How old is old?

Sunday 2nd July

Just a couple more photos to add on changing of the guard. We went back at 8pm to watch. We then had a lovely dinner in the city. We couldn't believe just how many people were out and about in the streets at 10pm. There were lots of young people - 15-20 yr olds.

We took Odette out for dinner. 

Every time we take her out she is like a movie star and everyone wants to be photographed with her.

And we found a couple of friends for her - this restaurant was OTT decorated with flowers, fancy plates on walls, lots of tizzy stuff.

Monday 3rd July

A long day of sightseeing. We headed off at 8am travelling to Olympia by the end of the day. We travelled up the coast with the Aegean sea on our left. First stop was the Corinth canal which joins the Ionian Sea with the Aegean Sea. This is pretty spectacular - 80m down to the water from the bridge. One boat wide - we watched one boat being towed (tugged) through followed by a yacht in its wake.

Just entering the canal from the Ionian Sea. Totally confused by the seas and the shape of Greece, but I pulled up a map this afternoon and got it sorted.

These ponds were sea bream farms. 

Visited the Theatre of Epidaurus amphitheater, built in 340BC, which is famous for its acoustics. It is still used today for concerts and performances. 

I was hoping someone would sing a few bars to appreciate the acoustics.

Front row seats. 

The countryside - very dry and barren and colourless as we left Athens,  millions, billions, trillions of olive trees. Oleander trees everywhere for just a tiny bit of colour. Very Australian colour with eucalyptus, some conifers, a lot of pencil cypress, bamboo as we got further north, and orange groves.

The towns we passed through remind us a lot of India, from the streetscape as we drive through to the shapes and sizes of the houses. Also the small shops and stalls along the roadside. We stopped in the town of Nafplion and dropped off a few passengers - it would have been lovely to have lunch there at one of the restaurants by the sea, but no, we had a couple of other places to see first.

One of two castles in Nafplion - this one on an island....

...and this one on a hill top.

Streets of Nafplion. 

Church at Nafplion. 

Firstly, the village of Mikenes where there is an acropolis (acropolis is a village on a hill and there are many through Greece, not just the one in Athens) and beehive tomb.

The Acropolis at Mikenes.

These shelties went for a visit too.

Beehive tomb at Mikenes.

A late lunch finally at Mycenae around 3pm, a visit to a pottery and jewellery workshop, then 2 1/2 drive to our next stop overnight near Olympia.

We drove through a rain band on the way and all I could think off was slippery wet marble the next day. Not an issue - rain stopped, sun out, dry in 5 minutes.

Our hotel in Olympia was quite nice but driving in we were sure we were way out in the sticks somewhere. We had buffet meals for lunch and dinner and both were quite good. It’s a good way to try a variety of Greek food.

Tuesday 4th July

Happy American Independence Day. We have a few Americans on our tour but I haven’t heard any of them mention it. Otherwise the tour group is made up of French, Canadians, and one kiwi has joined us today. A mix of age groups - there were a few kids with us yesterday but they were with the group that left us at Nafplion.

A late start today - we didn’t need to be on the bus till 9. A large group of 12-14 yr olds were in the hotel for a basketball camp - 11pm and words needed to be said ‘hey, people are trying to sleep here’. Not sure they understood English, but the tone said it all.

First visit was to the archaeological site of Olympia. I was pleased to see that there was no hill to climb to visit this; and it was already so hot. This site dates to 4th millennium b c. They are still excavating in some areas. We got the history of the ancient olympics - amongst other details, only men competed, and nude. The olympics started with only one event, the 200m race, and every 4 years they'd add another, then another, etc. No one put their hands up to give a demo of the 200m race. There is just an incredible amount of columns, rocks, marble, structures from Roman times, the original arena. To think that every rock was once part of something.

Still finding treasures. The excavation here is being done by a German group, so signs are in Greek, English and German.

Lots of columns and structures, huge rocks, plinths. Our guide told the story of those caught cheating at the Olympics had their statue on a plinth, and their name and family name also. Named and shamed! Only 16 in 300 years.

Entry to the arena of the ancient olympics.

Standing on the 200m race track.

Next, the archeological museum. I was blown away by the first display of tiny little votive offerings, some only a couple of inches. There was so much to see in the museum from these tiny pieces to huge sculptures. Our guide is very passionate about Greek history and spent a lot of time telling stories of the various gods and famous people of Ancient Greece. I’ll remember almost none of it by the time we hit the next site.

These are so small, and so perfect. To think of the 'tools' and 'processes' to get them so smooth and perfect. 

School kids on a school art group outing.

Sculpture of fight between centaur and lapinths(?). 

Sculpture of Peristecles. I can't remember who/what he was but it was a beautiful sculpture. Only found in 1877 from memory. 

Early lunch today and again it was a buffet with an assortment of Greek dishes. It was lovely though their dessert choices are a little boring.

Wine and olive oil tasting. I don’t really like olive oil as a condiment - I cook with it but that’s it. They had some lovely balsamic creams - we bought a strawberry one, which will be nice on a salad or ice cream. We also bought a bottle of a sweet red that I liked - i think that will be gone before we board our cruise. There were a few committed wine tasters in the group who continued the tasting until the opened bottles were empty.

Wine and olive oil tasting.

We then had a long 4 hour drive to Delphi, stopping halfway along at the city of Patra to look at the suspension bridge, completed in 2004, and the second longest in the world after the Millau viaduct in France, which we saw on a previous trip to France.

Suspension bridge at Patra.

Delphi is perched high on a hillside, and our hotel is on the downside and our balcony looks down on to the city of Itea on the Corinthian sea. This town reminds us of one of the towns we stayed at in Nepal.

Olympic hotel, Delphi.

Old puppy.

Didn't order the lamp shops. 😀

Looking down to the town of Itea and the Corinthian Sea.

Very comfortable.

And up to the mountains behind Delphi. 

The Parthenon - I made it!

Sunday 2nd July 

Early start this morning. Half day tour of Athens. First up we had to pick up all the passengers from their various hotels. I'm not sure why we aren't all at the same hotel - it would have been nice to have a group get together before we actually headed off on the tour.

A drive through the city on the bus pointing out the highlights until we ended up at the Acropolis museum. It's an amazing collection of antiquities. Some of the statues are just incredible. A lot were found deliberately toppled and buried, and they have been able to reassemble humpty dumpty. Our tour guide took great delight in showing us the second floor which is built the same length and width as the Parthenon and the same orientation. You look out the huge windows to see the Parthenon on the hill across the way.

Stadium of the first modern day Olympiad built in 1896.

Alexander the Great.

changing of the guard at the palace. This happens every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day. You can't see the pom poms on their shoes but we hope to get another closer look at this.

Oh no! Am I going to have to climb that? Yes! Even on the climb up, every lump of rock or marble was part of this amazing construction. So glad we weren't doing this in the rain because some of the marble was quite slippery just from the polishing received from the millions of steps taken through there. How many million people over the centuries have walked these paths?

The arena - Elton John performed here in 1997.

A lot of maintenance work going on - they won't rebuild the parts that are 'broken' as the marble would be different and heavier and would damage the old parts.

There is a copy of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee.  I have seen it.

How amazing to be here at this incredible place.

Temple of Athena.

It was a very hot and arduous climb (for me who is very unfit and hip issues) but to get up close when you get to the top is just incredible. Lots and lots of people there today. There are 4 cruise ships in town. The crowds eased off a bit after 12 as the cruise passengers headed back to ships for lunch. We headed off after 1 and back to the hotel.

Wow - this is what we've come to see!

Friday 30th June 

Farewell to France - until next time.

Returned our car this morning and headed to the airport. One slight issue at the airport - the travel agent had the wrong terminal on the flight documentation. After searching around for our flight information we found we needed to be at terminal 1, not 2. Thankfully there is a train, as they are a long way apart. 

Checking in was interesting. Flight is full so cabin bags need to be checked. I can't understand why ours needed to be checked when they were correct size and weight, but sitting waiting to board a lot of other passengers had their cabin bags - and some of them were BIG. 

The flight was late leaving Paris, only a 3 hour flight. A bit of turbulence over the Alps had the lady next to me crossing herself and muttering a quiet prayer. Must have helped as we landed safely, after one big hop. Not a landing worthy of a clap. 

We were picked up by taxi and taken to our hotel - about 40 minutes from the airport.

Headed to the rooftop snack bar for dinner - and there was the Acropolis. How amazing! Beautiful sight as the night fell and it was lit up. 

Saturday 1st July 

Free day in Athens. We caught the metro into the centre of town and just wandered around. I bought a hat, but we bought nothing else. Athens doesn't strike me as a pretty city. Close streets, close buildings, no real greenery, very hot and no breeze through the buildings to speak of. We could hear lots of different languages as we wandered around, but the predominant one was American. It certainly seems like we have got over the covid travel paralysis - everyone is on the move again.

Busy in the main shopping street.

Cute little chapel.

Waiting at the handbag shop. Come on, Mum, any colour will do!

This chow chow didn't like having his photo taken. 

Inside the orthodox cathedral.

The thing to do - sit around and eat and drink.
It's Saturday, a lot of locals as well as tourists.

This group of buskers were very good. Cheerful greek music.

We were sitting having coffee and Rob was reading on the tourist map a suggested place for lunch; and there it was, at the end of the street we were facing. Ella's. We had a lovely lunch of Greek food. 

Grilled Chicken with roast sweet potato and yoghurt.

Baked fish with potato and seasonings.

It was pretty hot in the city so once we had finished lunch we headed back to the hotel for a siesta. We decided to eat the hotel buffet for dinner as it was sure to have an assortment of Greek dishes on offer. Nothing special, but a taste of a few things.

Our hotel is obviously one used by a lot of tour groups. A large group of american 20-30 year olds on a Topdeck tour came in at dinner time then headed to the roof for the their first taste of ouzo, the view and the pool.

Sunset - we were a bit too late. Maybe tomorrow night.