. From the green space surrounding the Temple we could see that we had not ventured very far from the Acropolis at all. And judging by the position of the Parthenon our hotel was only a few blocks away. We had nearly made a complete circle filled visiting some facsinating parts of the city without ever making a plan. Our brief walk back to the hotel took us through some highrise office buildings with upscale shopping on the lower floors. Back at our hotel we relaxed until it was time for dinner and a show back in the Plaka.

If the Plaka is busy during the daylight hours it is downright lively when the sun goes down. Filled with young people shaking off the stresses of the workday the Plaka becomes more vibrant with all the cafes full of these young people excitedly exchanging the stories of their day's adventures. Since it is a pedestrian area, our transportation could not take us right to the door of the nightclub, but walking a few blocks in this atmosphere energized us for the club's entertainment.