Celebration of Life Tour
Athens
We arrived in Athens tired after 16 hours of travel. Viking representatives met us at the airport and transported us to the ship. The city has a distinctive look. There are few really tall buildings, and everything is a dusty beige color. The metropolitan area has a population of ~3 million, and the city seems to spread out forever to the horizon. We were delivered to the ship within about an hour. We went to dinner, and our baggage was delivered by the time we returned to our room.
The next morning we embarked on a bus tour of the city. We started at the Panathenaic Stadium, initially consturcted around 340 BC and taking it's current shape in Roman times by ~140 AD. This was the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
From there we went to the Acropolis. This rocky outcropping in the center of town is widely visible and just seeing the ancient temples at its summit was exciting. It quickly became apparent that on a hot day this place could be a challenge. Fortunately it was a sunny 65 degrees with a light breeze. The views from the top are really quite spectacular.
On the top of the Acropolis are three temples, and on the lower slopes stands the Odeon, an ampitheater. Each site has its own unique character.
Sailing on to Santorini
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