Since I was up late last night, I sleep in until 8:30 am. After my delightful breakfast of yogurt with fresh apple and honey, a hardboiled egg and hot tea, I visit Lycabettus Hill. Some travelers I met at the Acropolis on Monday said the views from Lycabettus Hill are spectacular. My hope is that, if I go in the morning, the skies will still be clear for photos before hazing over from the heat and pollution.
The street map shows the tram to the top of Lycabettus Hill to be about 11 blocks from the subway. No problem. What the map doesn’t show is that nine of the blocks are at a pretty steep incline with the last six blocks consisting of stairs. Then you can catch the tram, which moves almost vertically to the top of the hill.
The air is warm with pleasant breezes, and the sky is fairly clear. There are only a handful of visitors, making it easy to take photos. The travelers were right. The panoramic views of Athens are incredible. From here, you can see all the sites of Athens – hills, parks, the Acropolis and other archaeological sites, and the Aegean Sea. This is one time I’m happy I have my telephoto lens. I get some wonderful shots (in my humble opinion) of the Acropolis with the sea in the background.
At the top of the hill are two viewing platforms, along with a restaurant and a small church. This is such a beautiful place to be that I take my time – taking photos and talking with some of the other visitors. I also offer to take photos of some of the visitors, and they reciprocate. In addition to a short chat with a couple of ladies from England, I enjoyed a lengthy exchange with Dave and Jacky of Scunthorpe, England. We shared travel plans and experiences, and political views, the most significant being concerns that our respective countries are quickly losing their national identities. Tomorrow, they will meet up with some friends who have a boat to cruise the islands. How wonderful!
When I finally pry myself away from this gorgeous place, instead of taking the tram, I decide to walk down the hill back to the street. At one point, the path appears to circle around through a wooded and isolated area and, after my pick pocket experience, I change my mind and head back towards the tram. After a short distance, I encounter Scott and Marina, a young couple from New York City. We had taken each other’s photos earlier. I ask if I can walk down the path them. They are agreeable and very accommodating. In fact, Scott is quite protective, making sure I manage safely down some of the steeper steps. When I stop halfway down the path to take some photos, I tell them to go on, but they offer to wait for me and we take photos of each other with the Acropolis and the Aegean Sea in the background.
Scott, a child of the military (Air Force), also served in the military (Marines), working in intelligence, and then with the United Nations. He seems very knowledgeable of the war situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and seems to have an informed perspective that he says is often distorted by the media. Marina is originally from the country of Georgia. Both are very nice and, at the bottom of the hill, we part ways. They are off to catch a Mediterranean cruise and I head to Starbucks for my Starbuck’s Frappuccino® fix and to journal.
Just FYI – the Starbucks Frappuccinos® are not as good here as they are in the states. It’s just as well; I really don’t need them.
After my respite, I take the subway to Karameikos, a site which boasts the ruins of a 12th century cemetery and ancient city walls (479 and 394 BC). As I walk through the grass, I’m startled by movement on the ground. I look over to see a very large turtle walking around. This is the last thing I expect and during the next hour, I see at least three of these turtles, an added bonus to these old ruins.
Late in the afternoon, I head over to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Gate. If I hurry, I may get there before it closes at 6 pm.
On my way, I call the Kretz’s from a phone booth to see if my replacement credit card has arrived. It arrived about just 20 minutes before. The Kretz’s agree to meet me for dinner at about 7 pm. They will bring my card and I plan to treat them to dinner.
I continue over to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus but, when I arrive, it is already closed. (They tend to close the doors to attractions 15-20 minutes prior to closing time. You don’t even get a chance to try and rush through.) However, Hadrian’s Gate is not enclosed, so I take some photos if it; and the Temple of the Olympian Zeus can be seen through the iron fence, so I photograph it as well.
After walking around for awhile, I head back to the Acropolis subway about 6:45 to meet the Kretz’s and run into them on the way. Ron knows just the place to have dinner in the Plaka. It is one of their favorite places and he says that they don’t rip you off, as is the practice of some restaurants in Greece.
When we arrive at the restaurant, the maître d’ recognizes the Kretz’s and welcomes us warmly. Dining service is provided primarily outside, which is great as it is a very pleasant evening.
I had planned to treat the Kretz’s to dinner to thank them for their help. However, opening the envelope with my replacement credit card, the sticker on my card reminds me that you have to call and activate the card before I can use it. I look around for a phone booth, but there isn’t one nearby. Ron and Diana treat me to dinner explaining that the restaurant doesn’t accept credit cards anyway.
Earlier, I had told the Kretz’s that I planned to take the train the next day to Thessaloniki, so after dinner, they take me to the subway stop where the train station is and we check the train schedule for the next day. I decide to wait to buy my ticket. From there, we ride the subway back to my stop where I get off and they continue on to their destination. ~