Athens

Arriving at Port of Piraeus (Athens) Greece - Royal Princess
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

IT TURNED out that we started out with a couple of at sea days, and though my initial reaction was disappointment, our legs really appreciated the rest for a couple days.

Greek Columns - Acropolis - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

BY THE time we reached Athens, we were rejuvenated and ready for the next adventure. During the couple days at sea, we had had the opportunity to meet our groups for the different shore excursions. For Athens, my wife had scheduled a tour for 4 people and we were joined by our new friends, Scott and Pam Berry. We had actually met up with them the night before boarding while in Venice and had dinner together, so we already had some friends aboard. We spent a fun day in Athens with them, and were scheduled to later spend a day on the Amalfi Coast of Italy with them.

Temple of the Olympian Zeuss - Athens, Greece

IT WAS a great day. Athens is one of those places that played a huge part in ancient history and the development of civilization. The Greek people were probably the first "modern" civilized cultures, with advanced architecture, socialization - particularly in the form of athletics, and a semi-representative governmental structure. We were in for a long (but fulfilling) day, beginning with The Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Arch (entrance to the old city of Athens).

Changing of the Guard - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

THEN WE stopped just in time to see the Changing of The Guards at Athens' Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. If you have ever seen the ceremony at our own Arlington Cemetery, you witness a very somber and controlled military event. The Greek ceremony is similar in that it is somber and serious. But they put on quite a show with their high-stepping marching. Both are something everyone should try to see during their lifetime.

Truly a "city on the hill," there are 360 views from the Acropolis

NEXT, WE were on to our appointment with a separately licensed tour guide for a few hours at the Acropolis. One of the things I truly regret is that I did a horrible job of note-taking about personal details of our guides over the years. For the life of me, I cannot remember our guide's name. What I do remember is that he was a public school music (band) teacher by profession, but had quit teaching when his father - the owner and founder of their small family tour company had taken seriously ill (and sadly, eventually died). Our guy did what families do. He jumped in, rolled up his sleeves, and worked with his mom and brother to keep the company alive. He was incredible. Enthusiastic. Knowledgable. But Athens law required that all Acropolis tours be conducted by their specially licensed guides. So he dropped us off, introduced and said he would be back in a couple hours.

Hadrian's Arch - Entrance to the Old City of Athens
opyright Andy Richards 2013

THE ACROPOLIS, as city in and of itself back in ancient times, is truly a fortress on a hill, high up over Athens. The views from up there are amazing. We have toured it twice over the years. First with the Berrys on this cruise and then a couple years later, with our friends Paul and Linda on our "repeat" cruise. The extent of their civilization and the impressive architecture is mind-boggling, considering that it was built in the 5th century! We got a bit of history on Greek Architecture - and in particular, a schooling on the 3 columns that are an iconic part of Greek temples and public buildings: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian (kind of fascinating and worth a Google search). We saw the Parthenon, The Athena Nike Temple, and the Dionysus Theatre, among other things. We spent nearly an hour in the indoor, enclosed museum which holds many ancient artifacts and artwork.

From the Acropolis you get a birdseye view of the Temple of Zeuss and Hadrian's Arch
Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

THE ACROPOLIS is perhaps one of the best preserved ancient ruins of Greek Architecture, and we saw The Parthenon, as well as several other temples.

The Parthenon - Acropolis - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

ANOTHER EVIDENCE of the advanced nature of civilization in the Acropolis is the impressive Theatre (which hosts concerts and performances even today).

Acropolis Theatre - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

TRULY A "city on the hill," there are 360 views from the Acropolis. I made a number of photos from there. As you can see from the shot above and this one below, it is easy to see and indentify other historic sites, like the Agora (marketplace) down in the city of Athens. We would spend more time down in the Agora on our second visit to Athens in 2015.

The Agora, as viewed from the Acropolis - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

AFTER OUR time at The Acropolis, our guide re-joined us and we set out for other Athens sights. Our first stop was at an authenic local restaurant in the old city, where our guide was family friends with the owner. We had a semi-private room at the back of the restaurant and per our guide's suggestion, we let the owner "order" for us. It has been so many years, I don't have a clue what we had, but I remember it was delicious.

Panathenaic Stadium - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

WHEN IT comes to personal athletics, most people know it all started with the Greeks. Legend has it that the original marathon was actually a Greek messenger who ran 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory there over the Persians. It is also well-known that the Olympics started with the Greeks about 3,000 years ago, in Olympia, Greece and were held every 4 years after that. Originally hosting their own "Panathenaic" Games, the stadium was rebuilt to its current configuration. Both massive and remarkable in its presence, it was difficult to really represent it in a photograph. But I tried. 😀

Port of Piraeus, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

WE SPENT the remainder of our day with a quick tour around the Agora, including one of the oldest churches in the world, the ancient marketplace, and some other sites personally known to our guide, before he drove us back to the port of Piraeus (about 5 miles southwest of Athens - but a good 15 - 20 minute drive). If only I could remember his name, I would enthusiastically recommend our guide. The only thing - and this was a huge learning point for us - I would suggest is that you negotiate for the vehicle. We learned from the this experience to check closely on that aspect of an onshore excursion. Often, if you book and pay for an excursion for 4 people, you will end up in a small sedan (Mercedes seems popular over there). Scott and I are both 6 foot, good-sized guys. Neither of our spouses were tiny women. That meant 3 full-sized adults in the back seat of a sedan that really wasn't built for 3, with Scott and I trading off the front ("shotgun") seat. In spite of a really great day, that was uncomfortable. And it was the last time we ever did it.

Cruise Tip: In subsequent excursions over the years we have always either booked a larger group (6 - 8) or paid the extra for a "larger group." That has guaranteed us a larger vehicle where we could spread out and be comfortable.

SO FAR, the cruise and trip was meeting my wildest expectations. Over the years we have been to some amazing places and seen some amazing things. This one, though, was our first, and everything was new and fabulous. For any reader here who has followed my LightCentricPhotography Blog, you know I gush on about how much I love color. This image of our Royal Princess ship leaving the port of Piraeus could not have capped a very memorable and successful day any better! But there was more to come.

Leaving Port of Piraeus (Athens) Greece - Royal Princess
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved