Something to Declare

May 13, 2024: Arrival in Athens

Stef’s friend, Anneliese, wished us a “boring flight.” So “boring” is good, right? Well, thanks, Anneliese, it was wholly uninteresting. Easy-peasy to the airport, through security, boarding, and a non-stop flight to Athens.

On our way out of the Athens airport, it was Interesting to see evidence that the Greeks, those masters of antiquity, also claim a connection to our beloved New York bagels:

Our Odysseys Unlimited tour rep escorted us, and four other Odysseys travelers, to the NJV Athens Plaza, right on Syntagma (“Constitution”) Square. No tour activities planned for today, so off to lunch on our own, at a place noted by our travel guru, Rick Steves, called Tzitzigas Ki O Mermigas (“the Cricket and the Ant,” after the Aesop fable which, as I learned it, referred to a grasshopper, not a cricket).

Lunch was a tasty mix of spreads (hummus, tzatziki, roasted eggplant), pita, and a “trilogy” of mushrooms in a balsamic/honey sauce.

Now while Rick Steves had described the nearby Plaka, the oldest neighborhood in Athens, as both atmospheric and Old World feeling, he also said many find it “crassly touristic.” But since nothing else was on the itinerary for today, we figured, what the hell?

As it turns out, the Plaka did have a commercial element:

but was actually quite enjoyable:

We’d wanted to visit the Jewish Museum in Athens:

but no luck. It’s open only from 9 am to 2:30 pm. We will try to get back there during an “afternoon on your own.” We did see The Ancient Street of the Tripods, which had connected the ancient Agora with the Sanctuary and Theatre of Dionysus. “Tripods” were the prizes awarded for the winners of impassioned oratory contests during the Dionysia (kind of like an ancient Athenian Mardi Gras). Dionysus was the god of wine, after all.

Back to the hotel to try to stay awake till 8 or 9 pm (good luck). Tomorrow we meet all of our tour mates, and the official tour begins, including the Parthenon and the Archaeological Museum and other Athenian hot spots. So far, so good….