Post by Tulips on Oct 10, 2014 9:49:56 GMT
Well Folks,
I depart in less than 24 hours. I hope to post along the way depending on free wifi availability, reasonably priced internet availabiltiy, scheduling and how tired I am.
This is definately the first vacation I've taken where there is the possibility of strikes. I intend to go with the flow and hope there is no need to alterations.
Days 1 and 2 Have arrived at Toronto airport, after an hour and twenty minute delay. I am now relaxing in the lounge waiting for my 10 hour flight to Athens. Can't say I'm looking forward to it.
So the flight to Athens was looonnng! LOL! I realize that for people from Australia, 10 hours is not long to spend on a plane, but it is for me, especially with no individual seat screen and the airline showing kids movies.
There was no taxi strike today which was a good thing because my transfer was by taxi. There is however, a subway strike which has made the traffic horrendous today. It took over an hour to get from the airport to the hotel. It is hot hot hot here. The hotel is nice and my room has a double bed. No spectacular view of the Acropolis though. I have discovered there is free wifi in the lobby.
We have been advised that there will be a taxi strike tomorrow, September 8 and Saturday, September 10. As a result, I decided to go to the National Archeological Museum today as this is the only major site not within walking distance to the hotel. (there is a free shuttle to Syntagma from the hotel by the way). I spent a couple of hours there and had an app for my iPod with a guided audio tour which made the museum that much more enjoyable. Chech, I had no problems taking in my day bag. You can take all the photos you want in the museum as long as you don't use the flash.
I made it to the Plaka and managed to make it until 9pm. I had chicken souvlaki for dinner with tzatziki to die for. Although I did get a bit lost trying to get back to the hotel, I found people to be really friendly and I eventually found my way. Safety is not an issue as there are so many people around. I didn't feel uncomfortable walking around.
Day 3 Today has been another really hot day. It's been so warm, they actually have water spewing out of the fans to try and keep people cool.
I started off at the Acropolis (note, my tour does not start until Saturday and the Acropolis included). There were already throngs at 8:30am. The ticket cost 12 euros and includes: the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Kerimikos Cemetary, Hadrian's library, The Temple of Zeus and the Theatre of Dionysus. The ticket costs the same whether you see on site or all. IMO it is good value for money. Even though the Acropolis is included in the Best of Greece tour, I wanted to ba able to go at my own pace. I had downloaded an audio guide to my IPod to use.
Next, I went to the Ancient Agora and again, had downloaded an audio guide for my iPod for this site. The Temple of Hephaestus is amazing.
I then took in Hadrian's Library. At this site, you can actually climb on the ruin and touch the marble. A word about walking. A lot of the streets are either uneven stone, or marble. I have almost gone flying twice on the marble. So keep this in mind if traveling to Athens.
I also did some shopping today. Glenna, you would be proud! My major purchase was a cartouche necklace. Yes, they make them here and use ancient Greek letters. I got mine in silver and gold to have to two-tone effect. I also picked up some other jewellery, some worry beads and a pair of leather sandals. I don't find things to be terribly expensive here. There are definitely lots of tourists.
Off to the Plaka for dinner again tonight. Tonight I had a sampler plate of various Greek cuisine: moussaka, pastichio, spanakopita, and dolmades.
Today I started off by taking a taxi to Lycabettos Hill. It is far too hot for walking all that way, plus I find it easy to get lost in the streets here. I took the funicular to the top for 7 euros. Interestingly, I have read a lot about the taxi drivers at the bottom of the hill and how they scam people. I hailed mine and he was the cheapest one yet. 4 euros and he didn't inflate the meter price for his tip. The one's the hotel has called for me usually add a 3 tip to the meter price. I find this high when the fare is under 10 euros and the going rate here is 10 percent. The views from the hill are spectacular.
I then went to the Theatre of Dionysus, the Temple of Zeus and then lunched on a gyros.
After lunch, I went to the Acropolis museum. This is a spectacular museum and it is air conditioned. The cost was 5 euros. Well worth the entry fee.
Had our welcome drink with Ann. She is the Trafalgar Rep in Athens. She will not be taking us around for the Best of Greece though as she is not licensed. Our tour director will be Anna. We have 47 on the tour so the bus will be full. 90 percent of us are doing either the 3 or 7 day cruise. We have Canadians, Australians, Americans and one couple from New Zealand. We also have a complainer. One individual did not realize the acropolis was included and went on their own. The individual demanded a refund of the 12 euro cost. Nile sure why thisperson didn't know it was included as it is clearly stated on the itinerary. This same person arrived a day early and was upset that there was a cost for the room. Refund again demanded. This sounded like a communication issue with the travel agent. Certainly not anything to do with Trafalgar and not something to tie up everyone's tinware with at the pre tour meeting.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:08 PM BST
Tulips
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First official day of the tour. The day started out with the city tour including the acropolis, Panathenaic Stadium, Agora and Temple of Zeus. I elected not to go on this as I had seen all this over the previous couple of days. I knew te things were included, but being in Athens for 3 days prior to the start of the tour, I had to do something. I did not expect a refund.
Instead I went to the Benaki Museum, which I would equate to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I loved this museum. It has displays of Greek costumes, embroidery and jewelry.
I also took a stroll through the National Garden. Had to avoid Sytagma today as there was a demonstration today. But beyond noticing riot police, there was no bother to Amy tourists. Please note that you can easily avoid Syntagma and still see all of the sites if there is a demonstration.
Met the tour director, Anna and driver, Andreas this afternoon when those of us taking the sounion option gathered. We were offered 3 optionals in Athens. Dinner and Show, Sounion visit to see the Temple of Poseidon and a farewell dinner in Psyrri. I elected to take the Sounion option only. I had been to Sounion before, many years ago, but I went mainly for something to do this afternoon as I have seen most of the sites in Athens. It's very windy at the temple. On the way back, Andreas took a different route and we were able to get a view of the 2004 Olympic Stadium.
Anna announced that there would be a change to the itinerary to make the program better. Instead of going to Mycenae tomorrow, we will go on Monday. She said they would be adding things to the itinerary as well. I just hope it isn't stops at rug shops etc. I'm looking forward to getting out of Athens and seeing places I have never been to.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:09 PM BST
Tulips
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Today was an unbelievably hot day. Over 34 degrees celcius and not a cloud in the sky. I think I have been buying shares in the Greek bottled water companies. LOL!
We started out at the Corinth Canal for a twenty minute stop. There isn't much to see here other than the canal, which doesn't take much time to take a photo. There are washrooms and a restaurant here to get water or thick Greek frappes (I think I'll gain 10 pounds from these alone).
We then drove up to Ancient Corinth where we spent about 2 hours. Our TD, Anna, is very knowledgeable and described the sitein detail. Without her, it would be like looking at a pile of rubble and some pillars. Ancient Corinth is very picturesque. There is also a small museum here which Anna guided us through.
We the drove to our lunch stop which was a restaurant near Mycenae. There was an elaborate christening party taking place so those of us who didn't attend last night's optional, got to see Greek dancing for free. There was lots of choice on the menu for reasonable prices. I chose to have schnitzel, which is not Greek, but a dish I love and don't get to have very often.
On another point, one of the things I've noticed about the salads here is that you get heaps of vegetables and very little lettuce. At home, I find you get a bowl of lettuce with a token vegetable. So it's a nice change.
We then drove about an hour to Epidaurous. I was in my element here being a theatre lover. Also, the theatre in Stratford,
Ontario, is of a similar shape and style. There is a small museum here as well which we were guided through. Then it was time to hike up the hill to the theatre itself. I found the climb pretty steep in the heat and the steps were all uneven slippery rock. The
the theatre is the best preserved of the Greek theaters and is still used for performances today. Kevin Spacey was there two
days ago for a Shakespeare performance. Pity he didn't wait for us to arrive. I climbed all the way to the top seats in the
theater and tested out the acoustics with a tour mate. You really can hear whispering way up there.
Because it was so hot and everybody was wiped, we went to the hotel. We will go to Nafplio tomorrow.
The Amalia Hotel is nice. I have a huge bathroom and three beds. There is a lovely bar area and there is a piano player
currently entertaining as I write this. There is free wifi in the lobby.
Dinner was a beautiful buffet of many different Greek specialties. Many had two or three helpings. There were 4 or 5 dessert options.
On another note, this was the first day with all 47 of us on the bus and it turns out we have a massive bus, so the three singles all get seats to themselves and no one has to sit in the back row. There is also a separate locker for those with large carryons.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:10 PM BST
Tulips
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We started today with a stop in Nafplion, a little resort town. We were there first thing in the morning and there were hardly any people around. It made for some beautiful photos. We were a little disappointed that none of the shops were open.
It was the first day of school for Greek children and we walked by a school and all of the children were out in the yard and an Orthodox Priest was saying prayers. Anna says ha most of the Greek population is Greek Orthodox and it is common for the priest to come on the first day to wish them a good year.
We the drove to Mycenae which wasn't far away. It was already over 34 degrees in the bright sunshine. Many groans were heard when everyone looked at the site and the the climb that would have to be undertaken. We were there about an hour and a half. Now the funny thing is, the site of Mycenae is in the middle of nowhere, there are loads of people there and it is an extremely hot day and there is absolutely nowhere to get water. All the places had closed. It was late morning.
We then went over to the beehive tomb, which in fact, looks like a beehive. We spent about 20 minutes here.
We then went back into town for lunch at the King Menelaos Restaurant. This is the first tour I have ever been on where we have been going to sit down restaurants for lunch. It makes for slightly more expensive lunches as I am used to grabbing some quick
take away while rushing to see some site ot another or get some shopping in.
We then had a stop at a pottery factory for a quick demonstratio on pottery making. Of course, the place is a full scale shop as well. I didn't buy anything here as I dont need dust collectors and everything non dust collecty was fairly pricey compared to the Plaka.
In the afternoon, on the 3 hour drive to olympia, we stopped at a rest stop and some people bought wine and cheese. When we got back on the bus, they had paper cups and napkins. They proceeded to offer everyone a glass od wine and some cheese. If was a nice gesture and we had a great time enjoying these delicacies.
We arrived at the Amalia Olympia and were given a welcome drink od orange juice, sour cherry juice or grapefruit juice. This was where things took a turn. After the first two hotels, The Divani Palace Acroplis and Amalia Nafplion, this hotel was a huge step downhill. Let's see, stained carpets, horribly dated rooms, little bitty tv, no tissues, broken balconies. Air conditioning that worked marginally at best and no wifi. Anna said that there aren't many hotels in Olympia capable of dealing with large groups. She says this one is closing the end of October for a complete overhaul. This is one of the poorest hotels I have stayed in.
This evening however, made up for the hotel. We went to an Agriturismo, Magna Grecia, run by an Italian woman, Franka, who has lived in Greece 27 years and her husband, Dimitriosm who is a third generatio farmer. The is an olive farm and vineyard. We were given glasses od ouzo or wine, or orange juice on arrival and then were told about olive farming and olive oil. We were then invited to wander around the farm. Some of the olive trees are over 500 years old. They have turkeys and peacocks and chickens and many other vegetables as well as grapes. We then had a lovely meal of lamb (or chicken if you didn't like lamb). We had grappa and then there was dancing. Everyone participated. Everyone agreed it was one of the bes nights ever and it was included as part of the tour. It was certainly one of th best experiences I have had on a Trafalgar tour.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:11 PM BST
Tulips
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This morning we went straight to Ancient Olympia and it was already hot (34 again) and there were already throngs. There had to be more people here than at the Acropolis in Athens. At this site was flat. We spent an hour and a half viewing the site. It's hard to believe that one of the ancient wonders of the world was here at one time (the statue of Zeus). We the walked up to the museum for another hour. The museum is air conditioned. I was in my element in Olympia as I love the Olympics.
We then had lunch at a restaurant in town and wandered the shops.
We then started on the 4 and a half hour drive to Delphi. Our first stop was a the Rion Antirion suspension bridge which connect the Peloponnese to the mainland. It opened in 2004 right before the Athens olympics. There is a little visitors center where you could look at exhibits about the building of the bridge and view the 2004 and 2006 Olympic torches. There is also a viewing platform fr which you can get great photos of the bridge.
Our next stop was in the beach town of Nafkaptos. We started at a restaurant where Trafalgar provided everyone with complimentary thick iced Greek Frappes, wine, Greek coffee or any other non alcoholic beverage. We then went to the beach. I dipped my feet in the Ionian Sea and it was heaven. If we didn't have to get back onthr bus, I would have dove in right then and there clothes and all. It would have been so refreshing.
We then arrived at the Delphi Palace Hotel. It actually a heritage building. This is a quaint little hotel and I have a gorgeous view from my balcony. Note, some people paid extra for an upgrade and are stuck in rooms with no view. They are not happy. I wouldn't be either. There is free wifi.
We had a lovely dinner outside on the deck overlooking the gorgeous view and it has cooled down some so it is just beautiful. There is a piano player and a singer as well.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:12 PM BST
Tulips
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Today started out beautiful. It was a nice temperature and sunny. It didn't take long for it to get hot. It was 38 degrees at one point.
We started in Delphi. Now, I have to admit, I didn't spend a lot of time researching this site, but I thought Delphi was just the site you see in all the postcards. It turns out the tour doesn't even take you to that site. The section of Delphi that they take you to sits on a steep hill. We climbed in stages so it didn't seem as onerous. The site is really interesting. We also did a tour of the museum. We then had free time and I went to the Temple of Athina, which is the site you see in all the postcards. I would have been so disappointed to miss seeing this.
We then had lunch in Itea at a seafood restaurant. They presented the menu by showing actual plates of various fish dishes and non fish dishes. I had red snapper complete with head and eyes. I got the head and eyes for photo purposes and then ate around this. I also tried octopus which wasn't bad. I also tried Kalamari a d mussels which I loved. Imagine, a Nova Scotian, who wasn't big on seafood who is now a convert.
Chech, we did stop at Thermoplaes to see the naked Leonidis. Maybe there was something in the air, but men were taking photos also.
Now relaxing by the pool at the Amalia in Kalambaka.
Dinner tonight was a buffet, so there was lots of choice for food for dinner and dessert. It was a little crowded though as there were 9 tour groups using the hotel tonight.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:13 PM BST
Tulips
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Another hot (over 30) sunny day. Today was my favorite stop of the land tour. The monasteries and geological formations of Meteora.
Meteor is a series of mountains on which monasteries were built. Below the mountains sits a beautiful town. Andreas drove the bus to the top of the Moutain at the first Monastery, the Monastery of St. Stephen, so we didn't have to climb up. We were the first tour group to arrive. This was a good thing because the monasteries are small. We took a pseudo group photo here with the spectacular views and then went inside. The monastery was very ornately decorated.
We then went further along for a chance to take photos at the Monastery where they filmed "For Your Eyes Only". Thanks to Chech, I watched this movie just prior to leaving for this trip so it was great to see the same place.
We then drove to the very top of one of the mountains and took the stairs down to the Monastery of St. Barbara. So there was no climbing up of 200 steps. It was so hot by this time, that I took a quick look inside, but then had to get out. It was far too hot. The views fro this Monastery were absolutely spectacular.
We then began the 6 hour drive back to Athens which was really uneventful.
Just before we arrived back at the Divani in Athens, Anna, our tour director took a few minutes to speak to us. Anna is amazing. She has been guiding tours for 24 years and has so much knowledge. She provided us with so much more than you could ever get out of a guidebook. Granted, some felt she provided too much informational times. Anyways, she has so much passion about here country and she explained that she feels that all of the sites in Greece belong to everyone and that she was just lucky enough to have been born here. She got very emotional, which made me emotional (I hate goodbyes). Se wanted very much to thank everyone for coming to Greece now because she knows the bad things that are being said about Greece in the news. Earlier she explained that back in August when the news was really bad fro Greece, she had a couple of tour cancellations (not Trafalgar, she does other tours as well).
So the land tour is now over. Some people are going off to other tours in other countries, some are going on the 3 day cruise and the rest of us are going on the seven day cruise. A little under half of the 47 people on the tour signed up for the farewell dinner. The tour pace has been fast and tiring with the heat. I will say that this is a very short tour of you don't tack on something else.
Day 11,
Slept in today. Really needed to after a week of really early monrings.
I started the day in the Plaka with the idea that I would buy a dress. On of the other ladies on tour bought one and I thought it looked pretty. I found a shop that allowed you to try on the dressed before purchasing. I have to try before I buy especially if there are no returns. I tried a bunch on but didn't love any, possibly because European sized are bigger (I wear a small or extra small and larges were fitting me). I didn't buy and the shopkeeper got very upset with me saying I'd spent an hour in the store and tried everything on and why wouldn't I buy? never had that experience before. Trying stuff on is not an obligation to buy.
We had to be back to the hotel for our transfer to ship at 12:45. I didn't eat anything, nor did anyone else as we were expecting to go right to the ship and there would be a buffet waiting. We were also advised there would be a meeting with our Tour Director at 3:30. The coach taking us to the ship was an hour late. We then had to pass through passport control which took a long time. By the time I got to my cabin, it was 3:20. No time to explore cabin or have lunch as had to get to meeting with TD. No one was impressed that we could not have lunch and we were all hungry and it was very hot. Also, the ship's mandatory lifeboat drill was occuring at 3:30. So just as well all got assembled in the room for the TD meeting, we had to leave and do the life boat drill and then go back to the meeting.
At the meeting, we met Bill, our Tour Director and discovered that he was also handling an Aegean Odyssey Group and well as our Best of Greece Group and one couple from the Best of Italy and Greece. Bill handed out the ship's excursion booklet which offered 21 different optionals. Bill said we could choose any one we wanted but he had highlighted the one's he thought were worthwhile:
Istanbul Highlights with Lunch Ashore 106 Euros - Bill said this one was the most expensive one, but he said the other offers lunch on ship and for the 7 Euro difference, he couldn't see coming back to the ship and wasting that time.
Delos 53 Euros - the Birthplace of Apollo, was unmissable in his opinion ( I absolutely loved this, more later).
Scenic Island Tour 39 Euros - Bill said this was much cheaper than the St. John Monastery and Grotto option and you still get to see the Grotto on the island tour.
Ephesus without the House of Mary 62 Euros - Unmissable in Bill's opinion. Bill felt with the House of Mary option, you would be rushed at the House of Mary and this one was cheaper.
Rhodes and Lindos Combined 53 Euros - Bill said this is the best of the options on Rhodes
Oia Village Tour 55 Euros - Bill encouraged everyone to take this in order to maximize time on Santorini. He said disembarkation here is always by tender and if you didn't take the option, you could be waiting an hour to get a tender off ship and time in Santorini was too short and precious to waste.
Palace of Knossos 58 Euros - Highlighted in a difference colour by Bill,. He said this was an important archaeological site, but if not interested, not to do as this would be a good morning for a sleep in.
He had also highlighted the Taste of Crete, but said he hated this optional because who wants wine at 9AM?
I chose all the optionals but the Taste of Crete. I figured I am here and may not be here again. I also took the view that I would see what I wanted to see and not let others sway me because then, I could regret it later.
If anyone wants a full list of optionals, I can provide it.
Bill is an Irishman who has lived in Greece for some 20 years. He said he ended up in Greece due to mispent youth. He has a great sense of humour and would turn out to be a great TD. He also warned us against drinking too much Mythos (Greek Beer). He said if we drank too much, we would become fluent in Mythology.
He also referred to WC's as "With Cash". We didn't have to pay on mainland Greece, but we would on the islands.
After the meeting, it was dinner time. We were starving. Bill had told us at hte meeting that he had gotten us all tables by the window in the La Scala Restaurant and he booked us all for the early sitting (the time for this could vary, but was never earlier than 6:30pm). He told us we could select whom we wanted to sit with and that would be who we would be sitting with for the duration of the cruise. I had hung out with a couple from Canada and a family (two parents and their adult children) during the land portion and they asked me to join their table. So we had 7 at a table for 8. I was the first to arrive at dinner and there was a gentleman at the table I had never seen before. He and his wife were on the Best of Italy and Greece tour. His wife was not feeling well that night and did not have dinner. An issue then developed at our table because there would be 9 people at a table of 8. I, being the single, was asked to move by the waiter and we all emphatically said no as we 7 had all been travelling together for the week. The other gentleman said he and his wife would have no problem moving. Bill said he would not move me as it was very clear that I did not want to move and none of the others wanted me to move. (It turned out this was no longer an issue the next day as Bill had taken the gentleman's wife who had not been feeling well to the ship's doctor and she was diagnosed with pneumonia and was no longer permitted to sail. She and her husband had to leave the ship and she ended up spending 3 days in an Istanbul hospital). After dinner, I was so exhausted from the day, I went straight to bed.
Note: Louis Cruises is somewhat sneaky by passing out the drink package purchase option and having a booth set up to purchase before you can get on ship and see the drink prices. the package was 166 Euros for the week for the alcohol one and 89 Euros for the non-alcohol one. All persons in the cabin had to purchase a package. We were advised by the person taking us to the ship not to purchase the package until we got on board. One person ignored this advise and bought the alcohol package for him and his wife even thought his wife doesn't drink. He was the only one who took the package and then spent the rest of the cruise drinking to ensure he got his money's worth.
I determined I would have to have 7 alcoholic drinks per day based on ship's prices to break even. I would never drink this much alhohol in a day at home, never mind while travelling.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:14 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 12
Had a nice sleep in this morning and then had a look around the ship. I found the ship to be just fine. This was my first cruise, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I didn't find any problems. I paid the superior rate and had a huge window and a fridge. The shower only had a curtain and no rail or anything to block water on the floor. I didn't have a problem with water going all over the bathroom though. On comparing with others, the standard price gives a cabin with no window and no fridge and the premium price gives a shower with a door.
Docked in Istanbul around 3pm. Arrival was a fantastic site. I sort of liken it to coming into Venice by boat. The views are incredible.
We left immediately for the Grand Bazaar which is probably 15 minutes from the port, but it took over an hour to get there due to Istanbul's horrendous traffic. Shopping at the Grand Bazaar was an experience, to say the least. The crowds were enourmous and the vendors are all over you and hassle you and follow you all around telling you that their mother, borther, uncle etc, is from your country. I don't like this type of shopping or the huge crowds. Plus, I really didn't now the prices of things, so couldn't tell whether I would be ripped off or not. I ended up getting two pashminas that I think I overpaid for and two decorative little trinket boxes.
Due to the time it took us to get to the Bazaar, and the hour we had there, we did not have time to do the Spice Bazaar today, so we will go there tomorrow. We had to go to the Grand Bazaar today because tomorrow is Sunday and it's not open Sunday's.
I should point out that at no time in the Grand Bazaar, or in Istanbul for that matter, did I feel threatened.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:16 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 13
Today was a really early start as we had to be off the boat and on the bus by 7:30AM. WE had a lot to fit in today.
Our first stop was to cross the bridge into Asia. Instanbul is located on two continents, Europe and Asia. So, now I can say I have been to Asia. One of the interesting things about Istanbul is that they have exercise parks set up all over the city with various exercise apparatus. At our stop in Asia, we stopped at one of these parks. I think this is a great idea. Wish we had them in Canada. We were here for about 15 mintues.
We then made our way back to Europe and to the Blue Mosque. This mosque was regarded as the supreme imperial mosque in Istanbul. The name comes from the 20,000 blue tiles that decorate the place. There was no problem getting in or taking photos inside. If your shoulders or knees weren't covered, they gave you a skirt and shawl to put on. Everyone has to remove their shoes and we were given bags to carry our shoes in. The mosque is very ornate and definately one of the highlights of Istanbul.
We then made our way across the Street to the Hagia Sophia (the red mosque) (see my photo in previous days posting). This is now a museum and not an active mosque so no need to remove shoes or cover yourself. This one was not as ornate as the blue mosque. Both places were absolutely packed with hoardes of people.
Next was the part of the tour that angered me. We spent an hour and a half at a rug store. We had a 20 minute demonstration which was interesting and we saw lots of nice carpets. We also were given a choice of turkish coffee, apple tea, a turkish liquor of some sort or water. I had the apple tea and I will say that it was delicious. This part was fine, it was all the rest of the time spent here. There were several people in our group who spent thousands on rugs. But I think there has to be away for the people not interested, and there were lots standing around outside the shop getting harrased by the street vendors, to go on to another site or allow people interested in rugs to go back later after dropping everyone else back at the ship. Trust me when I say that I was not the only one very upset we spent so much time here.
We had lunch at a restaurant in the grounds of Topkapi Palace and then had 45 minutes to look at the palace. Are you kidding me? 45 minutes to see all the famous things the palace has to offer and yet we had an 1 and a half at a rug store! Unfortunately, had to blow through the palace, which was difficult because, again there were hoardes and hoards of people. The rooms were packed tight as sardines and the lines to get in long. This would be the biggest disappointment of the entire tour for me. I was so looking forward to this site and I didn't really get to see much.
Our last stop was the spice market, where I sampled real Turkish Delight and let me just say that real fresh Turkish Delight is an absolute delight. I bought some of this and some of the apple tea I had enjoyed so much earlier.
We got back to the ship and had to rush because tonight was the Captain's cocktail party and dinner and we only had a half an hour to get all dolled up. I had brought a nice dress made of a material that doesn't wrinkle and is light weight. So I can ball it up in my suitcase and pull it out looking like it was hung up in the closet the whole time. Most people in our group got dressed up, (although as Bill put it, you can wear your leased creased items in your suitcase) and went and had our photos taken with a backdrop and then with the Captain and then went on to the dinner.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:17 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 14
Today was my favourite day of the entire trip. Started out with a nice long sleep in as we didn't dock in Mykonos until 2pm. Had the most delicious mojito sorbet for dessert at lunch.
On arrival in Mykonos, we were able to dock in port, rather than having to use a tender, so that saved a lot of time. About 30 people from our group got on the boat for the optional to Delos. There were about 200 in all from the ship going. The boat is a good size and the ride over which took about a half an hour was smooth. Delos is the birthplace of Apollo and one of the most important Archaeological sites in Greece. The only people who can live on the island are the guards and the archaeologists. Today was a Monday and Delos is closed on Monday's but there is an agreement with Louis Cruises to allow people from the ship to visit. This meant we had the island to ourselves and it was beautiful. It was amazing to see a site without hoardes of people. Also, our small group had the best guide, Amarilis. She brought everything to life. One of the houses on the site still had the beautiful mosaic floors. All I can say was this was such an amazing experiece. It was my favourite of all the archaeological sites visited. I'm so glad I went.
We boarded the boat back to Mykonos at 6pm and were back at 6:30. Just in time to watch one of the most spectacular sunsets. My friend and I walked up to the windmills and watched from there for an hour. I can't even describe how fantastic it was. I must have taken 100 photos and this location provided a perfect view of Little Venice as well (see my profile photo). There were thousands of people all sitting in restaurants and around the island with glasses of wine just viewing. It was so peaceful.
After, we did some shopping. There are some wonderful shops. Beware, Mykonos is very expensive. We found a wonderful little shop selling beaded jewellery. The shopkeeper made a fortune off us, but we were pelased with our purchases.
We then met up with some others and had a lovely dinner in one of the waterfront restaurants. Here is where we really noticed how expensive Mykonos is. But, we weren't going to waste our precious time by going back to the ship for dinner. We ordered way too much food for all of us so we ended up sharing with other memebers of our group who came walking by.
We had such a great time, we took the last shuttle back to the ship at 11:15pm. It didn't get cool, so we didn't need the sweaters we brought.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:19 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 15
This morning was an early start. We were able to dock in the port in Patmos, again saving having take a tender. The island is really beautiful. I chose the option to tour the island and included the Grotto of St. John. There was another more expensive option, that didn't tour the island, but just saw the Grotto and museum.
Patmos is a beautiful island and I enjoyed the tour. We did a bit of walking throught the city and then the rest was by bus. The trip to the grotto where St. John wrote the Book of Revelation was very interesting. It is a bit of a climb down into the grotto and back up. No photos are allowed inside.
We then returned back to the port area and were given drink tickets to have whatever you wanted at one of the restaurants and we had about an hour or so to meander. I had a thick Greek frappe. These are really thick coffee drinks. Nothing like what you would get at a Starbucks or the like. We mostly walked around and checked out the shops and bought various souvenirs.
We then boarded the ship to go the 48 nautical miles to Kusadasi. This took 4 hours. Seems like a waste of time to me! On arrival, we boarded the bus to Ephasus. Most of us just took the Ephesus option, there were 4 who took the option with Mary's House. Our guide, was Oz and he was another great guide. It was another very hot day and the place was crowded although not as crowded as Olympia. Ephesus is spectacular, but I didn't like it as much as Delos or Pompeii. Still, it is unmissable in my opinion. We had a very detailed tour and then some free time to explore around the library. Unbeknownst to us, there were people taking our pictures as we walked towards the library. These were later on sale by our bus for 3 euro's each. There weren't many takers as we had got our own photos in our free time.
We then headed back to Kusadasi for a cool drink at the rug shop. Bill was very clear that we did nto have to go in at all, we could go off wherever if we wanted. He suggested we could go in and get a cold drink and walk right back out as well. I grabbed my cold drink and went right back out. Went in to the Grand Bazaar for a bit, but to be honest, I had had enough of the hassles and people coming up to me and not allowing me to browse in peace, that I went back to the ship. I wanted to freshen up before the big Greek Night dinner.
I brought my blue and white and was able to wear some of my newly purchased jewellery as well. It was all Greek food on the menu tonight.
One of the nice things about the restaurant on the ship is that there is always a choice of 3 or 4 things for each course, so you should never be stuck with something you don't like.
The ship also has wine packages which are much more reasonable than the drinks package. You can get 3 bottles of wine with lots of selection and two bottles of water for around 35 euros. This is great because you can share around the table and is cheaper than buying 3 individual bottles of wine.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:20 PM BST
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Day 16
Woke up this morning and received wonderful news. There would be no Air Canada strike and I would be able to fly out as scheduled preserving my remaining vacation days.
Today was the first day that the heat bothered me because this was the first day we had humidity. It was another sunny day.
We had arrived in Rhodes early and disembarked at 7:15 AM for those of us going to the town of Lindos. The main attraction is the acropolis of Lindos. This site has somewhere around 400 steps to the top and they are uneven, narrow in spots and there are no hand railings. One lady from the other Trafalgar group under Bill's umbrella and with us got to the last step and then fell. It was a bad fall and she had to be carried all the way back down by two paramedics, Bill and one gentleman from the tour members. She was taken to hospital where it was determined she had suffered a broken leg.
At the top of the acropolis, on lady who was not with our group said to her husband who was still getting to the top, that all there was was the view. I was with someone from my tour and we both looked at each other in disbelief. Not only was there the view, but a beutiful ruined temple (yes, not as impressive as the Parthenon and buildings, but still impressive) and the accomplishment of having made it to the top.
We had about an hour of free time in Lindos so on the way back down, many of us stopped in the shops. There are shops lining the way up and down from the town. You could take a shuttle back up to the parking area where the coach was or walk. I elected to walk as the line up for the shuttle was long. As it turned out, we were very delayed leaving because we had to wait for Bill to come back and also many people were late getting back to the coach. Our guide Anna, was a bit upset that so many were late. I suspect people were late because they were waiting for the shuttle because in the heat and after the grueling walk up and down the acropolis, they didn't want to walk anymore.
We lost about 40 minutes or so as a result of all of this. We were supposed to go to a Ceramics Factory. The one we were going to go to was out of the way, so Bill said we would stop at one that was on the road we were currently driving on. When we pulled in, there were 4 other tour buses there. Bill announced that he changed his mind and we would not stay here. He thought we wouldn't enjoy it with so many people and we would be rushed as we would only have 20 minutes. So instead we headed directly back to Rhodes for our tour of the old town. No one was disappointed to miss the Ceramics Factory.
We had a short walking tour of the old town. The town has very difficult terrain in parts, very uneven. Anna pointed out the Grand Masters Palace and the old Hospital building which now serves as the Archaeological Museum. She didn't recommend the Grand Masters Palace. She also directed people to the beach and back to the ship.
I had lunch with some fellow tour mates and then went to the Archaeological Museum. This was one of the best museums I have been to. It is part outdoors, part indoors and part garden, not ot mention the amazing architecture. It was one of the best 6 euros I had spent.
I then went to the Grand Masters Palace. I decided to go despite what Anna had said because you don't know what other people's interests are and they might not like something that you would really love. I do not regret going and really enjoyed myself. Granted, this palace is not ornate like Hampton Court for example, but it was never meant to be so. There was also an exhibition of dresses worn by the Greek opera singer Maria Callas in various operas that had been sculpted out of what looked like pop can material. I found that fascinating.
I thought I would walk up to the beach next. I started heading for the port and you had to go through a huge Plaka like area full of shops to get there. By the time I got to the port, I was so exhausted and starting to feel unwell, that I just headed back to the ship to rest before the evening events. The heat really got to me today.
At 6pm, Trafalgar was hosting a cocktail party. We all had a great time at this and the lady who broke her leg earlier, was able to join us. Also, as mentioned earlier on in my tale, the woman and her husband who had to leave due to pneumonia also were able to join us. They had reboarded in Kusadasi after the woman had spent 3 days in an Istanbul hospital. She said that was an experience and I'm sure it was.
We then went to dinner and had the most wonderful baked Alaska for dessert. I hadn't had baked Alaska in ages. It was wonderful.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:20 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 17
Those of us departing for Knossos had an early start. There were only 4 of us from our group going. One other person in the group chose to due the Taste of Crete option and everyone else elected for a sleep in.
It took about an hour to get to Knossos. Our guide was Andonnis and he was very knowledgeable. Bill had said at the start that he was a good guide. He had told me at the cocktail party that it was hit or miss with the guides to Knossos. So I was glad to have a good guide.
Unfortunately, it had not rained on Crete since May and today it decided to rain and this was the only day that rain appeared on the entire tour. It was enough to make things a bit unpleasant. I still really enjoyed the optional and was glad I went. Even though the site is a reconstruction, I thought it was beautiful. It was the only site that had colour to it. For me, it was an optional well worth taking.
Once we got back to ship, we immediately set sail for Santorini. We arrived early and were on one of the first tenders. No ships can dock at Santorini so there was no other option. We were on one of the first tenders and we then drove directly to Oia (pronouned EE Ah). Bill advised that we were not going to Fira. You could go there if you wanted but would have get the cable car ( which had huge lines) or a donkey back to ship. If you stayed in Oia, you could get the coach back to the ship.
We had about two hours free time and this was not nearly enough time for this picturesque place. We had been told where the best places were to get photos so we all went to those places and then walked to the one end for the sunset. (Yes it was sunny here, which everyone was hoping for). There was some cloud starting to roll in. I had walked up to the end of the town and watched the sunset for a bit and then started heading back to take a look in some of the shops. Along the way there was a bit of rain. Then, the most spectacular rainbow appeared and I can tell you that this was better than any sunset and everybody was crowding around to get photos. I hadn't seen a rainbow in a long time and to see one on one of the most picturesque places in the world was amazing.
They really need to schedule an entire day on Santorini, not just a couple of hours. We took the tender back to ship. Had a nice dinner (open seating tonight) and then it was back to the cabin to pack as our luggage had to be out by midnight.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:21 PM BST
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Day 18
We arrived back in Piraeus at 6AM and disembarkation was at 7:30AM , but we had to be out of our cabins by 7AM. It was an early morning.
Disembarkation was really smooth and we were back at the Divani Palace by a little after 8:30AM. Our rooms would not be ready until 2pm. A few of us hung out in the lobby catching up on news and e-mails and then we went out to the Plaka for one last shopping trip. We had a nice lunch and then more shopping and then headed back to the hotel to check in and a rest.
We then headed back to the Plaka about 4pm to look around again and have our last dinner together (the small group of us that had hung out together). We had thought about eating at the rooftop restaurant at the Divani with the Acropolis all lit up for our last night, but the menu didn't have a lot of selection and it was pricey, so we ate in a restaurant we had eaten at twice before as we really enjoyed it.
After dinner we raced back to one shop in the Plaka that was just closing. It was run by an older lady who hand knit wall hangings and they were beautiful. I picked up two depicting Santorini.
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posted at 7/9/2011 1:37 PM BST
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Day 19,
Most of us were on the 8:30AM transfer to the airport so on arrival we all said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. There wer 4 people from the trip and myself on my flight direct to Toronto.
Athens airport is the only airport I have ever been in that doesn't have any shops or food areas after security. I wished I had known this before hand and it is my own fault for not looking. I had just never come across this before and I have been in many airports around the world. My usual routine is to clear security right away to get that over and done with.
At least the airport had 60 minutes of free wifi. Just before we were to board, there was an announcement that the air traffic controllers were doing a work to rule and that we would be delayed. They announced that we would board and hope to get around the work to rule an be able to leave shortly after boarding. This did not happen and we sat there on the plane for two hours before takeoff. This was before a 10 hour flight. Also, we were supposed to depart at noon and no one had eaten (there was no place to eat) and we thought we would be served right after takeoff. This did not happen because of the delay and they did not want to serve us a meal because they wanted to leave as soon as they got the call and if meals were all out, they would have to collect them all which could cause us to lose our takeoff spot. So they handed out cookies instead to appease people.
Many people missed their connections and they said that almost everyone on the flight was connecting somewhere. I was alright as I had 4 hours between flights. It pays to have lots of connection time between flights. The other 4 from the tour were staying in Toronto so they were alright as well.
After that delay we were on our way and they served ample food multiple times once we were airborne.
Arrived in Toronto, customs was a breeze, did not have to pay duty even though I was over the limit and then waited for my connecting flight. This flight left on time and I made it home a little after midnight which was 6AM the next day on Athens time. I was dead exhausted.
I depart in less than 24 hours. I hope to post along the way depending on free wifi availability, reasonably priced internet availabiltiy, scheduling and how tired I am.
This is definately the first vacation I've taken where there is the possibility of strikes. I intend to go with the flow and hope there is no need to alterations.
Days 1 and 2 Have arrived at Toronto airport, after an hour and twenty minute delay. I am now relaxing in the lounge waiting for my 10 hour flight to Athens. Can't say I'm looking forward to it.
So the flight to Athens was looonnng! LOL! I realize that for people from Australia, 10 hours is not long to spend on a plane, but it is for me, especially with no individual seat screen and the airline showing kids movies.
There was no taxi strike today which was a good thing because my transfer was by taxi. There is however, a subway strike which has made the traffic horrendous today. It took over an hour to get from the airport to the hotel. It is hot hot hot here. The hotel is nice and my room has a double bed. No spectacular view of the Acropolis though. I have discovered there is free wifi in the lobby.
We have been advised that there will be a taxi strike tomorrow, September 8 and Saturday, September 10. As a result, I decided to go to the National Archeological Museum today as this is the only major site not within walking distance to the hotel. (there is a free shuttle to Syntagma from the hotel by the way). I spent a couple of hours there and had an app for my iPod with a guided audio tour which made the museum that much more enjoyable. Chech, I had no problems taking in my day bag. You can take all the photos you want in the museum as long as you don't use the flash.
I made it to the Plaka and managed to make it until 9pm. I had chicken souvlaki for dinner with tzatziki to die for. Although I did get a bit lost trying to get back to the hotel, I found people to be really friendly and I eventually found my way. Safety is not an issue as there are so many people around. I didn't feel uncomfortable walking around.
Day 3 Today has been another really hot day. It's been so warm, they actually have water spewing out of the fans to try and keep people cool.
I started off at the Acropolis (note, my tour does not start until Saturday and the Acropolis included). There were already throngs at 8:30am. The ticket cost 12 euros and includes: the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Kerimikos Cemetary, Hadrian's library, The Temple of Zeus and the Theatre of Dionysus. The ticket costs the same whether you see on site or all. IMO it is good value for money. Even though the Acropolis is included in the Best of Greece tour, I wanted to ba able to go at my own pace. I had downloaded an audio guide to my IPod to use.
Next, I went to the Ancient Agora and again, had downloaded an audio guide for my iPod for this site. The Temple of Hephaestus is amazing.
I then took in Hadrian's Library. At this site, you can actually climb on the ruin and touch the marble. A word about walking. A lot of the streets are either uneven stone, or marble. I have almost gone flying twice on the marble. So keep this in mind if traveling to Athens.
I also did some shopping today. Glenna, you would be proud! My major purchase was a cartouche necklace. Yes, they make them here and use ancient Greek letters. I got mine in silver and gold to have to two-tone effect. I also picked up some other jewellery, some worry beads and a pair of leather sandals. I don't find things to be terribly expensive here. There are definitely lots of tourists.
Off to the Plaka for dinner again tonight. Tonight I had a sampler plate of various Greek cuisine: moussaka, pastichio, spanakopita, and dolmades.
Today I started off by taking a taxi to Lycabettos Hill. It is far too hot for walking all that way, plus I find it easy to get lost in the streets here. I took the funicular to the top for 7 euros. Interestingly, I have read a lot about the taxi drivers at the bottom of the hill and how they scam people. I hailed mine and he was the cheapest one yet. 4 euros and he didn't inflate the meter price for his tip. The one's the hotel has called for me usually add a 3 tip to the meter price. I find this high when the fare is under 10 euros and the going rate here is 10 percent. The views from the hill are spectacular.
I then went to the Theatre of Dionysus, the Temple of Zeus and then lunched on a gyros.
After lunch, I went to the Acropolis museum. This is a spectacular museum and it is air conditioned. The cost was 5 euros. Well worth the entry fee.
Had our welcome drink with Ann. She is the Trafalgar Rep in Athens. She will not be taking us around for the Best of Greece though as she is not licensed. Our tour director will be Anna. We have 47 on the tour so the bus will be full. 90 percent of us are doing either the 3 or 7 day cruise. We have Canadians, Australians, Americans and one couple from New Zealand. We also have a complainer. One individual did not realize the acropolis was included and went on their own. The individual demanded a refund of the 12 euro cost. Nile sure why thisperson didn't know it was included as it is clearly stated on the itinerary. This same person arrived a day early and was upset that there was a cost for the room. Refund again demanded. This sounded like a communication issue with the travel agent. Certainly not anything to do with Trafalgar and not something to tie up everyone's tinware with at the pre tour meeting.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:08 PM BST
Tulips
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First official day of the tour. The day started out with the city tour including the acropolis, Panathenaic Stadium, Agora and Temple of Zeus. I elected not to go on this as I had seen all this over the previous couple of days. I knew te things were included, but being in Athens for 3 days prior to the start of the tour, I had to do something. I did not expect a refund.
Instead I went to the Benaki Museum, which I would equate to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I loved this museum. It has displays of Greek costumes, embroidery and jewelry.
I also took a stroll through the National Garden. Had to avoid Sytagma today as there was a demonstration today. But beyond noticing riot police, there was no bother to Amy tourists. Please note that you can easily avoid Syntagma and still see all of the sites if there is a demonstration.
Met the tour director, Anna and driver, Andreas this afternoon when those of us taking the sounion option gathered. We were offered 3 optionals in Athens. Dinner and Show, Sounion visit to see the Temple of Poseidon and a farewell dinner in Psyrri. I elected to take the Sounion option only. I had been to Sounion before, many years ago, but I went mainly for something to do this afternoon as I have seen most of the sites in Athens. It's very windy at the temple. On the way back, Andreas took a different route and we were able to get a view of the 2004 Olympic Stadium.
Anna announced that there would be a change to the itinerary to make the program better. Instead of going to Mycenae tomorrow, we will go on Monday. She said they would be adding things to the itinerary as well. I just hope it isn't stops at rug shops etc. I'm looking forward to getting out of Athens and seeing places I have never been to.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:09 PM BST
Tulips
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Today was an unbelievably hot day. Over 34 degrees celcius and not a cloud in the sky. I think I have been buying shares in the Greek bottled water companies. LOL!
We started out at the Corinth Canal for a twenty minute stop. There isn't much to see here other than the canal, which doesn't take much time to take a photo. There are washrooms and a restaurant here to get water or thick Greek frappes (I think I'll gain 10 pounds from these alone).
We then drove up to Ancient Corinth where we spent about 2 hours. Our TD, Anna, is very knowledgeable and described the sitein detail. Without her, it would be like looking at a pile of rubble and some pillars. Ancient Corinth is very picturesque. There is also a small museum here which Anna guided us through.
We the drove to our lunch stop which was a restaurant near Mycenae. There was an elaborate christening party taking place so those of us who didn't attend last night's optional, got to see Greek dancing for free. There was lots of choice on the menu for reasonable prices. I chose to have schnitzel, which is not Greek, but a dish I love and don't get to have very often.
On another point, one of the things I've noticed about the salads here is that you get heaps of vegetables and very little lettuce. At home, I find you get a bowl of lettuce with a token vegetable. So it's a nice change.
We then drove about an hour to Epidaurous. I was in my element here being a theatre lover. Also, the theatre in Stratford,
Ontario, is of a similar shape and style. There is a small museum here as well which we were guided through. Then it was time to hike up the hill to the theatre itself. I found the climb pretty steep in the heat and the steps were all uneven slippery rock. The
the theatre is the best preserved of the Greek theaters and is still used for performances today. Kevin Spacey was there two
days ago for a Shakespeare performance. Pity he didn't wait for us to arrive. I climbed all the way to the top seats in the
theater and tested out the acoustics with a tour mate. You really can hear whispering way up there.
Because it was so hot and everybody was wiped, we went to the hotel. We will go to Nafplio tomorrow.
The Amalia Hotel is nice. I have a huge bathroom and three beds. There is a lovely bar area and there is a piano player
currently entertaining as I write this. There is free wifi in the lobby.
Dinner was a beautiful buffet of many different Greek specialties. Many had two or three helpings. There were 4 or 5 dessert options.
On another note, this was the first day with all 47 of us on the bus and it turns out we have a massive bus, so the three singles all get seats to themselves and no one has to sit in the back row. There is also a separate locker for those with large carryons.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:10 PM BST
Tulips
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We started today with a stop in Nafplion, a little resort town. We were there first thing in the morning and there were hardly any people around. It made for some beautiful photos. We were a little disappointed that none of the shops were open.
It was the first day of school for Greek children and we walked by a school and all of the children were out in the yard and an Orthodox Priest was saying prayers. Anna says ha most of the Greek population is Greek Orthodox and it is common for the priest to come on the first day to wish them a good year.
We the drove to Mycenae which wasn't far away. It was already over 34 degrees in the bright sunshine. Many groans were heard when everyone looked at the site and the the climb that would have to be undertaken. We were there about an hour and a half. Now the funny thing is, the site of Mycenae is in the middle of nowhere, there are loads of people there and it is an extremely hot day and there is absolutely nowhere to get water. All the places had closed. It was late morning.
We then went over to the beehive tomb, which in fact, looks like a beehive. We spent about 20 minutes here.
We then went back into town for lunch at the King Menelaos Restaurant. This is the first tour I have ever been on where we have been going to sit down restaurants for lunch. It makes for slightly more expensive lunches as I am used to grabbing some quick
take away while rushing to see some site ot another or get some shopping in.
We then had a stop at a pottery factory for a quick demonstratio on pottery making. Of course, the place is a full scale shop as well. I didn't buy anything here as I dont need dust collectors and everything non dust collecty was fairly pricey compared to the Plaka.
In the afternoon, on the 3 hour drive to olympia, we stopped at a rest stop and some people bought wine and cheese. When we got back on the bus, they had paper cups and napkins. They proceeded to offer everyone a glass od wine and some cheese. If was a nice gesture and we had a great time enjoying these delicacies.
We arrived at the Amalia Olympia and were given a welcome drink od orange juice, sour cherry juice or grapefruit juice. This was where things took a turn. After the first two hotels, The Divani Palace Acroplis and Amalia Nafplion, this hotel was a huge step downhill. Let's see, stained carpets, horribly dated rooms, little bitty tv, no tissues, broken balconies. Air conditioning that worked marginally at best and no wifi. Anna said that there aren't many hotels in Olympia capable of dealing with large groups. She says this one is closing the end of October for a complete overhaul. This is one of the poorest hotels I have stayed in.
This evening however, made up for the hotel. We went to an Agriturismo, Magna Grecia, run by an Italian woman, Franka, who has lived in Greece 27 years and her husband, Dimitriosm who is a third generatio farmer. The is an olive farm and vineyard. We were given glasses od ouzo or wine, or orange juice on arrival and then were told about olive farming and olive oil. We were then invited to wander around the farm. Some of the olive trees are over 500 years old. They have turkeys and peacocks and chickens and many other vegetables as well as grapes. We then had a lovely meal of lamb (or chicken if you didn't like lamb). We had grappa and then there was dancing. Everyone participated. Everyone agreed it was one of the bes nights ever and it was included as part of the tour. It was certainly one of th best experiences I have had on a Trafalgar tour.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:11 PM BST
Tulips
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This morning we went straight to Ancient Olympia and it was already hot (34 again) and there were already throngs. There had to be more people here than at the Acropolis in Athens. At this site was flat. We spent an hour and a half viewing the site. It's hard to believe that one of the ancient wonders of the world was here at one time (the statue of Zeus). We the walked up to the museum for another hour. The museum is air conditioned. I was in my element in Olympia as I love the Olympics.
We then had lunch at a restaurant in town and wandered the shops.
We then started on the 4 and a half hour drive to Delphi. Our first stop was a the Rion Antirion suspension bridge which connect the Peloponnese to the mainland. It opened in 2004 right before the Athens olympics. There is a little visitors center where you could look at exhibits about the building of the bridge and view the 2004 and 2006 Olympic torches. There is also a viewing platform fr which you can get great photos of the bridge.
Our next stop was in the beach town of Nafkaptos. We started at a restaurant where Trafalgar provided everyone with complimentary thick iced Greek Frappes, wine, Greek coffee or any other non alcoholic beverage. We then went to the beach. I dipped my feet in the Ionian Sea and it was heaven. If we didn't have to get back onthr bus, I would have dove in right then and there clothes and all. It would have been so refreshing.
We then arrived at the Delphi Palace Hotel. It actually a heritage building. This is a quaint little hotel and I have a gorgeous view from my balcony. Note, some people paid extra for an upgrade and are stuck in rooms with no view. They are not happy. I wouldn't be either. There is free wifi.
We had a lovely dinner outside on the deck overlooking the gorgeous view and it has cooled down some so it is just beautiful. There is a piano player and a singer as well.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:12 PM BST
Tulips
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Today started out beautiful. It was a nice temperature and sunny. It didn't take long for it to get hot. It was 38 degrees at one point.
We started in Delphi. Now, I have to admit, I didn't spend a lot of time researching this site, but I thought Delphi was just the site you see in all the postcards. It turns out the tour doesn't even take you to that site. The section of Delphi that they take you to sits on a steep hill. We climbed in stages so it didn't seem as onerous. The site is really interesting. We also did a tour of the museum. We then had free time and I went to the Temple of Athina, which is the site you see in all the postcards. I would have been so disappointed to miss seeing this.
We then had lunch in Itea at a seafood restaurant. They presented the menu by showing actual plates of various fish dishes and non fish dishes. I had red snapper complete with head and eyes. I got the head and eyes for photo purposes and then ate around this. I also tried octopus which wasn't bad. I also tried Kalamari a d mussels which I loved. Imagine, a Nova Scotian, who wasn't big on seafood who is now a convert.
Chech, we did stop at Thermoplaes to see the naked Leonidis. Maybe there was something in the air, but men were taking photos also.
Now relaxing by the pool at the Amalia in Kalambaka.
Dinner tonight was a buffet, so there was lots of choice for food for dinner and dessert. It was a little crowded though as there were 9 tour groups using the hotel tonight.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:13 PM BST
Tulips
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Another hot (over 30) sunny day. Today was my favorite stop of the land tour. The monasteries and geological formations of Meteora.
Meteor is a series of mountains on which monasteries were built. Below the mountains sits a beautiful town. Andreas drove the bus to the top of the Moutain at the first Monastery, the Monastery of St. Stephen, so we didn't have to climb up. We were the first tour group to arrive. This was a good thing because the monasteries are small. We took a pseudo group photo here with the spectacular views and then went inside. The monastery was very ornately decorated.
We then went further along for a chance to take photos at the Monastery where they filmed "For Your Eyes Only". Thanks to Chech, I watched this movie just prior to leaving for this trip so it was great to see the same place.
We then drove to the very top of one of the mountains and took the stairs down to the Monastery of St. Barbara. So there was no climbing up of 200 steps. It was so hot by this time, that I took a quick look inside, but then had to get out. It was far too hot. The views fro this Monastery were absolutely spectacular.
We then began the 6 hour drive back to Athens which was really uneventful.
Just before we arrived back at the Divani in Athens, Anna, our tour director took a few minutes to speak to us. Anna is amazing. She has been guiding tours for 24 years and has so much knowledge. She provided us with so much more than you could ever get out of a guidebook. Granted, some felt she provided too much informational times. Anyways, she has so much passion about here country and she explained that she feels that all of the sites in Greece belong to everyone and that she was just lucky enough to have been born here. She got very emotional, which made me emotional (I hate goodbyes). Se wanted very much to thank everyone for coming to Greece now because she knows the bad things that are being said about Greece in the news. Earlier she explained that back in August when the news was really bad fro Greece, she had a couple of tour cancellations (not Trafalgar, she does other tours as well).
So the land tour is now over. Some people are going off to other tours in other countries, some are going on the 3 day cruise and the rest of us are going on the seven day cruise. A little under half of the 47 people on the tour signed up for the farewell dinner. The tour pace has been fast and tiring with the heat. I will say that this is a very short tour of you don't tack on something else.
Day 11,
Slept in today. Really needed to after a week of really early monrings.
I started the day in the Plaka with the idea that I would buy a dress. On of the other ladies on tour bought one and I thought it looked pretty. I found a shop that allowed you to try on the dressed before purchasing. I have to try before I buy especially if there are no returns. I tried a bunch on but didn't love any, possibly because European sized are bigger (I wear a small or extra small and larges were fitting me). I didn't buy and the shopkeeper got very upset with me saying I'd spent an hour in the store and tried everything on and why wouldn't I buy? never had that experience before. Trying stuff on is not an obligation to buy.
We had to be back to the hotel for our transfer to ship at 12:45. I didn't eat anything, nor did anyone else as we were expecting to go right to the ship and there would be a buffet waiting. We were also advised there would be a meeting with our Tour Director at 3:30. The coach taking us to the ship was an hour late. We then had to pass through passport control which took a long time. By the time I got to my cabin, it was 3:20. No time to explore cabin or have lunch as had to get to meeting with TD. No one was impressed that we could not have lunch and we were all hungry and it was very hot. Also, the ship's mandatory lifeboat drill was occuring at 3:30. So just as well all got assembled in the room for the TD meeting, we had to leave and do the life boat drill and then go back to the meeting.
At the meeting, we met Bill, our Tour Director and discovered that he was also handling an Aegean Odyssey Group and well as our Best of Greece Group and one couple from the Best of Italy and Greece. Bill handed out the ship's excursion booklet which offered 21 different optionals. Bill said we could choose any one we wanted but he had highlighted the one's he thought were worthwhile:
Istanbul Highlights with Lunch Ashore 106 Euros - Bill said this one was the most expensive one, but he said the other offers lunch on ship and for the 7 Euro difference, he couldn't see coming back to the ship and wasting that time.
Delos 53 Euros - the Birthplace of Apollo, was unmissable in his opinion ( I absolutely loved this, more later).
Scenic Island Tour 39 Euros - Bill said this was much cheaper than the St. John Monastery and Grotto option and you still get to see the Grotto on the island tour.
Ephesus without the House of Mary 62 Euros - Unmissable in Bill's opinion. Bill felt with the House of Mary option, you would be rushed at the House of Mary and this one was cheaper.
Rhodes and Lindos Combined 53 Euros - Bill said this is the best of the options on Rhodes
Oia Village Tour 55 Euros - Bill encouraged everyone to take this in order to maximize time on Santorini. He said disembarkation here is always by tender and if you didn't take the option, you could be waiting an hour to get a tender off ship and time in Santorini was too short and precious to waste.
Palace of Knossos 58 Euros - Highlighted in a difference colour by Bill,. He said this was an important archaeological site, but if not interested, not to do as this would be a good morning for a sleep in.
He had also highlighted the Taste of Crete, but said he hated this optional because who wants wine at 9AM?
I chose all the optionals but the Taste of Crete. I figured I am here and may not be here again. I also took the view that I would see what I wanted to see and not let others sway me because then, I could regret it later.
If anyone wants a full list of optionals, I can provide it.
Bill is an Irishman who has lived in Greece for some 20 years. He said he ended up in Greece due to mispent youth. He has a great sense of humour and would turn out to be a great TD. He also warned us against drinking too much Mythos (Greek Beer). He said if we drank too much, we would become fluent in Mythology.
He also referred to WC's as "With Cash". We didn't have to pay on mainland Greece, but we would on the islands.
After the meeting, it was dinner time. We were starving. Bill had told us at hte meeting that he had gotten us all tables by the window in the La Scala Restaurant and he booked us all for the early sitting (the time for this could vary, but was never earlier than 6:30pm). He told us we could select whom we wanted to sit with and that would be who we would be sitting with for the duration of the cruise. I had hung out with a couple from Canada and a family (two parents and their adult children) during the land portion and they asked me to join their table. So we had 7 at a table for 8. I was the first to arrive at dinner and there was a gentleman at the table I had never seen before. He and his wife were on the Best of Italy and Greece tour. His wife was not feeling well that night and did not have dinner. An issue then developed at our table because there would be 9 people at a table of 8. I, being the single, was asked to move by the waiter and we all emphatically said no as we 7 had all been travelling together for the week. The other gentleman said he and his wife would have no problem moving. Bill said he would not move me as it was very clear that I did not want to move and none of the others wanted me to move. (It turned out this was no longer an issue the next day as Bill had taken the gentleman's wife who had not been feeling well to the ship's doctor and she was diagnosed with pneumonia and was no longer permitted to sail. She and her husband had to leave the ship and she ended up spending 3 days in an Istanbul hospital). After dinner, I was so exhausted from the day, I went straight to bed.
Note: Louis Cruises is somewhat sneaky by passing out the drink package purchase option and having a booth set up to purchase before you can get on ship and see the drink prices. the package was 166 Euros for the week for the alcohol one and 89 Euros for the non-alcohol one. All persons in the cabin had to purchase a package. We were advised by the person taking us to the ship not to purchase the package until we got on board. One person ignored this advise and bought the alcohol package for him and his wife even thought his wife doesn't drink. He was the only one who took the package and then spent the rest of the cruise drinking to ensure he got his money's worth.
I determined I would have to have 7 alcoholic drinks per day based on ship's prices to break even. I would never drink this much alhohol in a day at home, never mind while travelling.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:14 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 12
Had a nice sleep in this morning and then had a look around the ship. I found the ship to be just fine. This was my first cruise, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I didn't find any problems. I paid the superior rate and had a huge window and a fridge. The shower only had a curtain and no rail or anything to block water on the floor. I didn't have a problem with water going all over the bathroom though. On comparing with others, the standard price gives a cabin with no window and no fridge and the premium price gives a shower with a door.
Docked in Istanbul around 3pm. Arrival was a fantastic site. I sort of liken it to coming into Venice by boat. The views are incredible.
We left immediately for the Grand Bazaar which is probably 15 minutes from the port, but it took over an hour to get there due to Istanbul's horrendous traffic. Shopping at the Grand Bazaar was an experience, to say the least. The crowds were enourmous and the vendors are all over you and hassle you and follow you all around telling you that their mother, borther, uncle etc, is from your country. I don't like this type of shopping or the huge crowds. Plus, I really didn't now the prices of things, so couldn't tell whether I would be ripped off or not. I ended up getting two pashminas that I think I overpaid for and two decorative little trinket boxes.
Due to the time it took us to get to the Bazaar, and the hour we had there, we did not have time to do the Spice Bazaar today, so we will go there tomorrow. We had to go to the Grand Bazaar today because tomorrow is Sunday and it's not open Sunday's.
I should point out that at no time in the Grand Bazaar, or in Istanbul for that matter, did I feel threatened.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:16 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 13
Today was a really early start as we had to be off the boat and on the bus by 7:30AM. WE had a lot to fit in today.
Our first stop was to cross the bridge into Asia. Instanbul is located on two continents, Europe and Asia. So, now I can say I have been to Asia. One of the interesting things about Istanbul is that they have exercise parks set up all over the city with various exercise apparatus. At our stop in Asia, we stopped at one of these parks. I think this is a great idea. Wish we had them in Canada. We were here for about 15 mintues.
We then made our way back to Europe and to the Blue Mosque. This mosque was regarded as the supreme imperial mosque in Istanbul. The name comes from the 20,000 blue tiles that decorate the place. There was no problem getting in or taking photos inside. If your shoulders or knees weren't covered, they gave you a skirt and shawl to put on. Everyone has to remove their shoes and we were given bags to carry our shoes in. The mosque is very ornate and definately one of the highlights of Istanbul.
We then made our way across the Street to the Hagia Sophia (the red mosque) (see my photo in previous days posting). This is now a museum and not an active mosque so no need to remove shoes or cover yourself. This one was not as ornate as the blue mosque. Both places were absolutely packed with hoardes of people.
Next was the part of the tour that angered me. We spent an hour and a half at a rug store. We had a 20 minute demonstration which was interesting and we saw lots of nice carpets. We also were given a choice of turkish coffee, apple tea, a turkish liquor of some sort or water. I had the apple tea and I will say that it was delicious. This part was fine, it was all the rest of the time spent here. There were several people in our group who spent thousands on rugs. But I think there has to be away for the people not interested, and there were lots standing around outside the shop getting harrased by the street vendors, to go on to another site or allow people interested in rugs to go back later after dropping everyone else back at the ship. Trust me when I say that I was not the only one very upset we spent so much time here.
We had lunch at a restaurant in the grounds of Topkapi Palace and then had 45 minutes to look at the palace. Are you kidding me? 45 minutes to see all the famous things the palace has to offer and yet we had an 1 and a half at a rug store! Unfortunately, had to blow through the palace, which was difficult because, again there were hoardes and hoards of people. The rooms were packed tight as sardines and the lines to get in long. This would be the biggest disappointment of the entire tour for me. I was so looking forward to this site and I didn't really get to see much.
Our last stop was the spice market, where I sampled real Turkish Delight and let me just say that real fresh Turkish Delight is an absolute delight. I bought some of this and some of the apple tea I had enjoyed so much earlier.
We got back to the ship and had to rush because tonight was the Captain's cocktail party and dinner and we only had a half an hour to get all dolled up. I had brought a nice dress made of a material that doesn't wrinkle and is light weight. So I can ball it up in my suitcase and pull it out looking like it was hung up in the closet the whole time. Most people in our group got dressed up, (although as Bill put it, you can wear your leased creased items in your suitcase) and went and had our photos taken with a backdrop and then with the Captain and then went on to the dinner.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:17 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 14
Today was my favourite day of the entire trip. Started out with a nice long sleep in as we didn't dock in Mykonos until 2pm. Had the most delicious mojito sorbet for dessert at lunch.
On arrival in Mykonos, we were able to dock in port, rather than having to use a tender, so that saved a lot of time. About 30 people from our group got on the boat for the optional to Delos. There were about 200 in all from the ship going. The boat is a good size and the ride over which took about a half an hour was smooth. Delos is the birthplace of Apollo and one of the most important Archaeological sites in Greece. The only people who can live on the island are the guards and the archaeologists. Today was a Monday and Delos is closed on Monday's but there is an agreement with Louis Cruises to allow people from the ship to visit. This meant we had the island to ourselves and it was beautiful. It was amazing to see a site without hoardes of people. Also, our small group had the best guide, Amarilis. She brought everything to life. One of the houses on the site still had the beautiful mosaic floors. All I can say was this was such an amazing experiece. It was my favourite of all the archaeological sites visited. I'm so glad I went.
We boarded the boat back to Mykonos at 6pm and were back at 6:30. Just in time to watch one of the most spectacular sunsets. My friend and I walked up to the windmills and watched from there for an hour. I can't even describe how fantastic it was. I must have taken 100 photos and this location provided a perfect view of Little Venice as well (see my profile photo). There were thousands of people all sitting in restaurants and around the island with glasses of wine just viewing. It was so peaceful.
After, we did some shopping. There are some wonderful shops. Beware, Mykonos is very expensive. We found a wonderful little shop selling beaded jewellery. The shopkeeper made a fortune off us, but we were pelased with our purchases.
We then met up with some others and had a lovely dinner in one of the waterfront restaurants. Here is where we really noticed how expensive Mykonos is. But, we weren't going to waste our precious time by going back to the ship for dinner. We ordered way too much food for all of us so we ended up sharing with other memebers of our group who came walking by.
We had such a great time, we took the last shuttle back to the ship at 11:15pm. It didn't get cool, so we didn't need the sweaters we brought.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:19 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 15
This morning was an early start. We were able to dock in the port in Patmos, again saving having take a tender. The island is really beautiful. I chose the option to tour the island and included the Grotto of St. John. There was another more expensive option, that didn't tour the island, but just saw the Grotto and museum.
Patmos is a beautiful island and I enjoyed the tour. We did a bit of walking throught the city and then the rest was by bus. The trip to the grotto where St. John wrote the Book of Revelation was very interesting. It is a bit of a climb down into the grotto and back up. No photos are allowed inside.
We then returned back to the port area and were given drink tickets to have whatever you wanted at one of the restaurants and we had about an hour or so to meander. I had a thick Greek frappe. These are really thick coffee drinks. Nothing like what you would get at a Starbucks or the like. We mostly walked around and checked out the shops and bought various souvenirs.
We then boarded the ship to go the 48 nautical miles to Kusadasi. This took 4 hours. Seems like a waste of time to me! On arrival, we boarded the bus to Ephasus. Most of us just took the Ephesus option, there were 4 who took the option with Mary's House. Our guide, was Oz and he was another great guide. It was another very hot day and the place was crowded although not as crowded as Olympia. Ephesus is spectacular, but I didn't like it as much as Delos or Pompeii. Still, it is unmissable in my opinion. We had a very detailed tour and then some free time to explore around the library. Unbeknownst to us, there were people taking our pictures as we walked towards the library. These were later on sale by our bus for 3 euro's each. There weren't many takers as we had got our own photos in our free time.
We then headed back to Kusadasi for a cool drink at the rug shop. Bill was very clear that we did nto have to go in at all, we could go off wherever if we wanted. He suggested we could go in and get a cold drink and walk right back out as well. I grabbed my cold drink and went right back out. Went in to the Grand Bazaar for a bit, but to be honest, I had had enough of the hassles and people coming up to me and not allowing me to browse in peace, that I went back to the ship. I wanted to freshen up before the big Greek Night dinner.
I brought my blue and white and was able to wear some of my newly purchased jewellery as well. It was all Greek food on the menu tonight.
One of the nice things about the restaurant on the ship is that there is always a choice of 3 or 4 things for each course, so you should never be stuck with something you don't like.
The ship also has wine packages which are much more reasonable than the drinks package. You can get 3 bottles of wine with lots of selection and two bottles of water for around 35 euros. This is great because you can share around the table and is cheaper than buying 3 individual bottles of wine.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:20 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 16
Woke up this morning and received wonderful news. There would be no Air Canada strike and I would be able to fly out as scheduled preserving my remaining vacation days.
Today was the first day that the heat bothered me because this was the first day we had humidity. It was another sunny day.
We had arrived in Rhodes early and disembarked at 7:15 AM for those of us going to the town of Lindos. The main attraction is the acropolis of Lindos. This site has somewhere around 400 steps to the top and they are uneven, narrow in spots and there are no hand railings. One lady from the other Trafalgar group under Bill's umbrella and with us got to the last step and then fell. It was a bad fall and she had to be carried all the way back down by two paramedics, Bill and one gentleman from the tour members. She was taken to hospital where it was determined she had suffered a broken leg.
At the top of the acropolis, on lady who was not with our group said to her husband who was still getting to the top, that all there was was the view. I was with someone from my tour and we both looked at each other in disbelief. Not only was there the view, but a beutiful ruined temple (yes, not as impressive as the Parthenon and buildings, but still impressive) and the accomplishment of having made it to the top.
We had about an hour of free time in Lindos so on the way back down, many of us stopped in the shops. There are shops lining the way up and down from the town. You could take a shuttle back up to the parking area where the coach was or walk. I elected to walk as the line up for the shuttle was long. As it turned out, we were very delayed leaving because we had to wait for Bill to come back and also many people were late getting back to the coach. Our guide Anna, was a bit upset that so many were late. I suspect people were late because they were waiting for the shuttle because in the heat and after the grueling walk up and down the acropolis, they didn't want to walk anymore.
We lost about 40 minutes or so as a result of all of this. We were supposed to go to a Ceramics Factory. The one we were going to go to was out of the way, so Bill said we would stop at one that was on the road we were currently driving on. When we pulled in, there were 4 other tour buses there. Bill announced that he changed his mind and we would not stay here. He thought we wouldn't enjoy it with so many people and we would be rushed as we would only have 20 minutes. So instead we headed directly back to Rhodes for our tour of the old town. No one was disappointed to miss the Ceramics Factory.
We had a short walking tour of the old town. The town has very difficult terrain in parts, very uneven. Anna pointed out the Grand Masters Palace and the old Hospital building which now serves as the Archaeological Museum. She didn't recommend the Grand Masters Palace. She also directed people to the beach and back to the ship.
I had lunch with some fellow tour mates and then went to the Archaeological Museum. This was one of the best museums I have been to. It is part outdoors, part indoors and part garden, not ot mention the amazing architecture. It was one of the best 6 euros I had spent.
I then went to the Grand Masters Palace. I decided to go despite what Anna had said because you don't know what other people's interests are and they might not like something that you would really love. I do not regret going and really enjoyed myself. Granted, this palace is not ornate like Hampton Court for example, but it was never meant to be so. There was also an exhibition of dresses worn by the Greek opera singer Maria Callas in various operas that had been sculpted out of what looked like pop can material. I found that fascinating.
I thought I would walk up to the beach next. I started heading for the port and you had to go through a huge Plaka like area full of shops to get there. By the time I got to the port, I was so exhausted and starting to feel unwell, that I just headed back to the ship to rest before the evening events. The heat really got to me today.
At 6pm, Trafalgar was hosting a cocktail party. We all had a great time at this and the lady who broke her leg earlier, was able to join us. Also, as mentioned earlier on in my tale, the woman and her husband who had to leave due to pneumonia also were able to join us. They had reboarded in Kusadasi after the woman had spent 3 days in an Istanbul hospital. She said that was an experience and I'm sure it was.
We then went to dinner and had the most wonderful baked Alaska for dessert. I hadn't had baked Alaska in ages. It was wonderful.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:20 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 17
Those of us departing for Knossos had an early start. There were only 4 of us from our group going. One other person in the group chose to due the Taste of Crete option and everyone else elected for a sleep in.
It took about an hour to get to Knossos. Our guide was Andonnis and he was very knowledgeable. Bill had said at the start that he was a good guide. He had told me at the cocktail party that it was hit or miss with the guides to Knossos. So I was glad to have a good guide.
Unfortunately, it had not rained on Crete since May and today it decided to rain and this was the only day that rain appeared on the entire tour. It was enough to make things a bit unpleasant. I still really enjoyed the optional and was glad I went. Even though the site is a reconstruction, I thought it was beautiful. It was the only site that had colour to it. For me, it was an optional well worth taking.
Once we got back to ship, we immediately set sail for Santorini. We arrived early and were on one of the first tenders. No ships can dock at Santorini so there was no other option. We were on one of the first tenders and we then drove directly to Oia (pronouned EE Ah). Bill advised that we were not going to Fira. You could go there if you wanted but would have get the cable car ( which had huge lines) or a donkey back to ship. If you stayed in Oia, you could get the coach back to the ship.
We had about two hours free time and this was not nearly enough time for this picturesque place. We had been told where the best places were to get photos so we all went to those places and then walked to the one end for the sunset. (Yes it was sunny here, which everyone was hoping for). There was some cloud starting to roll in. I had walked up to the end of the town and watched the sunset for a bit and then started heading back to take a look in some of the shops. Along the way there was a bit of rain. Then, the most spectacular rainbow appeared and I can tell you that this was better than any sunset and everybody was crowding around to get photos. I hadn't seen a rainbow in a long time and to see one on one of the most picturesque places in the world was amazing.
They really need to schedule an entire day on Santorini, not just a couple of hours. We took the tender back to ship. Had a nice dinner (open seating tonight) and then it was back to the cabin to pack as our luggage had to be out by midnight.
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posted at 5/9/2011 4:21 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 18
We arrived back in Piraeus at 6AM and disembarkation was at 7:30AM , but we had to be out of our cabins by 7AM. It was an early morning.
Disembarkation was really smooth and we were back at the Divani Palace by a little after 8:30AM. Our rooms would not be ready until 2pm. A few of us hung out in the lobby catching up on news and e-mails and then we went out to the Plaka for one last shopping trip. We had a nice lunch and then more shopping and then headed back to the hotel to check in and a rest.
We then headed back to the Plaka about 4pm to look around again and have our last dinner together (the small group of us that had hung out together). We had thought about eating at the rooftop restaurant at the Divani with the Acropolis all lit up for our last night, but the menu didn't have a lot of selection and it was pricey, so we ate in a restaurant we had eaten at twice before as we really enjoyed it.
After dinner we raced back to one shop in the Plaka that was just closing. It was run by an older lady who hand knit wall hangings and they were beautiful. I picked up two depicting Santorini.
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posted at 7/9/2011 1:37 PM BST
Tulips
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Day 19,
Most of us were on the 8:30AM transfer to the airport so on arrival we all said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. There wer 4 people from the trip and myself on my flight direct to Toronto.
Athens airport is the only airport I have ever been in that doesn't have any shops or food areas after security. I wished I had known this before hand and it is my own fault for not looking. I had just never come across this before and I have been in many airports around the world. My usual routine is to clear security right away to get that over and done with.
At least the airport had 60 minutes of free wifi. Just before we were to board, there was an announcement that the air traffic controllers were doing a work to rule and that we would be delayed. They announced that we would board and hope to get around the work to rule an be able to leave shortly after boarding. This did not happen and we sat there on the plane for two hours before takeoff. This was before a 10 hour flight. Also, we were supposed to depart at noon and no one had eaten (there was no place to eat) and we thought we would be served right after takeoff. This did not happen because of the delay and they did not want to serve us a meal because they wanted to leave as soon as they got the call and if meals were all out, they would have to collect them all which could cause us to lose our takeoff spot. So they handed out cookies instead to appease people.
Many people missed their connections and they said that almost everyone on the flight was connecting somewhere. I was alright as I had 4 hours between flights. It pays to have lots of connection time between flights. The other 4 from the tour were staying in Toronto so they were alright as well.
After that delay we were on our way and they served ample food multiple times once we were airborne.
Arrived in Toronto, customs was a breeze, did not have to pay duty even though I was over the limit and then waited for my connecting flight. This flight left on time and I made it home a little after midnight which was 6AM the next day on Athens time. I was dead exhausted.
