An early flight from Dublin to Amsterdam left me forty minutes to change planes for Athens. Things would have been a tiny bit easier if: a) I hadn't had to take my hiking boots off to go through security again, b) the zipper in my sweater hadn't set off the alarm, c) I hadn't mis-read my ticket so that I was running for my seat number--23B-- instead of my gate number--C 10--, and d) my gate number hadn't been changed from 10 to 6. It's amazing what we're capable of when under a bit of pressure. I made the plane with 5 minutes to spare. The Schipol airport must be the size of Texas!
After landing in Athens, I took the metro to my hotel. The two diminutive elevators held four passengers each, and although this hotel had just nine floors, the numbers that flashed in the elevator displayed an enigmatic sequence that included 10, 11, 12, 13, before 7, 8 and 9. On the plus side, the top floor afforded a very nice view of the Acropolis, which is beautifully lit up at night. I had arrived on the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend (the beginning of Greek Orthodox Lent), and there were parades going on, and lots of ordinary people in all kinds of colorful costumes, especially the children. I took a very long walk to explore the area and find a bite of deliciously Greek food for lunch. The shops were open, with some uniquely Greek items for sale (lots of bouzoukis). The television was broadcasting non-stop parades, and Greek musicians playing bouzoukis and other instruments that I couldn't put a name on.
Leah's employer had given her Monday off, and I knew she wouldn't arrive till about 11:00 am. To make the most of my time, I walked from the hotel to the Acropolis and the Parthenon, as well as the Theatre of Dionysis and an obscure little church (not in use) in the middle of a shopping area. I made it back to the hotel shortly before Leah arrived, and soon we were picked up by the taxi driver I had contracted to take us to Sunion and the Temple of Poseidon.
Lisa at the Temple of Poseidon
Lisa & Leah at the Temple of Poseidon
This was still a bank holiday, "Clean Monday," and it is traditionally the day to fly a kite. The ride from Athens to Sunion is about two hours, and we saw thousands of kites on the way. If you are willing to pay a bit extra, you can hire a non-smoking, English-speaking taxi driver with an immaculate cab and get a private tour to any area you'd like to visit. The drivers in this company have grown up in New York and New Jersey, so you can easily plan any trip you want. Just call George Kokkotos at 693-220-5887 in Athens and you're away in a hack. We enjoyed a lovely ride and lunch at the Temple, and our driver, John, was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable about Greek mythology. On our return to Athens, we walked to Hadrian's Gate and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Lisa at the Temple of Olympian Zeus
When we went to dinner that evening, I began questioning Leah about items on the menu. Since she had been in Greece for nearly a year, I assumed she would understand what was being offered. When she became perplexed by my questions, we compared menus and discovered that hers was printed in English, and mine was printed in Spanish! She'd been wondering how "asada" got into a Greek menu.
The next morning we flew to Kos, where Leah has been working since last August. Smoking in public places has not been banned in Greece, so you can expect shop owners, bus drivers, waiters and everyone else to be smoking wherever you go (the bus drivers smoke outside before they start up the bus). Most sidewalks in Kos are not really meant for walking on, since they are very narrow and have trees planted in the middle of them every couple of yards. More like a quaint, attractive obstacle course. The food at the sidewalk cafes is very good, and infinitely cheaper than food in Ireland. In Greece you can get an excellent lunch (satisfying and tasty) for 2 euro; in Ireland you could spend 6-7 euro (or more) for a much less enjoyable and satisfactory meal.
On my first day in Kos we visited the castle built by the Knights of the Order of St. John in 1391-96. They held the castle till the mid-1500's, when it was taken by the Turks. This very impressive fortress stands at the entrance to the harbor and is a notable example of defense architecture. A bridge now connects the entrance to the castle with the Square of Hippocrates' Plane Tree, where the father of modern medicine lectured his students. A few blocks further along the waterfront is a statue of Hippocrates with four patients--two adults and two children.
Later in the day, I accompanied my daughter to her place of work--the home of a very charming family who own a number of hotels and resorts with the Kipriotis name. Leah coaches the four daughters in English, helping them with homework, etc., and we joined them for a delicious lunch that included stuffed grape leaves, and some lively conversation. After lunch I tuned up a guitar belonging to one of the girls, and Leah and I sang a number of songs for them, the most popular one being "Waltzing With Bears."
On another day, we visited the Asklepieion on Kos, site of the earliest known hospital. It is a short bus ride from the town of Kos, up into the hills above the town. The altar on the second terrace is the oldest part of the Asklepieion and dates from the 4th century B.C. There are three terraces, each one reached by climbing a great number of steps that are built into the hillside. There are various temples from different periods, and a beautiful grove of cypress trees.
Leah at Asklepieion
Lisa at Asklepieion
We also spent a day on Rhodes, taking the morning ferry on a day when the weather was perfect. A lengthy journey over very blue water dotted with high, rocky islands brought us to the World Heritage site of medieval Rhodes. The buildings are fascinating, and still occupied (except for the ruins, of course). We walked for hours, taking lots of pictures, and we had a noteworthy lunch of souvlaki and freshly squeezed orange juice. It was here that our waiter asked if we wanted our water with or without gas. We prowled the shops, and I bought the only tee-shirt I've acquired since leaving Oregon: a souvenir of Rhodes with a map of the islands. An equally long ferry ride brought us back to Kos that evening.
The next day, after lunch with the family, I left for the airport and my flight to Athens. Since my flight from Athens to Amsterdam (and on to Dublin) was leaving at 5:30 the next morning, I had the privilege of sitting up in the Athens airport all night. There is a museum there that doesn't close till 10:00 pm, and the food court stays open 24 hours. I bought a potato pie for 2 euro, which was really the Greek version of a potato knish. It was the best one I've had since leaving Brooklyn, New York in 1976.
After an uneventful journey back to Dublin, I got on the McGinley bus for the 5-hour ride to Donegal. It was the 16th of March, and the shippers were due on the 18th. I made the most of my time.
