Penultimate day before Paros!

I am obviously delighted to be back in Greece!  This morning early I hit the central Athenian Market which is just up the street from the hotel.  Didn’t buy the octopi or fish or tripe, but managed sack fulls of Greek herbed sea salt, Greek walnuts, dates, honey, oregano, almonds, dried apricots, and sun dried olives.  Most of what I am carrying to Paros is food, some for thought but mostly for consumption.  Life is getting better and better.

We arrived in Athens on Wednesday afternoon late.  We met up on the rooftop garden of the hotel at 6 to get an orientation.  All I needed was the view of the whole acopolis and to heck with the rest of the orientation.  Actually it was a walking tour of the Plaka district which is about 10 minutes from the hotel.  That took a while with stops at several art and archaeological sites, but we were released to a multitude of shops and restaurants.  We ate a recommended place which was quiet and quite delicious – plus there was a bazouki concert right behind us.  Mahalia had never eaten Greek food before so she had Moussaka and we shared a baklava for dessert – I had the roasted lamb with fresh oregano and lemons.  Heaven!

Thursday morning we walked from the hotel to the acropolis.  The weather is in the 60’s in the morning and warming up to 70 in the afternoon – unseasonably cool.  It was the 15-20 mph winds that kept the briskness around us.  Last time I was here with Amie it was 105!  So much better off season.  Still lots of tourists, but oh the views!

After a couple of hours on all of the rubble, we headed to the new Acropolis museum.  It really is very well done and does justice to all of the pieces rescued and restored from the site.  Another 2 hours as Jeffrey, our art professor, slogged through each and every Kore (female statue dedicated to Athena), which are all almost exactly alike.  It wasn’t that we were starving having eaten at 7, or exhausted from walking for 6 hours, or filled to the gills with dates and art styles – but it felt like being let out of school for summer vacation when he finally said we were done at 2.  Couldn’t go another step without food or a chair, so we ate at the cafe in the museum.  Actually we ate outside because the inside was full – holding down napkins and chasing the bill across the rooftop just added a little bit of ambience to the scene.

How could we help but walk back through the Plaka and all the shops that were closing the night before?  I found a T shirt of the man of my dreams, Pericles!  How cool is that?  Unfortunately, the Greeks have learned capitalism.  I found the shirt in one of the first shops and they only had one left in a size XL.  Figuring all shops have the same merchandise I confidently left it and headed on down the street.  Several streets later I finally found another shop that had the same shirt and in a L, which is what I wanted.  They quoted me a price almost 1 1/2 times the original shop.  I nicely explained I had seen it at another store at a better price and he said, “You haven’t seen any more have you?  They are all gone until next season.”  I am a hapless victim of supply and demand.  Luckily, I have yet to see another one, so I feel much better about my extravagant purchase.

Back to the hotel for a nap and time to avoid crowds.  Then out we went to have Souvlaki for dinner.  No more walk away food stands, but lots of outdoor cafes selling them as part of a larger meal.  Mahalia got introduced to saganaki – I’m making a true believer of her.  Food was good and we wandered  before heading  back to the hotel.

After the market this morning, a quick bite, and a quick nap, the whole group went to the National Museum.  This is my pilgrimage to see the greatest statue ever.  Even David doesn’t come close.  It really is the most amazing bronze – and we can be grateful to a diver looking for sunken ships for finding it.  Every time I come back he does not disappoint.  You can also see the other girls in the group doing our obligatory butt check, which also shows him as much better than any tight end in the NFL.  I just arrived back at the hotel and am gathering strength to have our last Athenian dinner.  I am packed up for the 5 AM call tomorrow.  We catch the bus at 6 and the ferry leaves at 7:15 for Paros!!!  It will be wonderful to finally unpack and settle in.  Everyone is exhausted and ready for the next phase of this wondrous journey, including me.