A record of our Road Scholar trip to the Greece mainland from May 3 to May 15, 2025.
Overview: We made a circular motor coach route from Athens, driving west over the Corinth Canal, to Nafplio, Kalamata, Pylos, Nafpaktos, Arachova, and returning to Glyfada near Athens. Along the way, we visited the ancient sites of the Athens Agora, Hephaestus temple, the Acropolis and museum, the Parthenon, the Acropolis of Mycenae, beehive tomb of Agamemnon, Epidaurus with its temple of Asclepios, the Dormitory, the Tholo and baths, the ancient theater. The Naphlio Venetian Arsenal, fortications and Ottoman mosques. The ancient site Acropolis of Mycenae. Beehive tomb of Agamemnon. The ancient city of Messene site. The Palace of Nestor site. The large fort of Methoni site rising above the sea coast. The ancient site of Olympia and its games. The sanctuary of Zeus. The holy site of Delphi and its museum, and home of Appolo. The Byzyntine monk moestary of Hosios Loukas at Distomo.
May 3, Saturday, midday. Day 1.
12:30 pm. United flight from Appleton to Chicago. 1-1/4 hr flight.
4:30 pm. United flight, 787, to Athens, Greece. 10-1/2 hr flight.
May 4th, Sunday. (one day lost with time change) Day 2.
Road Scholar pick up and shuttle to hotel.
Informed young driver happy to share info about Athens.
Arrived at hotel 'Divani Palace Acropolis", 5 star, at 10:30 am. Hotel in heart of crowded older streets just north of the Acropolis and Parthenon.
Lunched in bar room. Quiet afternoon with one other new trip couple nearby that road with us from airport. Oven baked pita type bread, ham, cheese, and "Ayos" beer. Rosie sack lunch.
Hotel room opened early about 1:30 pm. Relaxed. Walked a few streets staying near hotel. Streets and signs not an easy flow.
5 pm group introduction and lecture. Maryily will be our guide; tall, thin, long dark hair, Greek tone face, 37 years old she said. 22 travelers plus Marily and our driver of motor coach.. 5 of us from Wisconsin. A couple from Oconomowoc. One man from Sheyboygan.
6 pm, dinner at nearby restaurant "Onos", 10 min walk.
Moussaka baked stack of spinach, ground beef, tomato, eggplant, olives, potatoes, in layered meal. Mild taste. Wine red or white. Bar nut chocolate for desert.
All walked back to hotel and returned to our rooms.
May 5th, Monday. Day 3.
7 am buffet breakfast at hotel. All the hotels we visited carried a very similar menu: Large thin sliced bacon strips. A small thin pale skinned short weiner type sausage. 2 to 3 egg choices: Sunny side eggs, plain scrambled-very wet. A more seasoned scrambled and sometimes folded. Many dry breads, sweet breads, pocket filled deserts, a smaller horn twist that was just the right softness and sweetness I took 1-2 each breakfast. Juices, coffee Americana though it varied in strength from hotel. Espresso option. fruits, and the best tasting sliced tomatoes at every breakfast.
9 am: Walked to the "Ancient Agora Market", an open area covered with stone outlines. Next to it, a large modern pillared walkway building with open side adjacent to market area. Inside, a museum of stone articles unearthed nearby.
Many cats day napping around town. Greece towns are happy with the cats living an easy life, mouching off visitors and residents when needed. The cats may have been for chasing away snakes from years ago we were told.
Lunched nearby at restaurant "Mnaipaktaphe", an open air retaurant in downtown district. Gyros- face up on pita bread. Olive oil salad to share. Never a dull iceberg lettuce in any of our meals. All delicious with onion, tomato, olive and such. The arugula here I could handle- not bitter or overly perfummy as in the states.
Motor coach to Acropolis. We will have same 30 "L'oee'ne" passenger bus and driver on whole trip.
2 side doors on bus, same as central Europe trip. So much easier to board and leave.
The museum housed in 2 story modern stone building. Much pottery, partial statues (Great Britain removed many pieces years ago (no one claimed any after a researcher removed them earlier) and substitutes are filled in with whiter color to mark copied pieces. Sequencial dynasties shown. Mycenean, Dorian, Sparta Trojan, Macedon, Hellenist, Ionion, Roman, Byzantine.
Note we did not see the Acropolis this day yet.
We were closer now to hotel so all walked back.
Found nearby foodstore on same street. Purchased water (we were advised to drink bottled water on entire trip). I bought a chicken burrito sandwich. Rosie had her lunch packed.
Returned to hotel bar. Enjoyed 2 "MamoE" beers (rich lager type) and Rosie wine. Bartender provided nuts, and we sat by a shaded wall surrounded pool. Later ate our sandwiches in hotel room.
Walked to a money exchange for Euros some blocks away. Streets confusing. Narrow, sliced in partials at corners. Some angled streets thrown in. Momento shopped and returned to hotel. Packed up for next day trip to Naphlio.
May 6th, Tuesday. Day 4.
7 am breakfast buffet at hotel.
8 am luggage out by door.
Bell hops took luggage and put in hotel storage room.
Checked out of hotel. Rosie left mid size bag at hotel. We did have bus to put it on. I shoved mine in large suitcase.
A walk to Acroplis. A winding slippery rough stone path to top. Some stairs. Final walk had cement sidewalk but slanted and occasional stones left purposely....amusing way to trip.
Sunny in the 80's. Walked and talked slowly around entire Parthenon. A few workers scaffolding and grinding on a never to be done project. Wars left structure 3/4 ruined. Will never be a roof on it again.
Descended and walked to lunch at the "Acropol", indoors. Greek/Egyption floral wall murals with maidens adorning walls.
Large chicken sides par baked plus yellow potato wedges in olive oil. Shared a Greek salad with tomato, feta cheese, cabbage, fennel?, arugula. Delicious again.
Walked back to hotel. Everyone required to confirm luggage. Then loaded by hotel crew. 2 pm motor coach out of town, straddling the sea mid route.
A stop at the Corinth Canal for bathroom and sightseeing. We walked over the road bridge. Photo taking. Surprisingly deep slightly tapered and narrow wall channel.
Souvenir shop nearby.
Back on tour bus heading to Naphlio. Good ocean views of ships in docks and in one bay drilling for oil on 2 permanent stationed ships. Large refinery against shore.
Pulled away from sea to winding roads and some flatland nearer town. Mostly olive trees. Some goat grazing. Small square stone buildings in fields. Water pump posts with a one straight blade on top. None moving in light wind.
Drove into town. Seaside bay town with a huge event going on: 30 some luxury yacht exibition, and a few sailing ships, each sitting side by side. Walking planks out to cement city walkway. Handsome young crews waiting for buyers to show off boats.
Hotel "Amphitryon" sat looking at the bay from west corner bluff of town. In the bay sat an old no longer used prison, now refurbished as a guest overnight stay we had heard. An older 30 some foot boat motoring casually back and forth at times.
We were on 3rd floor looking north over bay, with balcony. Beautiful. Bathroom with wood blind window to bed and out to balcony view. Easy walk down to sea front area, and over and down to quaint, closely spaced small clothing, specialty, coffee, sweets, and ice cream stores.
Flowing vines hanging over walkways. Most stores along the 2 streets parallel to main road street and bay. Then, long stone stairwells away from bay, taking one up farther to private homes and alleys. Stopped at a restaurant along a main square open area. MamoE beer again, Rosie wine, and people watching.
Dinner delayed one hour to 8 pm. We all walked (less Rosie who called it a day) along a curving uphill street above the sea, ending high over the bay, and into a building called "Napfio Palace" or similar. Then thru a large door, walking into a long wide cool corridor going into the hillside. Took small elavator 3 floors up to a windowed restaurant. Served wine beef cubes and light cream gravy with slice of lemon sitting over Greek mashed potatoes. All we could drink wine tonight as restaurant apologized for the 1 hour delay they had called us on earlier. Most reds served on trip were clean crisp. None with sulfates we were told.
Watched town and harbor area lights come on. We all walked back to elevator, thru the corridor again, and down curving street into almost complete darkness of night. Temps stayed in 60's over night here. A few cars rambled and snorted by.
May 7, Wednesday. Day 5.
7:30 am buffet breakfast at hotel. 2nd floor.
Our coffee is waiter walked to tables as in Athens.
9 am tour bus to Epidaurus site. Ancient Greek healing place with large intact amphitheather. 12 K seating we were told. Site named after the god of medicine. 300 BC.
The tall amphitheater, made of high stepping stone blocks, still impressive in height and grandeur. A central spot marked where supposedly one can hear a talking voice over all of seating area. I walked almost to top. Some seats curved with backs, all stone carved out. Though seat backs now partially broken. The theater still in use. Mid 70's sunny day.
A walk around the grounds in a north area meadow. Ruined buildings left with few stone walls and many littered blocks.
Note: The Greece countryside very hilly and filled with farmed olive trees. Simple aging tractors found pulling single axle high sided trailers. Same tractors cutting down high grass around olive trees using a drawbar powered roller cutter, similar to our road crews but on a smaller scale.
Note: Only the land north of Athens, south east of Corinth Sea, was flatter and with newer sometimes larger tractors.
Note: Towns have occasional empty unfinished structures from years ago. Both homes and businesses. Decrease in population and/or wealth figured.
Note: Some homes have dried, stacked olive tree wood nearby.
Motor coach took us back to town. Lunch on our own in hotel. Oat bar, water. Then for coffee, ice cream on a slow walk around town streets and cement waterfront.
4:15 pm. Historical walk thru the old town. Old town streets were closest to hotel. New town farther away and noticeable by wider avenue which we walked along for an evening chef meal later.
Visited two Greek Orthodox type churches. One contained few chairs. Most members stand during service. No statues. Gold glittered wall drawings in frames and photo icon paintngs hung for worship. Metal medallions hung from frames.
5:15 pm. Walked to newer town restaurant chef cooking studio about 20 minutes from hotel. Tall husband and short stocky wife bantered on who will instruct meal and who will discuss wine choices. 2 children we found out. One young lad came in after school. We prepared rice filled grape leaf rolls. A sweet honey infused thin cream filled phyllo dough that we pushed down into a cup attempting to make into a flower of sorts. This "glaktoboureko" baked in oven. Fun night. Wife's choice for wine, a clear white, no nitrate that satisfied. No after taste. She served extra, proud of her wine tasting selection skills.
Mr prepared bonelesss chicken halves, fried in chives, garlic, then oven baked. Melted in my mouth.
Mr. dad bid us a goodnight while we consumed our desert, so to be with their children. Happy couple who said they moved to this town just to start their cooking retaurant.
8:30 pm. Motor coach came by to return us to hotel. Maryily decided we had walked enough for the day. This town too accepted the many cats loitering around town. Once 2 cats walked on a nearby dinner table to taste the remaining food
I strolled back thru town again in late evening. Very safe town. Purchased my Komboloi, at thhe namesake's museum, mine chosen from olive wood.
May 8, Thursday. Day 6.
7:30 am breakfast buffet at hotel.
9:00 am motorcoach ride to Mycemae culture site. 40 minutes from Nafplio.
We stopped at a rest area 1/2 mile from site. Nearby, we walked into a man made stone honey comb cave structure built into a steep grassy hillside. Inside, an appx 45 ft diameter stone block built unit, made progressively smaller on upward to close completely at top, maybe 45 ft high. No openings, save the light coming in from tall doorway passage.
Got back on motor coach for short ride, and we were dropped off at the Mycenae city, built of stone, sitting on hillside, facing westerly, attempting to look down unto to the 10 mile distannce to sea. A 15th to 12th century BC town. The site was called "13th century BC ruins. An active ancient town when temps were cooler and snow sat on hill tops for fresh water supply. The commanding views made for safety. The valley below was harvested. When an enemy marched forwarded, the field workers ran back to walled in town. Maryily said their arch enemies lived just miles away and could be seen from Mycenae. The partial bay we saw was directly west of Naphlio where a large passenger ship had docked the day before. Naphlio itself was hidden from view. We saw outlines of a temple, shrine, and many fortress walls. A stone hillsided prairie. Wondered if it was ever tree covered.
Next, a 45 minute ride to the vineyard "Skouras", a very modern 2 story with basement unit. We toured the bottle assembly room, barrel room, vineyard. White wine is stored separate from red in a more controlled slightly cooler temp setting. We sat at long tables to drink 3 selections from a booklet of the dozen wines currently being sold. Each wine explained before a new pour.
We dined on light meal of cheeses, proscodo??. a flakey flat filled bread of spinach, cheeses, baked. Thin round ham, salami plate, bread slices. Anoher delighful event. We wondered outdoors to the grape field. Red roses in bloom at ends of grape vine rows. If a virus of sorts enters the farm, the rose will wilt first to allow an application on vines before they wilt. Grapes were seen on vines less then 1/8" diameter just after blossoming.
Motor coach ride back to Nafplio via Argos. Argos, with a super narrow lined commercial street thru town that is the main route. Back in Nafplio, we walked in town again. Found tall iced double espresso filled glass and scoop of banana chipped ice, ice cream. So smooth. Rosie took water and a Greek salad.
6 pm. A leture on Polopenese history. Eldered professor who bounced along on various rulers thru ancient history to almost present. Back at our room, I walked into town again for another late evening stroll. Some shops closing up. Eateries mostly still busy. Cats under outdoor tables. Flowered spring time traillese and vine growing trees blossoming. Beautiful time of year.
May 9th, Friday. Day 7.
7:30 am breakfast at hotel.
8:15 am early leave for Kalamata.
On the way, a drive to ancient Messene site, 4th century town on rolling hillside, just south west of Kalamata. Long winding 1/2 hr road to site. Passed stone homes as we got closer that viewed the site from above. A community founded where water continually flowed. Another site with smaller stone amphitheater,. And another stone theater viewing into a rectangular bowl. Stone pillars, a mosoleum type smaller build, former bath, shop outlines. This hill site faced south southwest.
A drive northward to a family olive oil making farm with 6,000 trees. Early 30's couple.
The back yard overlooked falling away hillsides of olive trees. Nearby, a partial wall like castle no longer in use. One olive tree in yard thought to be 1,000 year old. Trees can grow to 1,600 years old at times. Tree age determined by trunk size. Each 1/2 (meter?) is 100 years. A 2.5 (meter?) is 500 years old. Birds don't like olives, too bitter and/or too poisoness.
Per family discussion, there are 2 types of trees, one for olives, one for olive oil. Olives are harvested starting November, for 4 months. The first olives more robust, harvested as extra virgin. A net is placed below tree and tree shaken. The smaller, unwanted olives fall thru. A large pile of browned tree parts waste sat near outside conveyor. Neighbors were free to take and use as fertilizer.
It takes 15 workers to harvest the 6,000 trees in the 4 month harvest time. Saw 2 medium size tractors, a single axle trailer, roller type grass cutter, under one open building. One building for the stainless steel processing machines. Another building for havng our luncheon. We walked around yard, noted the trees were just done blossoming and starting granular fruit.
We tasted 3 oils on crusted home made bread, extra virgin, and 2 virgin. Different aromas from each. The more virgin, the less aroma I thought. Our meal, feta chunk cheese row. Greek's biggest claim to fame for cheeses and so sorry they never copy righted the name. Crusted roll treat row, tomato quarters row. One strong bitter aroma white wine I gave to Rosie. Different tastes we have. Lemon cream mix and sweet crusted rolls I could use for dipping.
Late afternoon drive to Hotel Elite, Kalamata, a few miles from downtown along busy 4 lane beachfront avenue. Main hotel building contained restaurant and check in desk. Our group given rooms 5 plus minutes back on winding street with walkways up to rooms. Each building held about 2 units. Our unit had upper loft we did not use. 2 wall AC units took awhile to cool room. No view in back. Small campers and clothes washer building behind us. Chicken fenced yard off to side. Sharp climbing hills some miles east holding homes until too steep to build. The ocean front had peaceful wave action during our stay. Stoney beach in most places made too hard to walking. Ouch on my arches. I put shoes back on to get off beach.
7 pm dinner at hotel with view of street front and ocean. This area flat surfaced. Very large covered porch seating along street.
Beef on pelanta-risoto? Large Greek salads to share. Fried musaka. Mythos beer.
A walk back to room. Our room called, "The Day Sailing" Villa. A food market a few blocks down beach street. We continually stocked up on bottled water and bought also from motor coach driver for one Euro.
May 10th, Saturday, Day 8.
7 am buffet breakfast at hotel. One new egg dish. All else same as other stops. Small coffee cups more fit for expresso but adequate. "Filtered Coffee" name on coffee maker was supposedly closest to the American version.
8:45 am. Motor coach depart for downtown Kalamato. 15 minute ride away.
Walking tour. We had tickets for the Karelia Museum, a quiet 3 story clothes museum showing original wear during the 18-19 centuries. The “Karelia”woman responsible for collecting and displaying. Detailed intricate sewings on all. Many wore medallions and such, also representiong the same eras.
Continued our walk to a Greek Orthodox-Bezentine church. Tall light blue exterior. Same squareness and holding even fewer chairs as those we visited earlier. The padre, a large man with beard, black robe, and rosary type beads, met us and was found later happily walking the morning streets nearby.
Onward to a smaller store called "Kostsears", producing a Greek liqour named "Oyso". Evidently this brew is a well known Greek standard. Also other flavored varieties. We tasted 2 of our choice. Mine, heavy on texture, weight, thickness, odor, strength. Interesting to try. Would not be my choice of drink.
Approaching noon, we toured a large farmers market. It stretched far down the street as a long building having an open sided porch with vegetable venders by street and cafes, delicacy stores on inside of porch. Walking into building center, it seemed to be more for fish selling and mostly not used. Activity also extended down away from building with sellers in a park like tent setting. Very busy until early afternoon.
We all dined outside near street at "TA POVAA" in Greek name. After securing 2 long tables, we were called in to choose a meal at counter. Then to wait for business to bring it out. I chose a large casserole spaghetti square with table bottled water.
We were told our bus pick up location, so left to walk the retail streets. Rosie and I went separate ways. Minor shopping. I purchased an espresso coffee. Very small, thick and strong. Rested in a community square where bus would pick up. Rosie walked by. We assembled for bus ride back to hotel.
Walked again to grocery store nearby hotel. Purchased more water.
Note: Many small items were lower cost then in the States. Euro to dollar exchange was about 1.18 US to 1 Euro. A near gallon of water appx 35 cents euro. Magnets in Greece, 2 to 3 dollars euro. My espresso coffee, $1.50 Euros.
6 pm lecture on the clothes worn in the ancient times. Held in a building between our rooms and main hotel. Virtually all clothes history was taken from the stone statues and stone wall art found.
7:15 appx. We bused back downtown for dinner at "KAPAAMO". Outside dining. Friendly staff. One entry after another came to us. Red and White wine choices till bottles emtptied. We ate rooster, octopus, meatballs, zucchini, large green salad, giant cooked green beans (this bean type common in Greece restaurants), and veal. As we left, the waiter crew stood in line to say goodbye. Was good? asked head waiter. With eyes up to heaven, I rubbed my belly and opened faced my hands to imply I was now too fat from the good food. He slapped my shoulder, nodded and laughed. Eating rooster, rather than just chicken, was an odyssey menu item in 2 places we ate.
Motor coach ride back to hotel. The downtown and long avenue by sea, thick with Saturday evening traffic. This street avenue filled with restaurants. Some tiki bar tables were on sandy sea side of street. The downtown was a few blocks removed from beach avenue.
May 11, Sunday. Mother's Day. Day 9.
7 am buffet breakfast at hotel.
9 am, later start (convenient as we had been busy) motor coach to western Messenia.
A one hour drive. This place called "Palace of Nester", not far from Pylos.
A royal family lived here on the hilltop estate. Not necessarily walled. One rambling square building with many rooms...possibly 30 x 30 yards. Now excavated and under man made steel curved roof cover with open sides. The original home had a second floor. Stone stairs still standing. Upper was made of wood. From the hill, one can see a partial view of ocean a few miles in distance. One room comtained a stone soaking tub. All burnt in a fire many eons ago. Man made stairs and cat walks took us above the remains for a full walk over.
Next, a motor coach ride to Pylos downtown, a seaside resort town built along a towering hill looking into large sea bay. Nice village town square on flat surface with stores around and all near the cement docks. Some retail built on streets climbing up from bay downtown. Basically just one winding road heading down into city and back up on other end.
We lunched under outdoor canopy extension of restaurant. Main course, a fish booyah soup. Clams, octopus, shrimp, etc in a reddish liquid. An ocean concoction I found to be overwhelming half through with the brine taste of the ocean.
Free time to walk the square and shop retail.
Motor coach picked us up for a slow climb out of town to a land protrusion into sea. On it, the large remains of a Venetion stone walled fort. 2 major sea battles took place here, per Marily.
A few hours walking the site. One small catholic church still intact....though pigeons had our watch over the alter. No longer a door on church.
Back on bus for long trip down into town again and back up hill retracing our route.
Arrived back at hotel about 6 pm. Longer day today.
Free night for dinner. The group split to attend other restaurants on the ocean strip. We were bushed enough to just relax in the hotel restaurant. Soon 3 more couples from our group arrived also.
Too windy and cool to sit out in the large porch area. We ate inside. 2 other couples tried outdoors and returned also. 16,oz or so bottle of OIE EVVAI 1864 beer. Meal of 2 burgers, deep fried potato chunks, leaf salad. About 16 Euro.
A walk back to hotel room. All 3 nights in Kalamata spent in the stand alone unit behind hotel.
May 12, Monday. Day 9.
7 am breakfast buffet at hotel. Luggage out 7 am. Leave time was 9 am but delayed as hotel staff checked all luggage was out of rooms. Then delayed at corner of main hotel for more driver and guide discussion.
On the road 9:35 am. A drive to Olympia, original site of the first scheduled Greek games.
On the way, a bus stop break at corner gas station food mart.
Olympia is a large site with many stone pillars still standing. Remains of a gymnasium, a refurbised track field, supposedly near where original games held. A flood uncovered old statues, all now put in museums.
A "shame" walkway. Anyone caught cheating had ther likeness chizeled in stone and mounted with their names attached.
Note: Greek soldiers cleansed their bodies after every battle. Having to kill another human being was not to be taken lightly.
Onward to the Corinth Sea bridge. A stop after bridge for photos. Then a short ride to rest stop, fully loaded coffee, breads, sweets, ice creams, on and on stocked place. Seems most buses stopped here.
I purchased Americana coffee. We snacked on crackers, water, myself an ice cream bar.
We were now on the north side of Corinth Sea, into the Greece mainland. We sig zaged along the sea, heading from west to east. Noticeable dryer, rockier hillsides. The sea was not wide, perhaps 2 miles wide on average. Occasional fish farming beind down in the many small bays. No large ships noticed.
Closing in on Arachova, the bus pulled north away from sea.
We arrived at hotel Anemolia Domotel, a solidly built ski chalet 3 story building overlooking the deep mountain valleys to west. Such beauty.
We freshened up and attended a group buffet dinner. Pork chops, meat balls, potatoes, veggie chunks, whole olives, chicken chunks., EZA lager beer est 1989. Another sponge/orange tasting very moist cake piece for desert.
Later we sat in lobby as rain stopped. Then a very short walk outdoors. Retired for the night.
May 13, Tuesday Day 10.
7 am breakfast buffet at hotel. Very busy place. One smale erver just poured coffee at machine to keep line moving. Busy day I said. Every day like this, he replied. By second day he noticed me and said, coffee black!
Interesting other stout tourists walking in at about 6 ft tall average and unaware they were blocking the aisles at times.
9 am. Motor coach trip to Delpi site. A hillside worship town destroyed and looted, like all sites in Greece at one time. This town built on the most severe hill slope of all the sites we visited.
The future was found here on your pilgramage by seeing an oraca, "The Oracle of Delphi"was asked the pertinent questions of the time. A stone and concrete path took one to final top, overlooking all. A few including Rosie, made it to top. I stopped at a convenient overlook and slowly returned to bathroom break and a wait at museum enterance.
The museum contained many noteable statues and stone chisled wall art.
As Marily said many times, The replica statues are outdoors. The oringinal statues are kept in museums.
It was noted England still holds many pieces of ancient work, taken before modern Greece became a country. Not all their fault.....a capitalist adventurer dugged them. They sat without a taking until England purchased them. This was a high quality medium size museum.
Rain started. We stood outside under some trees waiting for our bus. Tight quarters and no blame on our driver. He was a very capable driver the whole trip. Possibly 60-65 years old.
A drive to the city of Delphi nearby. Narrow street on a hillside. Small town.
Lunch on our own. About 10 of us opted for the quiet looking retaurant close by called "Patriko Mas", a Greek Mediterranean Restaurant. Many tables were claimed for reservations, but waiters got us in and we were gratelful. Another profesional staff. I could tell our surprise group addition taxed them, but all went well and we tipped graciously on our own. No time to tour town as we lunched longer than planned. We walked back to bus.
Motor coach ride back to hotel. A 2 hour rest time at hotel.
We took a walk up the only other winding road at hotel. Found a modern soccer field tucked into hillstide. Returned to hotel, not wanting to wander longer on the hillside gardrail only street.
Chatted in hotel upper bar lobby with others. More occasional rain outdoors. Then back to hotel room.
6:30 pm. Motor coach into Arachova, about 2 winding miles away. A beautiful hillside hugging resort town. A ski resort with private extra homes for wealthy clients.
Narrow streets. The whole town no more than 3 short blocks wide up the hillside. One main road.
Still light rain. Driver had to drop us off some distance from restaurant. We single lined puddle jumped along a sidewalk made for one half pedestrian.
Name?????????????
We dined on dishes of veggie salad, toasted bread, olive paste, cheese paste, chicken, potatoes, beef chunk stew, lamb, pork, and watermelon, cantaloupe for desert. The only beer offered was Thyos.
A long stroll back and forth on the main street. Excellent viewing with evening darkening skies. A pictoral classic hillside take-any-photo from anywhere and each one ia gem.
8:45 pm. The drive back to hotel and a slow return to hotel room for the night.
May 14, Wednesday. Day 11.
7 am buffet breakfast at hotel.
8 am. Luggage out.
9 am. Motor coach ride toward Glyfoda, near Athens.
A planned detour to visit Bezentine Greek Orthodox Church with large courtyard, still in operation.
Small food shop. sovenier shop in buildings. A small museum with artifacts of busts and stone chiseled sayings. The countryside scorched by fire. Came right near church and jumped over to next valley.
Back on bus, we traveled a few hours to a large wayside north of Athens in Distoma, I believe.
Rosie and I snacked on our apple and bars. I purchased coffee for about $1.50 Euro. A fellow traveler offered over his too many fries, purchased from Goody's Burger House, a McD knock off. All signs in English.
About 2 pm we arrived at our last hotel in Glyfoda along the seashore, southwest of Athens. The old airport was not far away. It being developed into resorts. Mid 70's and full sun. After checking in, we walked across busy 4 lane boulavard to the shore and sand beach, 2 blocks removed from boulavard. Pasenger train tracks and bike path between street and beach.
6 pm. Gathered in a dining side room to discuss with Marily our thoughts on the trip. Then dinner.of
Pumpkin soup. I kindly asked for only half.
Baked salmon over mushrooms, peppers, light white/yellow sauce. Excellent.
Chocolate Mouss with one large strawberry on top for desert.
A final goodbye with all. Everyone in group stayed to shake hands and or hug. We were a determined group makiing sure to visit and get along with all and it showed.
May 15, Thursday. Day 12.
7 am breakfast at hotel.
9:45 am chauffeur driven to airport for our 12:35 pm flight on United Airlines to Chicago, Appleton.
One hour flight delay wait in Chicago for an Appleton thunderstorm to end.
We arrived in Appleton 10:15 pm, same day of Thursday, having reversed course back in time.
Brother Mike took us to house from airport.
Another great trip. Loved the mainland motor coach rides though towns and countryside. Ancient sites were well blended in with other more personal visits to restaurants, vinyard, olive farm, smaller places of interest.
Note: Airline food disagreed with me on ocean flight out. Restless leg syndrome made a restless trip back.
End.
