September 26, 2019. Trip Oversight
“A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
-Benjamin Franklin
Top 12 Trip Pics
• Pyramids of Giza
• Parthenon – Athens, Greece
• Meteora, Greece
• Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
• West Cork, Ireland
• Banks of the Seine, Paris, France
• London along the Thames
• Luxor, Egypt
• Dublin, Ireland
• Peloponnese, Greece
• Dubrovnik/Trogir/Zadar, Croatia
• Cappadocia, Turkey
Lesson Learned: Home….it’s nice to have a place to return and hang your hat, to see family and friends, visit old haunts, and catch up on local events that occurred in your absence. But, you find that you miss the energy, the newness, and the strange which then becomes the norm. It’s nice to be home, but the wanderlust has taken seed and we now know we have to get back on the road again. How cool is that? Our kids and friends don’t ask “how are Ed and Ellen?” it’s “where are they now?”
I find it Liberating to be in a Place where I am a Foreigner
Seven months on the road and countless sites seen, cities lived in, countries visited, and cultures experienced leave you with countless memories, opinions, thrills, new friendships, and real-life exposure to images and places we’ve dreamed about our entire lives and twice as many more that we’d never heard of before we departed the U.S. It also leaves you with a yearning to see more.
But we’ve also got a list of the things we’ve seen or places we have really enjoyed. We are continually asked what we enjoyed the most or what we liked the best, and that’s tough to describe, or rank from 1 to 100. Our trip experience was cumulative, and difficult to separate the experience into discrete events. Much of what we did or saw built upon the events of the previous day or week, and blended over our travels to paint our memories. Here are a few of our favorite memories from our travels in 2019. You’ve heard of these places before, but here’s a list of experiences we’d do again.
Parthenon – Athens, Greece
Have no doubts, Athens is a great city. We arrived at sunset, emerging from the Acropolis Metro Station like a couple of prairie dogs poking up our heads from our hole, looking for danger, and found we’d accidently popped onto a movie set. Literally, you look up, see the Acropolis ablaze with bright, brilliant white lights, the pillars of the Parthenon stretching up for the technicolor sky, and you are sure this has got to be some kind of Hollywood special effects scene. It truly is an amazing sight.
I’d highly recommend finding a hotel or apartment in an area called the Plaka. There’s another neighborhood called Syntagma, where all the government offices are located, and the Monastriaki which are close to all the sights, cafés, and museums, but we still preferred the Plaka. If you like your accommodations, you can’t go wrong in any of these locations. I guess I’d compare these areas to Old Town Alexandria, Capitol Hill and Georgetown. Not exactly the same, but you get some of the flavor with historic sites scattered about.
The best part of these neighborhoods is the view of the Acropolis after dark. In all our travels, nothing else comes close. Get a room with a balcony and an Acropolis view. It will make you wish you never had to leave.
Syntagma is definitely more the business district of Athens with lots of big-name retail and large city commerce. Once Monday rolls around Athens got into full urban swing (this town does not wake up early) the streets were clogged, sidewalks were New York City crowded, there were high-rise office buildings, where people had places to go and things to do, unlike us. We just enjoyed observing the pulse of the city and the shops, cafés and businesses scattered about areas that most tourists don’t seek out.
Acropolis
The Acropolis……it’s everything you’ve ever heard is true and more. It really is amazing (I think I’m over using that word). We were fortunate to have rented an apartment with a balcony view of the acropolis. What an all-night view we had. Be sure your accommodations have a view, it’s worth the few extra bucks a night you’ll have to pay. I pity those tourists we saw with balconies facing the wrong direction, with only a view of the apartment building across the street instead of one of the most recognizable monuments known in the world. At least those guys got a great view of their neighbors’ laundry on the clothes line. By-the-way, everyone line-dries their clothes in Europe. What the hell is a clothes dryer?
We were so happy that we arrived in Athens during the low season. I doubt I’ll ever travel during peak season again. I’ll just take the summer off from traveling and go fishing on the Potomac back home. There were lots of people here in late January (the weather was like April in Alexandria, VA), but still it wasn’t crowded. I can imagine the throngs of tourist jammed on that rock in July or August. The longest line we ever found for anything was not more than ten-deep for any venue.
What’s to see in Athens? There are too many sites to list, and definitely too many to see in a single trip to Athens unless you plan to spend months. Which, come to think of it, I’ve heard worse ideas. This city is very walkable. The metro is inexpensive and easy to use, and taxis are everywhere, but why not just lace up your sneakers and get some exercise? Besides, its hard to get lost in this city, at least in the Plaka or Monastriaki. Why? Well, you can see that damn rock with the Parthenon on it from everywhere. Once you know where your quarters are oriented to the Acropolis, you just wander around until you recognize a familiar landmark. If not, your handy GPS will direct you back to your safe zone.
Where to stay: The Plaka, Monastriaki, or Syntagma neighborhoods.
How long should you stay: Athens is a fabulous city. We were here for about 3 weeks and still had more to see. You need to give it at least 4 days to a week to let the city sink in and get the feel of the city streets and the different neighborhoods. I suppose, if you get on a first name basis with the café touts that are trying to get you inside their doors, and you are able to stop by, chat, find out about the specials for the week and then leave without a scowl, or the sense of escaping a security roadblock you are well on your way to settling in. What I’m calling a tout are the people on the streets that call for you to enter a café to eat, sort of like barkers at an old-time carnival. They are everywhere in Athens.
You always seem to find something new and engaging around the next corner in this city. If you find a sidewalk roped off for construction you may find its an archaeological dig. Enjoy the history. Enjoy the energy.
What to see: Hadrian’s Arch, Acropolis Museum, Hadrian’s Library, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Kerameikos, Aristotle’s School, etc. You’ll find excavations all over the city. I’m not even mentioning things you can do from Athens as a day trip.
Next Up: Meteora, Greece