The morning of my last full day in Greece I woke up around 6:30 in Sparta and got the bus that left at 7:20 AM to Mystras because the next bus left about two hours later and I wanted to be there when it opened. I shared the bus with two other people, one who … Continue reading Last full day in Greece, Mystras

7:05 PM Friday night. Marina Hotel, Athens. After a quick shower to rinse off the dust from hiking around Mystras all morning and then bussing here from Sparta, I'm out for a bite to eat. I also bought a small bag of cat food at my last grocery store stop, so I will find some … Continue reading Final night in Greece

I rented a little diesel Fiat this morning, punchy on the stick shift, and google-mapped myself out of town to Epidavros, one of the best preserved theatres from Ancient Greece. It's an extensive site, sanatoriums, temples, healing baths, a stadium, etc but the theater is the knockout feature. The acoustics are incredible. A couple tour … Continue reading Day tripping: Archaeological sites of Epidavros and Mycenae

Tonight I learned that there isn't a set time that bars must close in Athens, and that the time at which a bar closes is "fluid." I expressed surprise and said that in Canada they all had to close by 2:00. "Too bad for Canada," I was told. Indeed. A bit more fluidity would go … Continue reading Faust

8:30 AM is when the National Archeological Museum opens, and that's what time it was when I stepped inside waving the 6 Euro QR code on my phone. I waltzed through entire galleries with only the docents still sleepily hunched over cell phones to keep me and the 4,000- year-old works of art company. I … Continue reading Final full day in Athens

Half Note Jazz Club

My plan to start early up the Acropolis paid off. I entered at 8:15 AM, just after it opened, and there were very few people around. When I left about two hours later, massive tour groups were flooding in. After the Acropolis, I climbed Filopapou Hill, then went to the Roman Agora and Hadrian's library. … Continue reading Athens, day 3

I went to a terrific bar Thursday night. It was tiny. Inside was enough room for 5 stools at the bar, and 3 against the wall where I sat. Outside on the sidewalk were a few more tables. It looked to me like the owners were a couple who were both serving behind the bar … Continue reading Athens day 2, evening

First full day in Athens and my wristwatch says that I took 19,624 steps and -- if you will excuse the gushing cliches -- that's nearly 20,000 new vistas and experiences in this city in which every step offers a view either to the ancient past or to the vibrant present. I started out the … Continue reading Athens Day 2

After settling in at Hotel Phaedra, I walked around and kinda just marveled at the city. And I ate gyros.

The title says it all. I am knackered from the jet lag having left Vancouver three days two nights ago, but I'm excited to be leaving soon for Athens and 10 days in Greece. Here in Geneva I enjoyed catching up with family, including an epic 1.5 or 2 hour soccer match in a proper … Continue reading Geneva airport, departure immanent