Greece - Athens & Paros

We landed in Athens, Greece around 11.30pm.  Too late for Metro, we opted for the bus to Syntagma - the bus stop only a few hundred metres from our accommodation.  Finding the accommodation proved a bit of a challenge.  Albeit in a very cute part of town, the building was dark and looked somewhat like a construction site.  Once we found the keypad and the code worked, we were feeling a bit better, however our challenges weren't yet over.  There was no power, so no lift and no stair lights.  Finding our way by the light of our phones with packs to the third floor was fun!.  We got into the accommodation and in the dark had no way of really familiarising ourselves, so sleep was somewhat restless.

Luckily the next day the power was back on and we felt much more comfortable.  A bit weird arriving somewhere new in the dark and then having no lights either!

We headed out for breakfast and a look around our new surroundings.  We are in Plaka, a great part of the old town and very happening.  We came across the 1862 Athens Cathedral (Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary).  The inside was so different to what we'd been seeing in Portugal and was a refreshing change, and very beautiful.

Next to the Cathedral was the 14th century Church of Theorokos Gorgoepikoos & Ayios Eleytherios.  Very cute and as it turned out the first of many we saw in this style. 

We headed up the walking street towards the Parthenon, and quite by accident passed the outer edge of the Acropolis historical site, before making our way down to the Acropolis museum. We didn't intend to do too much today, so skipped the museum itself and walked to Hadrians Arch (132AD), standing 18m high by 13m wide.  The Arch was effectively the gate to the new city.  Inscriptions on the side facing the old city read 'this is Athens the ancient city of Theseus', and on the opposite side 'this is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus'.  

Once at the Arch we realised the archaeological park alongside was not free to enter, so purchased tickets to visit the 7 key sites (30€ each, valid for 5 days).  We entered the first, the Columns of the Olympian Zeus.  It's a former colossal temple at the centre of the old capital.  Construction began in the 6th century BC but was not completed until the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project had begun.  During the Roman period, the temple, which included 104 colossal columns, was renowned as the largest temple in Greece.

Tourism finished for the day, we headed back to Syntagma, where we stopped at our very cool and brightly decorated corner cafe/restaurant 'Tazza' for refreshments.

The afternoon consisted of relaxing in the room before heading out again later for dinner.  We dined just below the accommodation at a little Vietnamese restaurant, 'Hanoi Home'.  It was another delicious change in cuisine.

Following a bit more catch up and a sleep in, the next day we looked forward to catching up with Madison, who just so happens to also be in Athens.  We had hoped our trips might coincide but without an itinerary it wasn't expected.  A nice surprise and excited to see her.

We set off to Syntagma Square and were soon reunited, opting to go for a bit of a walk before heading into Plaka for a slow, relaxed lunch and a few drinks.  Making sure Madie had plenty of time to catch her bus, we ventured back to the Athens Cathedral, and after a quick peak inside the inevitable goodbyes were had.

A lazy and admin afternoon filled in the rest of the day before we headed out for dinner.  We returned to Syntagma Square and although no restaurants of interest, the change of light was impressive.  As was the performance put on by the sentries, in traditional costume, outside the Parliament buildings.

There is some form of protest approaching (thinking some kind of council or local elections), and there are heavily armed riot squads getting into position.  Pretty sure it was all peaceful in the end but we headed for the other end of town just in case.

We ended up close to the area of Monastiraki.  After the big lunch, and a lot of beer, we opted for a simple but delicious Asian takeaway followed by a quiet Netflix night in.

The next day was our big sight seeing day.  Utilising the tickets we had previously purchased, we set off at 9.30am for the Acropolis.  It’s warm and already busy, but having our ticket meant we avoided the long queue at the ticket office and went straight in.  We got as far as the queue up the southern slope of the hill, where a one way bottleneck occurs.  We slowly made our way in and even having been here before, this site is still very impressive.

We passed the arches of the 160BC Stoa of Eumenes II and then the 161AD Odelon of Herodes Atticus, the latter a Roman theatre with a seating capacity of 5000 (and still used today for concerts).

We arrived at the top and are met by the spectacular Parthenon, a little scaffolding but still amazing, and we completed the circuit to view it from all sides, on the way around viewing the 400BC Erechtheion or Temple of Athena on the northern side.  It's incredible how old this stuff is!

As we made our way around to the southern side we could see the columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus in the distance, and what remains of the 4th-5th century BC Theatre of Dionysus (a Greek Theatre with a seating capacity of 25,000).  A great view from above.

We walked back the way we came, stopping at the Flagpole view point and then back to the northern side the for a closer look at the Temple of Athena.

Having soaked up all the sites on top of the Acropolis, we climbed down from the top and then up an adjacent smaller hill where we enjoyed views over Ancient Agora, including the impressive Temple of Hephaestus and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos. 

Getting very warm, it was time to move on.  We found the exit and headed to the Roman Agora, on the way passing one of the oldest roads in Athens, 'the street of the Tripods', and the 334BC Monument of Lysikrates.

The Roman Agora is generally reduced to ground level foundations now, other than the 50-200BC Tower of the Winds.  It's considered the worlds first meteorological station, originally topped with a wind vane and faced with a sundial; it also housed a large water clock.

From here it was on to Ancient Agora, that we had viewed from above.  Like the Roman Agora, the majority of the site has been reduced to ground level foundations other than the impressive 415BC Temple of Hephaestus.  It's still intact, due to it remaining a working church well into the 19th century.  Also of note is the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos, which must have been a site in its day due to its shear size.

It’s been a busy 32° day, so we called it and headed back towards Monastiraki Square for lunch.  As it happened, before we found food, we found Hadrians Library, which was also included in the multi site ticket. Similar to the previous two sights, mostly ground level foundations other than the one remaining wall of the 12th century church of Saint Asomatis (renovated in 1576), and the 1759 Tzistarakis 'Ottoman' Mosque.

Finally stopping for a sandwich and frozen fruit drink, todays archaeological walk down history lane ended up at 11.5km and took us 5½ hours.  We took the opportunity to take the Metro home, to ensure we can easily get to Piraeus Port in the morning. 

That evening we checked out one of Madie's suggestions, at MS Roof Garden, in Monastiraki Square.  The rooftop bar and restaurant had fantastic views.  We secured a great seat on the outside edge and spent the evening taking it all in.  The view points of note are the Square itself, the 10th century church of Panagia Pantanassa (little monastery), which gives the square its name, the 1759 Tzistarakis 'Ottoman' Mosque and of course the Acropolis and Parthenon.

Dinner, great sunset, change of light photos achieved and a gelato on the way home, topped off the day (ending up another 20,000+ step day).  It was then a quiet and early night in, to ensure we are ready to catch our ferry to Paros in the morning.

Moving day and off to the Greek Islands.  We were out of the apartment by 7.10am to ensure we had plenty of time, and after a short wait queuing we were on the 9am ferry to Paros, via Mykonos.

We arrived at 2.15pm and were collected by our accommodation.  A short ride around the bay later, we found ourselves at Paros Paradise Apartments, with wonderful friendly staff and amazing views, and our home for the next 10 nights. 

We went for our usual familiarisation walk, heading into town.  We stopped for a couple of beers in the old town and then did a grocery run, grabbing something simple for dinner.  The walk back along the waterfront was really pretty, and as much as we are 1.5km out of the centre we know we are in the right spot to sit, watch and relax.  We spent the evening on our deck, watching the ferry’s come and go, and the sun go down... perfect. 

Slow start the next day as the planned run got canned, and instead we caught up with Craig and Kylie via video call, which was awesome.  Loving that we can keep in touch regularly this way, it's so easy.

Our first full day here we have no plan other than exercises, a swim and to finish the Portugal Blog (or maybe not the blog, as it turned out).

That evening we found a nice spot on the shore line to have dinner, at 'Akrogiali Kitchen Cafe', and watch the sun go down. The promised winds are starting to pick up but Livadia (the bay we are above), is perfectly sheltered.

Whilst here, and after adjusting to the time zone and later evenings, we got into a great exercise routine of running, swimming and strength exercises.  The runs took us around the coastal route back towards the port and past the old town, which is very picturesque.  The weather has been great and the sea ample warm enough to swim in.  Nice to be able to swim a little distance without turning around every 14-16m!.  Of course the sun worshipping also took place in small doses too, mixed in with a bit of admin and reading.

We did manage to watch the first NZ electoral leaders debate - trying to stay across what is happening at home as we will vote from here when the time comes.

Our outside deck and views turned out to be a godsend, as we spent so much time watching the comings and goings.  Not quite like looking out over Auckland City but so beautiful (and a lot warmer).

As always there are things to do when you are anywhere, and we managed a few excursions.  The first we decided to go for a walk, and ended up around the coast (opposite direction to our runs), at Marcello Beach.  Walking around the point and looking both at the beaches and back at the port was gorgeous.  The water is so blue and so clear here, it's very inviting.  In saying that, we parked at the beach for a bit before heading back home again and out for dinner later.

We also ventured into Paros old town to wander the centuries old labyrinth of narrow laneways.  Everywhere is a postcard, and we did manage to find (hard to miss) the 4th century Panagia Ekatontapyliani (church) and Baptistry.  Very beautiful, and the baptistry was really unique and unlike anything we have seen previously.  

Following us 'getting lost' in the alleys, we came across a 1777 water fountain and the less than sensational 1260 Frankish Castle.  It's made mostly now from new building materials and bits of older demolished buildings, dating back as far as the 5th century BC.

After dropping back to sea level on the ocean side of port, it was time for lunch and purchasing tomorrow's bus tickets.  Another good day for steps at 20,000+.

After the morning swim we were off.  A walk to the bus stop (close by the port), 15 minute bus ride to Pounta and ferry across to Antiparos was all part of the intentional site seeing - a little more of the island.  The much quieter and very quaint town was still covered in flowering bougainvilleas and was absolutely beautiful.  We spent our time wandering the town and the Castle before stopping for refreshments.  

We had intended to spend a little more time here however the ferry's weren't playing ball, so we caught the direct ferry back (to the main port in Parikia, around ~25 mins).  Another great way to see a little more, but this time from the water.

Our final 'outing' was to Naoussa.  Another quick but interesting bus ride through the very dry and brown interior before popping out on the coast.  We spent roughly an hour exploring the waterfront, including the 15th century Venetian Castle, walking the narrow lanes and trying to cast our minds back to 2003, when we were here last. The place is so different now it's hard to see the similarities, but we did find the place/square Lesley remembered having dinner in.

After a quick bite we headed to Piperi beach, for a swim, before contemplating the trip back to Parikia.  Definitely a beautiful spot but maybe not what it was in 2003, and we both agreed we are happy where we are staying.

We also had one sun lounger day, after going for a walk in Parikia to try and retrace some of our steps (those from 20 years ago), however not finding anything familiar.  It was a great day with a walk, relaxing in the sun and enjoying the water, and a few beers.  We headed out that evening for dinner at 'Mario', the best meal we've had in Greece to date.

Our final full day on the island was a lot of taking everything in (with Budget in tow) - the port, the bay, the windmills, among many other things.  The temperatures during our time have increased (much out of whack with the season), and we're now at 31°, so it's pretty warm!

We have really enjoyed our time here - it's a beautiful place to hang out, lots of walks and as much or as little as you want to do.  We will miss our walks around the bay, and the beautiful views.  We are feeling incredibly thankful and lucky to have the time to slow down and really appreciate what the world has to offer.

Next stop Naxos.