Public Holiday in Athens

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Tuesday: John was up at dawn and walking the area, starting with the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament Building. We met up for breakfast on the roof of the hotel with a wonderful spread of foods and THREE cappuccinos. Since it was a holiday none of the museums were open so we went on a shopping trip to the Plaka, starting with the areas just under the Acropolis and proceeding to those shops near the center of the city. We found lots of little gifts for the family and friends. We also visited a jeweler and got a little education on how to work gold and design jewelry. Of course they wanted to sell us everything (“we need to stay in business so everything is marked down”) but we only got a traditional Athenian design. Worn out from all the negotiating we dropped off our spoils and went to Athinaikon Restaurant, traditional Greek foods in a modern environment. We got great service and food for a reasonable price.

As evening came on we dressed up for a drink at the rooftop bar and then perhaps a visit to a Rotary Club that meets at the St George Hotel not far from our own hotel.

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