Yet Another World Vets Adventure!

Join Stacy, Ginny, and Marion as they travel to Romania with World Vets to bring medical care to pets there!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Athens

Early morning view of the Acropolis from our balcony.


Sunday, September 27, 2015
Kalimera!  (Good morning!)
Had to sit out on the balcony for awhile this am.  It was fantastic.  It was Sunday morning, and pretty quiet out on the streets… but not for long!


There are hundreds (thousands??) of kitties in Athens.  Many of them have homes.  Many have been neutered/spayed, you can tell by an ear notch.




By the time we got ourselves in gear and headed out for breakfast, it was getting pretty busy.  We wandered for a while trying to find a specific restaurant.  We were pretty lost, Ginny’s knees were bothering her, but we finally found it.  Had a nice breakfast with Greek donuts for dessert.  (Can you believe, I forgot to get a photo of them!)



Where's Nutmeg??


We decided to take the little tour train to see an overview of the city.  Then we could go back and spend more time at some of the sites.  There is a big market on weekends, so we decided to spend more time there.  We had many views of different ruins, lots of people, many restaurants, hundreds of vendors.  Ginny continued to ride the train around while Marion and I got off to wander through the markets.

The little train we rode around the city.

Just hanging out!

Library of Hadrian archaeological site.




Got Nutmeg a “collar” with his name in Greek letters of bent wire!  How unique is that!!  Also, a “leg band”.  He is quite the Greek puppy now!

The Ancient Agora of Athens




At the Sunday market.


Many vendors are selling freshly roasted nuts.  Very yummy!

Olive tree and olives!



taking a rest.


Resting on a friend's lap.

Getting a snack!


After several hours we headed back to the flat.  Unloaded our bounty and went in search of the sign up for a boat cruise to some islands, and a market.  We bought some provisions for the next few days so we don’t need to eat out every meal.
We also met our neighbors, visiting from Australia!  Carla, Renae and Graeme.  They are taking a boat cruise tomorrow as well, maybe we will be on the same boat!  That would be a blast!
We had a simple meal inside tonight: cheese, salomi, cucumber and tomatoe and nuts.  And tea.  And fresh baklava for dessert!

Marionette street performer.

Then I sat out on the veranda to work on the blogs.  But there was so much going on down on the streets so Marion and I headed back out about 9:30, watched a marionette performer, a “violin” player, did more shopping (a few stores were still open after 10pm on a Sunday!?!?)  It is the end of the tourist season, the rainy season is about to start (forecast rain tomorrow, thunderstorms the next day) so many things are on sale.  Marion and I needed to take advantage of that!

Looking up to our apartment from the street.

Off we go on another night excursion!

Finally returned to the flat close to 11pm.  Writing away, still lots of activity down in the streets… a motorcyclist misbehaving… got the police after him.  Still gorgeous outside, still sitting on the veranda, still enjoying the view of the Acropolis…
Better shower and hit the hay.  Early day tomorrow.
Mechri avrio (Until tomorrow)

A street performer.  The instrument is played like a violin.


The blood moon in historic ancient Athens!

Sunday, September 27, 2015

We are in Athens!


Saturday, September 26, 2015
Whew!  Marian picked us up at 12:30 this am.  Amazing that we fit nine of us and all the luggage in the van to the airport!  It was a quiet ride… we were all exhausted.  We arrived at 3:30am.  The first flights out were at 6am.  Our flight was not until 10:30am… so it was a loooooong wait at the airport.  We were not allowed to check-in until 2 hours before our flight, so we found some chairs and camped out.

Stacy and Marion on the subway.

It was a short and uneventful flight to Athens.  Woohoo!!  We are in Greece!  We rode the subway to Athens, a simple adventure.  Pretty easy and only 8 euros each.  Our apartment is right across from the subway exit, so it was very easy.


Next stop is....

Panos, the owner of the apartment that we rented, arrived only a few minutes after we did.  Our apartment is a nice 2 bedroom with a small kitchen, living room, dining room and bathroom.  The veranda is nice and large.  (In fact, I am currently sitting out on the veranda, staring at the Acropolis all lit up, watching and listening to people strolling and visiting and eating and drinking  Music is playing.  It is fantastic!)

Nutmeg posing with the Acropolis in background!



We have the key to the roof veranda as well!!  With a 360 degree view of the entire city.  OMG!!  The apartment building is five stories and the roof is on the 6th floor.  (The ground floor is floor 0, then each of the floors at you go up is numbered, the first one above the ground floor is the 1st floor, in the US the ground floor is the 1st floor).  Anyway, 6 floors plus the balcony.  Luckily there are 2 small lifts (elevators) so we don’t have to climb the narrow, steep, circular staircase!  That is a relief!  The temperature is in the 80’s with about 45% humidity.  So warmer than I would like to be going up and down stairs!  Also, our flat does have air conditioning, so it should be nice for sleeping and relaxing.


View on our rooftop balcony looking at the Acropolis

One of our small lifts.

I thought we might take a rest because we were all so tired, but no, off we went to explore and be amazed in this ancient and historic city.  We had a nice dinner at one of the local tavernas.  I wish I could remember everything we had.  Wonderful food.  And topped it off with more gelato!  Yum!
Looking down our stairwell.


Goods at local market.


Very old verses very new.

We wandered through the Plaka which is one of the most popular neighborhoods for tourists (which we are).  Ginny’s knees were bothering her, so she went back to the apartment.  Marion and I went off to scope more of our neighborhood.  I felt that we needed some wine to drink on the rooftop.  I don’t even drink wine!  But I still felt it was necessary.  So I found a little bottle of white wine and we took the lift to the top!



The Parthenon

The Coliseum 

Moon rising...

As the sun was setting, Marion and I enjoyed the views, took a bunch of photos of the moon rising as the sun was setting.  And sipping wine.  LOL!!!  Yep, I would say it was Nutmeg drinking, but it was me!
Finally headed to bed.  Looking forward to touring around the city tomorrow!
Kalinychta!  (Good night!)

...as the sun sets...


The Acropolis lit up at night... the view from our balcony!