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Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens September 11th 2022

The eyes are more exact witnesses than the ears… ~ Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the ancient city of Athens, before catching a train northward to Thessaloniki in the mid-afternoon. We woke early and headed down to the intimate breakfast room at Hotel Attalos. As always, I opted for Greek yoghurt with muesli and cranberries, and we hydrated with endless cups of tea and juice. This comfy, compact and welcoming hotel in the heart of Athens was nothing short of exceptional, and we especially loved its breakfast offerings. We had a scheduled walking tour of the Acropolis at 9:30am, and we were looking forward to it. We had been skirting the perimeter of this extraordinary ruin since arriving in Greece a few weeks earlier, but we were yet to enter ... read more
odeon of herodes atticus
temple of athena nike
entering the propylaia gate

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens September 10th 2022

Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance… ~ Epicurus, Greek Philosopher HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the ancient city of Athens. We woke early and headed down to the intimate breakfast room at Hotel Attalos. As always, I opted for a bowl of Greek yoghurt topped with muesli and cranberries, and we hydrated with many cups of tea and juice. We were about to embark on a day of street-based walking and exploring within close proximity of the Acropolis, and we needed sustenance to keep us going until lunch. We headed out in the early morning to explore the Acropolis Museum on the south-eastern side of the Acropolis outcrop, and we were optimistically hoping to get there before the tourist hordes arrived by the busload. As we walked through ... read more
streets of plaka
streets of plaka
acropolis museum

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens September 9th 2022

The unexamined life is not worth living… ~ Socrates, Greek Philosopher HE SAID... Today we were travelling northeast from Kardamyli to Athens. We woke early and headed down to Kardamyli Beach Hotel’s breakfast area, only to find the electric roller doors locked and the lights off. At precisely 8am, following the flick of a switch from the hotel’s grumpy manager, the doors slowly began to open. This hotel was run with military precision, and we had become used to its idiosyncratic ways. We cautiously entered the breakfast area and lined up in an orderly queue to receive our breakfast items. There were no self-serve options here. The grumpy manager stood behind a glassed-in buffet and placed whatever items we asked for onto a plate. Only the very brave asked for multiple items. It was imperative to ... read more
streets of psyrri
streets of psyrri
streets of psyrri

Europe » Greece » Attica » Hydra September 4th 2022

Act quickly, think slowly… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling south from Poros to Hydra– by ferry. We had a somewhat sketchy start to the day, thanks in part to a misunderstanding with the carefree and somewhat clueless managers at Hotel Pavlou (our accommodation on Poros), and to our guide’s overly cautious approach to time-management. The hotel’s kitchen was meant to open at 8am, as we were scheduled to leave for Poros Town at 8:30am to catch the ferry to Hydra. It was always going to be tight, but we love tight schedules – especially when they lead to heightened travel experiences. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed with day packs in tow, we settled at one of the outdoor dining tables at 8am. We were ready to go. Hotel Pavlou wasn’t. The kitchen hadn’t ... read more
ferry to hydra
first look at hydra
streets of hydra town

Europe » Greece » Attica » Poros September 3rd 2022

A pomegranate never tastes like a fig… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling south from Aegina to Poros– by ferry. After exploring the narrow backstreets of Aegina Town (the island’s bustling port area) in the early morning light, we made our way to the Chapel of St Nicholas – a tiny church built right on the dock – which provided much needed shelter from the sun as we waited for our ferry to Poros. Having familiarised ourselves with the size of Greek ferries the previous day, we were ready for this journey. We even boarded as seasoned ferry travellers. Well, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but at least we weren’t as shell-shocked as we’d been at Piraeus the previous morning. We set off from Aegina at 10:30am, stopped briefly at Methana on the ... read more
ferry to poros
poros from ferry
poros from ferry

Europe » Greece » Attica » Aegina September 2nd 2022

What is good to know is difficult to learn… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were travelling southwest from Athens to Aegina– by ferry. On arriving at the breakfast room at Hotel Attalos, we were confronted by a large group of excited teenagers on a school trip to Athens. We’d become accustomed to a reasonably quiet and relaxed start to our Athenian days, but this was the polar opposite. The noise was deafening, but the kids were friendly and affable. Their interactions took us right back to our own school trips, where it mattered so much who you sat next to (and who you didn’t sit next to)! School trip politics is so unforgiving. On braving the chaotic madness at the breakfast buffet (talk about herding cats!), I managed to serve myself a bowl of ... read more
ferry to aegina
ferry to aegina
ferry in aegina

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens September 1st 2022

Drop by drop the jug is filled… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the ancient city of Athens. We woke early and headed down to the intimate breakfast room at Hotel Attalos. As always, I opted for Greek yoghurt (which I topped with muesli, fresh honey and cranberries), and we hydrated with countless cups of tea and juice. We were about to embark on another full day of city-based walking, and we needed sustenance to keep us going until lunch. We set out just after 9am and weaved our way through the narrow and busy morning streets to Plateia Syntagmatos. We crossed the road to the Greek Parliament, watched the presidential guards (evzones) in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a few minutes, then continued along Vasilissis Sofias ... read more
presidential guard
evzone guard at barracks
the runner

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens August 31st 2022

A heart that loves is always young… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were continuing to explore the ancient city of Athens. Wide awake at 5:30am, our bodies still adjusting to the eight-hour time difference between Greece and Australia, we used the early morning stillness to prepare for a self-guided walking tour of central Athens. This time there would be no disgruntled tour guide. Armed only with a small map and endless enthusiasm, we were looking forward to a day of fortuitous adventure. But first there was breakfast. We loved the breakfast room at Hotel Attalos, not only for its fabulous and slightly eccentric array of breakfast provisions, but also for the unexpected (and entirely free) entertainment provided by hotel guests – especially the grumpy ones. There’s nothing more amusing than an unhappy camper who ... read more
church of panagia kapnikarea
parliament building
changing of the guard ceremony

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens August 30th 2022

Every story can be told in different ways… ~ Greek Proverb HE SAID... Today we were setting out to explore the ancient city of Athens. Having navigated three different time zones (Australia, United Arab Emirates and Greece) in as many days, we struggled to wake the next morning. Our bodies were still trying to adjust to the seven-hour difference. We headed straight to the hotel’s breakfast room and hydrated with fruit juice and seven cups of tea (each)! I couldn’t get enough of the Greek yoghurt with fruit and honey, and Ren couldn’t resist the spanakopita (spinach and feta phyllo pie). We were still dazed from our last three days of travel, so we took a bit of time to organise ourselves in our room before heading out at 11am for a market tour of Athens. ... read more
kotzia square
greek frappes
bougatsa

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens August 29th 2022

The learning and knowledge that we have, is but little compared with that of which we are ignorant… ~ Plato, Greek Philosopher HE SAID... Today we were travelling from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Athens (Greece). As we lifted off from Dubai International Airport in the late afternoon, I stared down at the surreal Dubai landscape below as our plane climbed steeply into the sky on its northwest route to Athens. The plane was virtually empty, so we had plenty of room. Dinner was served within the hour, and it was nice to enjoy a cold beer after Dubai’s relentless 40+ degree afternoon heat. When the pilot informed us that our flight would take just over four hours, it dawned on me that I finally had time to start my travel writing! I typed feverishly between ... read more
first sight of greece
athens airport metro station
view from hotel rooftop




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