Our most anticipated stop on the cruise was Athens. We were both excited to visit this ancient city. Unfortunately, seven hours is simply not enough time to see it all.
Right away, our bus headed straight to the Acropolis area. It was SO crowded there...and we visited during an off-peak tourist time! I felt like our entire cruise ship immediately reported to the Parthenon as soon as we were allowed to disembark.
Our tour guide explained the history and various monuments as we wove in and out of other tour groups. Finally, the guide allowed us a few coveted minutes of free exploration. I enjoyed this time the most. In retrospect, we probably should have just roamed around on our own the whole time she was talking because I only caught about 30% of what she was saying anyway between her accent and the crazy wind up there.
Next, we ventured over to the Panathenaic Stadium, host to the first modern day Olympics in 1896. In 2004, the stadium also served as home to the Olympic archery competition and Marathon finish line. We didn't have much time to look around here. In fact, I nearly got left behind when I made a quick trip to the restroom. Thankfully, my lovely husband wouldn't let them leave without me!
After a quick loop through the "town" of Athens, we were dropped off in the Plaka area for a few hours of free time! Chris and I quickly found some local treats and spent the rest of our time checking out the shops in the area.
We stumbled upon Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus just as night fell. I enjoyed spending some time attempting artistic photography before we loaded the bus and headed back to the ship!
Have you ever been to Athens?
How did you spend your time there?
Andrea :)
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