Well Athens is a different place than I remember from 20 years ago – a lot cleaner, hardly any smog and the makeover which accompanied the Olympic Games has certainly created a much more pleasant city to visit.  The bus services and metro are efficient, cheap and easy to use.  Once again very hot, so all the sightseeing needed to be accompanied by afternoon stops for a cold one!  As many of you know just strolling around Athens brings you face-to-face with breath-taking archaeological treasures: reminding one of the city’s enormous historical influence and the age and sophistication of early Greek society.

Starting very early, we spent a day exploring the Acropolis (which is currently being restored and is covered with the usual cranes and scaffolding which seem to accompany parts of all historical sites at the moment).  We just managed to beat the bus loads of tour groups trooping up so we were able to move freely about.  Throughout the day we worked our way around most of the other archaeological sites our ticket entitled us to enter.  We also visited the new Acropolis Museum where all the surviving treasures unearthed at the Acropolis are on display.  You can see the Parthenon from this building.  Very scenic.  The top floor is set out to match the dimensions of the Parthenon. Replicating the original stonework, they have explained the legends of Athena that were sculptured around the top surrounds of the building.

We also visited their Parliament Buildings.  Timing is everything! We caught the changing the guard and witnessed the traditional choreographed routine the soldiers perform, complete with slapping of feet and high kicks.  I will get Nick to post the video.  I’m sure it is an honour BUT it’s got to be the worst job ever!  They are dressed in a multitude of layers, including stockings, shoes with HUGE pom poms and 30 metres of pleated material, in 35 degrees.  Certainly not my idea of job satisfaction!  I was breaking out in a sweat just watching them!  Did get my photo taken with one of the cute guards – though only after his face had been wiped of sweat by a fatigue dressed guard.  As we girls know – appearance IS everything!   

Our other day in Athens was spent visiting the port and organising our trip to the Greek islands, visiting the National Archaeological Museum, the city markets and the old quarter.  On our two days in Athens we kept bumping into a group of students from St Kents, who are on a classical studies trip.  I’m not sure who was stalking who! 

Hello from sunny Greece.  Since my last post we have been to Pompeii where Greg and Michelle explored the buried village.  Nick and I decided to give it a miss, as we have been before, and went in search of a campari and soda which the guide book said ‘one should sip while watching the crowds at the Piazza Navona‘.  As I didn’t do this in Rome, I people watched in Pompeii instead!

Saturday we drove to the East coast through very rugged but lush and rather beautiful  countryside. We took the overnight ferry from Brindisi to Patras.  We shouted ourselves a room with an ensuite – what a treat.  Viewed from the ferry, the sea is deep blue not green like New Zealand. Fortunately the sea was like a mill pond.  Patras looked very run down.  You can see Greece is in a financial crisis. However, the drive to Athens was lovely.  We took the toll road which varied in standard as we could only go 50 or 60 km in places!  Whitewashed houses with orange terracotta roofs dotted the coastline and the sea looked sapphire as it sparkled in the sun.  Tomorrow we head into town and hope to book a trip to the Greek Islands and  Tuesday we plan to show Greg and Michelle  the wonders of Athens.

Subject: Life in a camp ground

There seems to be no consistency at all re price or what you get.  Even within a country.  The first thing we check out is whether the toilets have loo paper or not.  Some do – some don’t.  Showers are a lot better than last time.  Very few push buttons and those were mostly in France. Price does not necessarily dictate the standard of amenities either.  All camp grounds so far have had European toilets but whether they have a toilet seat or not is a lottery!  Internet again varies from non-existent to very expensive (5 Euros 2 hours) to being free and included in the cost.  Most have had an amble supply of hot water and the staff are friendly and helpful, so we are not complaining. It’s all part of the adventure!  

Subject : Life in the camper

Our little home away from home is cosy and practical.  We have a shower and a toilet but generally use the camp amenities except for the middle of the night ‘call of nature’. Most nights we cook and have not found meat as expensive as we had anticipated.  I did go armed with a variety of vegetarian meals but so far I have only subjected the boys to one of them – and it was delicious.  Chicken is cheap.  We often buy a whole one, split it and barbeque it over the coals or buy chicken portions, add flavourings and cook in our handy-dandy multi-cooker we pre purchased on line.  Pork too is cheap.  We have even had beef which the boys have barbequed.  Mince of course is very versatile with pasta based meals and hamburgers with lots of avocado is a current favourite.  Needless to say we are not starving.  Eating out though is expensive and a real treat and often disappointing.  A fellow Dutch traveller we spoke to said that pre the European Union, cheap meals in Spain, Portugal and Italy were commonplace.  Alas no more!

Subject: Crocs

I have been a croc scorner in the past but, am now a convert and am loving my fake French crocs.  Elegant, yet practical footwear to wear to the ablution block.  As you saw in the photo Michelle and I have matching pairs.  Alas we are yet to convert the boys who have no dress sense at all!   

Thursday 21 June

A very cultural day.  We started at the Pantheon with its amazing dome – the largest masonry vault ever built, a structure so sophisticated that had it been built in modern concrete it would have long ago collapsed under its own weight – so my Rome guide tells me (thank you who ever gave me that!) and of course lovely inside. From there we wandered to St Peter’s Square and the Basilica where we were subjected to bag searches and correct clothing perusal – very strict.  The Basilica is of course Italy’s biggest and most spectacular church –amazing frescoes, alter pieces and sculptures all done by the ‘whose who’ of the renaissance artists! Very suave but stern young men in suits inside watching your every move – no leaning against the edge, talking, exposing of female shoulders.  After lunch we tackled the Vatican museum.  Although I’d been before, one forgets the spectacular array of artworks the Catholic Church has amassed over the centuries.  We spent 4 hours wandering the warren of galleries.  Highlights for me were the Egyptian section, vintage maps, papal carriages and vehicles, Raphael’s La Transfigurazione (in the painting section) and of course the Sistine Chapel with the stunning ceiling and end wall by Michelangelo and the other sections decorated by the other heavyweights of the Renaissance. We finished our day with huge gelatos from the camp bar. Definitely better get the jeans out and see if I can get them done up. Tomorrow we head south to Pompeii.