Athens in a Day

I landed in Athens around 10:00 a.m. Customs was a breeze if you had your documents ready. One woman in front of me struggled to download her Passenger Locator Form (PLF) and the Greek police officer literally shooed her away 😬 

First thing’s first…put on deodorant and brush my teeth.

Leonidas (This. Is. Sparta!) was waiting to take me to my Air BnB. It was kinda nice not having to hail a cab, and the price for a driver is the same. My dude did not turn on the air conditioning in the car until I finally spoke up because I thought I was gonna have a heat stroke. I kept thinking, surely he’s warm in those jeans and the long sleeve button down shirt. I thought maybe his Mercedes didn’t come with air, or worse, he enjoyed sweating off his ta-tas.

Since I arrived before my Air BnB check-in time, the hostess was kind enough to let me drop off my bags while she finished cleaning up the place. We talked about the forest fire that has thankfully subsided, Greece’s drainage system, weather, and COVID. I might have nudged her in the direction of getting vaccinated. Turns out, Greece is a little behind getting out vaccinations to the younger crowd. 

Anyway, off I went to explore while she finished prepping the apartment. I planned to visit the Acropolis first, but the line was long and the day was brutally warm. I trekked over to the Temple of Zeus. Hadrians's Arch is situated in front of the temple site. I’m fascinated with ancient architecture. No fancy machines, just carving and stacking.

I then stopped at a restaurant on Plaka called Tabepna. A simple, affordable Creek restaurant just down the street from my place. My favorite part was watching the owner run his ship. Old school cash register, mask on, and chatting away. He was friendly, asked how I was, and remarked that he couldn’t wait for the pandemic to end.

Back to the Air BnB to get the keys from Cris. I contemplated immediately going back out to explore, and then remembered I hadn’t showered in a day. Also, I wanted a nap so badly. I booked some tickets to see the Athens’ attractions in a couple of hours, took a cold shower, and promptly passed out. 
Thirty-ish minutes later…
Off to the Acropolis I go! There really are no words to describe the beauty and enormity of the Acropolis. Huge marble and limestone pillars, benches, and statues.
Did I mention how hot it is? The back of my dress was soaked.
Next site on my list was the Roman Agora. Once upon a time, Rome conquered Greece and built a lot of Roman things… like Rome did in other conquered lands.
I found some Roman baths, like I saw in Bath, which is in the UK.
The Roman bath relics are located at the entrance of the Acropolis Museum, which I missed today. Hope to get there tomorrow after my day trip.Back to the apartment to cool off, clean up, and prep for dinner. I contemplated a late dinner so I could see the Acropolis at night, but I’m tired, and there’s always tomorrow.Off to dinner where I hoped to get a table at Manh Manh, but they’re closed until the 17th. Another recommended restaurant was Strofi. I couldn’t get a late reservation for tonight or Friday, so I took a chance they’d have more tables open when it was still light out. I arrived at 6:30 and the maitre gave me until 8 to wrap it up. He seated me on the terrace, and WOW!
The food here is amazing and the staff were friendly and prompt. I ordered the grilled eggplant salad with pita and sofrito (RIP baby cow) with a glass of Merlot. I don’t often eat red meat, and I’m confident I’ve never eaten veal, but when in Greece…
So here I am, at the end of a hella long day, belly full, and feeling thankful. 
Nighty night,Aud