Traveling Home

September 23 and 24:  Our first travel day took us from London to Keflavik, Iceland.  We took a cab from the Mentone Hotel to Paddington Station.  Then we took the express train from Paddington to Heathrow, Terminal 2.  Lastly we flew from London to Iceland via IcelandAir a little over 3 hours.   I watched X-Men, Apocalypse.   

After we retrived our luggage and called the B&B, we walked to the oceanfront toward town and returned to the B&B's recommended restaurant.  It was a fast food joint serving pizzas, burgers and the like.  We each had bbq chicken salad.  We walked nearly 6 miles.

Our second day took us from Keflavik to Portland.  Our flight as scheduled for 5:15 pm but the weather was dreadful, so no walking after breakfast.  We watched the last movie I rented and installed on my IPad - Guardians of the Galaxy.  After the movie, we transferred to airport and spent the afternoon in the business class lounge.  I snagged a lounge chair and finishing most of the latest Daniel Silva novel - The Balck Widow. 

Our 8-hour flight to Portland left just a few minutes late.  We sat in seat 3D and 3F.  I watched several movies - Run All Night, Fracture and Street Kings.  I finished up with one episode of the modern Sherlock.  

We arrived at Portland near on time, ran the custom's gauntlet with little hassle and waited for our luggage.  We retrieved everything and Andrew picked us up in the Prius.  We walked through the door to greet Sophie at around 7:30 pm.  All was well.

London, the last day

September 22: Today started slow even though we gained two hours due the time zone change.  We had breakfast in the hotel after packing or rearranging clothes in our suitcases. We each have a suitcase of mostly dirty clothes that is now set aside and will not be opened until after getting home.

We did other internet things, like checking our bank accounts and checking in for our flight to Iceland.  We also bought theatre tickets for tonight to see The Entertainer with Kennth Branagh.  And we looked up the Blue Lagoon to see when it opens.  It's website suggested we book a spot, so we tried that.  But, it is fully booked on Saturday so our plan to enjoy a soak has been derailed. 

After the Internet work, we walked to the British Museum to see the rest of the famous marble carvings of the Parthenon, known as the Elgin Marbles.  It was interesting to see how they displayed their pieces in comparison to those in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.  I was able to find Panel V that is intact except for the head of Athena, which was found sometime later in the rubble and consequently is still in Athens.  The Acropolis Museum has the head mounted with a plaster cast of the remaining Panel V and a note that the rest of the panel is at the British Museum.  The British go to considerable effort to justify their ownership of the Parthenon sculptures, mostly on the grounds that the marble was deteriorating badly and they had permission from the Ottoman rulers in charge at the time. 

We hung around for a free tour in the Enlightment Room.  The guide explained how the room began as a library housing collections of Hans Sloan and King George III.  It has evolved into a summary of the vast contents of the museum, arranged in categories.  It is a way to sample the museum's collection quickly.  The categories include natural history, paleontology and archaeology, arts and culture, religion and rituals, letters and books.   

We had a break at the museum cafe and walked back to hotel for a siesta.

We left the hotel around 4:30 to walk toward the Garrick Theatre and for a place to have dinner.  We arrived in the West End and retrieved our tickets for the evening performance of The Entertainer, starring Kenneth Branagh.  We ate an early dinner at Farm Stand, a light cafeteria-style eatery (on the corner of Long Acre and Drury Lane).  We each had poached salmon with 2 sides for a fixed price.

We had time to kill before the theatre so we ambled down to the Embankment (riverside).  The tide was high, lapping up on the walls and boat accesses.  We walked through the Whitehall Gardens and arrived to the theatre in time to claim our seats.  My was a wheelchair accessible seat and two guys from the stage crew had to reset the a trio of seats and the back wall.  Our seats were in the middle of the fifth row in the Dress Circle.  Strangely, this was basically street level.  The stage is about 30 or more feet lower down.  As we waited for the opening, we noticed a couple of actors who came in and sat two rows in front of us.  After doing a little Internet research we determined they were Nicholas Farrell and Stella Gonet.  Nicholas Farrell had done some Shakespeare with Kenneth Branagh.

The Entertainer was written by John Osborne.  It takes place in England around 1956 and centers around a family comprised of a former music hall, dance man grandfather, current tap dancer/host son (Branagh), wife, daughter and two sons (though only one appears in the play).  There was a love/hate relationship among the family members with the music hall business was in serious decline.  It appeared that the entire economy of Britian at the time was depressed.  While Branagh did an admirable job acting, singing and dancing, the plot was a bit disappointing.  Our reaction after the close was why would anyone care what happens to the characters.  We rode the Underground back to our hotel.

Athens to London

September 21:  Today, we are in travel-mode - lots of queues and standing around in airports, underground stations, subway cars and luggage return.

We left our hotel around 7:30 am, traveled via subway from central city to Airport, had breakfast  after arriving at the airport, checked bags and passed through Passport Control and Security with little to no waiting. The flight to London was over 3 hours long with a slight delay.  We had a long wait at Passport  control, and consequently no waiting for our luggage. We bought express train service to Paddington Station, which took only 20 minutes, and then rode the underground from Paddington to Kings Cross.  We walked about 1/4 mile to the Mentone.

We checked in, got a smallish room and retrieved our stored luggage.  We went to dinner at Carlucci's, an Italian restaurant inside St Pancras Station, within sight of the Eurostar trains.  We have eaten here on several prior visits to London.  It was light, delicious and just right after a day of waiting.  We enjoy a bottle of the white wine special.  We both had a smoked salmon fettuccine, preceeded by fried ravolis and salad caprese.  We had an apricot tart for dessert. 

We returned the hotel and watch an episode of DCI Banks.  London felt clean and fresh after Athens.

Athens Day 3

September 20:  Today was a pretty relaxed last day with major sites under our belts.  Varis and I escorted Karen to the subway station to assist her in buying a ticket and catching the correct train to the airport.  She was on her way to San Francisco via Montreal.  We learned how to buy a ticket to the airport and Karen squeezed into a packed subway car.

Varis and I then went for coffee and raisin cake, his new favorite breakfast treat.  We returned to the hotel and joined up with Betsy, Jan and Ron to decide on a plan for the day.  After some discussion, Jan, Ron and Varis decided to catch the hop-on, hop-off bus to Piraeus (the port area) to visit the Maritime Museum.  Betsy and I walked with them over to the Acropolis Museum (the stop for this particular bus), and we made plans to meet up for lunch when they returned.  Varis and I could send messages to each other so we would know when they were returning to the city.

Betsy and I first walked up Philopappos Hill just SW of the Acropolis, with 360 degree views.  We could see Piraeus and its ports, the Acropolis from a new angle, and the rest of the city.  The buildings were gleaming white from a distance (up close most are dingy and dilapidated) and there were a number of tree-covered parks.  The city is surrounded by a ring of low, brown mountains like the filling of a pie crust.  Philopappos HIll has a few caves in its side, included one associated with Socrates.  

We then wandered around the central city, passing through and by the Ancient Agora (the original city center and where democracy took form as citizens met to talk about issues).  We walked through the flea market area, the central market with lots of butchers and un-refrigerated meat, fish, fresh produce, nuts and olives, and huge arrays of spices.  We stumbled upon a side street strung with multiple, varied lampshades - quirky.  At the end of the street was a over-the-top decorated coffee shop where we stopped for iced tea and a yoghurt/ fruit bowl.  We wandered back through Plaka to the area of the Acropolis Museum, our planned meeting point for Jan, Ron and Varis.  

We had a 15-minute wait (the bus was behind schedule), and all went to a nearby restaurant for lunch.  It advertised itself as recommended by Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, etc.  Our lunches and dinners follow a consistent pattern - first, we order several bottles of water which are consumed almost immediately, we then order a couple more, followed by drinks  (beer and wine), and then a basket of bread, and finally we order salads and entrees.   Depending on the restaurant, we may get olives, spreads, butter with the bread.  We have tried most all of the famous Greek dishes.  After eating, we always have to request the bill and I do the math to allot the total to the various people/couples.  Then, we can pay with separate credit cards (using the handheld machine and we all, except Varis, must sign the invoice kept by the restaurant); Varis has a card that accepts a PIN and does not require a signature).   This particular restaurant served us free watermelon after our entrees, a nice ending to a tasty meal.

After lunch, we walked back to the Parliament Building area to catch the bus again to go back to the hotel (for Varis, Betsy and I) or to the Archeological Museum (Ron and Jan).  We relaxed the rest of the afternoon, watching Saving Mr. Banks (about the making of the Disney movie of Mary Poppins) on our computer.  We regrouped about 7 pm for dinner at Alexander the Great, the taverna close to the hotel where we had eaten on Saturday.  The food was still good and the service attentive.  This time they gave us plates of thick Greek yogurt with sweetened carrot shreds as dessert.  

Back at the hotel we checked in with British Airways for our flight tomorrow and said goodbye to the other 3 who are taking a ferry to Santorini early in the morning.

Athens Day 2

September 19:  Our second full day in Athens began for me with coffee and treats at a bakery with Varis; Betsy went with Jan and Ron for more substantial fare at a different bakery (a 'mega bakery').  We convened and walked to the Acropolis parking area in order to board a bus that would take us to Piraeus, the port city that serves Athens.  On our way, we stopped for a look at the historical Keramikos Cemetery, an ancient city burial ground, which is fenced off and undergoing active excavation.  Comment - it must be hard to build new buildings here because there are ancient foundations underlying the entire city.  The new Acropolis Museum solved this by building on concrete pillars and installing see-through floors that look down to Roman-era city ruins.

Once at the Acropolis, we waited for the bus and then enjoyed a slow ride out to Piraeus, passing a number of Olympic venues (stadiums).  I finally looked up when the Olympics were last held here - 2004.  Our plan was to visit the Maritime Museum in Piraeus when someone asked if it was open, given that it was Monday.  Oops, we didn't know.  I looked it up using my phone and sure enough it is closed on Mondays.

Karen, Betsy and I rode the bus back to Athens, passing by the big ferry port and a couple of smaller marinas and bays full of yachts.  Jan, Ron and Varis transferred to another bus for a ride along the coast, east of Piraeus.  Piraeus is the 3rd largest city in Greece and is densely packed with 3 and 4 story buildings.

We, returnees got off at the Acropolis Museum stop and wandered through the Plaka area of small shops and quintessential Greek eateries (sidewalk tables under umbrellas or large trees/vines).  We stopped in at an art shop owned and/or operated by a Greek cultural organization that only sold products made in Greece.   They carried art created by students of a local school and by professionals.  There were a variety of interesting items.  Betsy bought a Greek pitcher (Myceian era-style) and I picked out an original watercolor of two columns (reminiscent of the Temple of Zeus, but also will serve as a reminder of our Italian bike riding trip in June).

We continued our walk toward another bus stop, stopping for refreshing fruit smoothies at a cafe across from Sindagma Square (which I referred to as "Freedom Square" in an earlier post).  We then caught the bus for a short ride north to the Archaeological Museum.  We spent a good 2+ hours wandering around their massive collection of historical Greek artifacts from various excavations, both on land and from the sea.  There were lots of marble statues, pot shards (including some interesting pottery pieces described as frying pans),  bronze weapons, sculptures, and tools, gold ornaments, and the like.  The collections were organized in chronological order starting at Paleolithiic  to Neolithic to Mezolithic to Myceian to Greek to Roman eras (I probably forgot a few eras), ranging from 30,000 B.C. - 400 A.D.  I took a few pictures of items along with their explanatory notes, which when I do a photo book, I will arrange together.  

To rest our feet before heading to the hotel, we had an ice cream break in the basement cafe.  It was set along a court yard and garden containing a few whimsical modern sculptures that evoked earlier art.

We walked back the hotel and met up with the rest of the group to walk to dinner in the Plaka area.  It was Karen's last night in Athens so she picked the restaurant - we went back to the restaurant we had lunch in the day before.  This time, we ate on the rooftop terrace under the edge of  the Acropolis and a small piece of the Temple of Athena, which was nicely lit.  We watched the sun go down and the nearly full moon rise, and enjoyed the views over the city.  We all ate "lamb in clay pot" (oven baked lamb shanks with potatoes and other vegetables).  The setting and the meal were about perfect.    We walked downhill and back to the hotel past the Roman Agora.

Athens Day 1

September 18:  Today, Sunday, we had a full day of typical sightseeing visits of the most famous sites of Athens.  Varis and I started early with a quick trip to a coffee shop. 

We met up with Betsy, Jan, Karen, and Ron for a brisk walk to the Acropolis, via Arios Pagos, a hill top overlooking the city just below the Acropolis.  We walked south from our hotel passing a number of churches (with recorded cantors blaring out) , a vast amount of graffiti, and shuttered doors covering shop fronts.  We passed to one side of the ancient Agora (marketplace), which contained the Temple of Hephaestus and Attaulus Museum. We then ascended on paths through rocky ground and slick stones to the top of Arios Pagos with amazing views over the sprawling city, the Acropolis, and Lycabettus Hill.  Photography was in order.  We arrived at the Acropolis entrance with lots of others who were doing the same thing - so much for avoiding the crowds and the heat.  Although Athens is surrounded by low mountains and there are several substantial hills within the city limits, the Acropolis rock stands head and shoulders above everything else.   

We purchased 20 euro tickets and proceeded uphill on sometimes very polished (and slippery) marble paths and steps.  The first stop was a view down to the Herod Atticus Odeum (theatre) just on the southwest side.  We continued up and entered the Acropolis proper through a partially intact gate.  The ground leveled off with views of the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena, the two major buildings on the site.  The Parthenon is under constant restoration and has scaffolding on one end and a crane inside.  The basic external frame still stands and it is bigger and more impressive than expected.  We strolled past, talking lots of photos, to the opposite end of the 'plateau' to an overlook toward the northeast.  I waited for Betsy to catch up and we walked back to the temple which is to the right  (or north) of the Parthenon.  We met up with others and proceeded slowly back to the gate and down a separate route to the exit.  The day was already getting hot.

We then walked to Parliment Square via the freedom park to catch the parade/changing of the guards.  On Sundays only, at 11:00 am, the guard change involves a small band and 200 guards that march along the street.  The Greek style of marching involves a kick and high step with the right foot, ending with a sharp smack when that foot hits the ground.  Each guard is decked out in a colorful, traditional  uniform  - a short white pleated skirt, a white blouse with long loose sleeves, a red tunic, white leggings, and black tassels on the toe of each shoe.  They also wear a fez-like hat or red beret.  There were so many sightseers there, we didn't see much of the 'silly' ceremony but did enjoy the music and the marching in and out on the street.  

Since we were right at the National Garden, we walked through it on the way to the Plaka neighborhood to have lunch.  We also passed the Panathinaiko Stadium (an enormous u-shaped stadium used in the ancient Olympics and restored for use in the modern Olympics), the Olympic swimming venue and the Temple of Zeus (with its few tall standing columns and a single shattered one laying on the ground).

We had a fun lunch with friendly wait staff and great food at a charming restaurant that was over 100 years old and visited by celebrities in the past.  We sat outside under an umbrella at the intersection of two narrow streets that are now for pedestrians only (and an occasional motor scooter).

After lunch we walked over to the relatively new Acropolis Museum set below  the southeast corner of the mound.  We toured all three floors of statues, etc.  recovered for around or in the Acropolis.  The top floor of the museum is exactly the length and width of the Parthenon with small plain columns.  The friezes and pediments are reproduced in plaster along with a few of the original carved stones - those not taken by the English (Elgin Marbles in the British Museum), the French (statues in the Louvre) and the Turks.  It is only by looking at these parts and by using detailed sketches drawn by early admirers that they know what the some of the scenes actually were.  There are still some large sections that remain unknown.  The Parthenon has been blighted by earthquakes, fires, explosions, and savaging humans, so it's surprising how much remain.

We rode the tourist bus back to the hotel to rest and cool off (a shower for Phil) before going for a light dinner at the same bakery/cafe where some of us had eaten the night before.  In addition to a splendid array of baked goods, cookies, and pastries, they offer sandwiches, salads, and hot entrees - a one-stop shop.

Corfu to Athens

September 17:  We vacated the boat early and caught taxis to the airport at 8:30.  We left behind (donated) a little food, especially bags of granola and milk.  I gave our leftover ouzo to Johnny, the base manager, since he so helpful and friendly.

We ran the gauntlet at the airport and had an quick flight to Athens.  Our luggage arrived and we transferred to our hotel for the next 4 nights using the subway.  We had to transfer to a second subway line for 3 stops, and walked to our hotel which was about 3 blocks away.  MotionX-GPS worked well.

Immediately after checking in, we went for lunch to Alexander the Great, as recommended by the hotel front desk.

We then checked out "hop-on, hop-off" buses, as a way of getting a sense of the city.  After studying the advertisements, we picked the Blue Bus, because we buy a 3-day pass and access all of the routes they offered.  We waited for the bus to arrive (it comes every 30 minutes) and rode the entire circuit of the "Athens Line."  We saw all of the major tourist sites from the upper deck of the bus, with skimpy commentary through the bus' audio system (with earbuds).  It was a useful thing to do, because we determined what to do the following day.

Dinner was at a local bakery that served other things besides a vast array of cookies, cakes, sweets, and breads.  Betsy opted out of dinner, though I brought a smoothie from the bakery back to her.