After our cab dropped us off and we dropped our bags, Bill and I wandered around Athens for a few hours.  Our hotel happened to be very close to the Acropolis.  Even better, it was close to the Acropolis metro station, which turned out to be a very lucky thing.  We started walking into the shopping district near our hotel and bumped into a few SeaDream folks who were no doubt killing time in Athens.

We stopped for lunch at a nice looking restaurant.  When we sat down, the outside area was practically deserted.  We had our pick of tables.  I ordered souvlaki again, because I can’t get enough of it as well as some water and Mythos beer.  We were waiting for our food and listening to cheesy Greek pop when suddenly an enormous swarm of people descended on the cafe like locusts.

It turned out another huge cruise ship was in town and these folks were part of a large tour group led there by a guide.  They all had little numbers stuck to their chests, identifying them as Costa cruisers.

I also noticed a small group sitting two tables away.  An older lady was with them; we’d seen her in the port.  I think she was a tour guide.  So obviously, I have a knack for picking restaurants where tour guides frequent.

When our food arrived, I noticed the vegetables that came with mine had mushrooms in it.  I passed the veggies to Bill and watched with amusement as the hardworking waitstaff handled the sudden crowd.

Bill just before the big crowd hit…

I would have expected to see a tampon machine or a condom dispenser in the restaurant’s bathroom… but this place was selling Flashdent, which is supposed to be used on your teeth.

After lunch, Bill and I wandered around some more and somehow got way off the beaten path.  It was hot outside and I needed a WC.  I looked around, but didn’t see the Acropolis anywhere.  Suddenly, I was very nervous.  I have a really good sense of direction and rarely get lost, but I was feeling a little lost in Athens on that first afternoon.

Rugs!

We were starting to get lost at this point…

We finally passed Syntagma and I spotted a metro station.  I suggested to Bill that we go inside and find the Acropolis station.  It turned out we were only two stops away, though we did have to change trains after the first stop.  I was very impressed by Athens’ metro.  It only has two lines, but it was very clean and easy to figure out, unlike the metros I’ve used in Milan and Paris.

Once we got off at the Acropolis station, we easily found the hotel and went up to our room, which was a comfortable standard room.  I immediately took a great shower.  Seriously, the best thing about our hotel room in Greece was the shower, which heated up quickly and had excellent water pressure.  I was in a much better mood after freshening up.

The bed.

Got to love a disinfected toilet.

Nice view? 

After resting for awhile, we ventured back out in the Athens sunshine and eventually stopped for dinner at an outdoor cafe, where there was a trio of musicians entertaining everyone with jazz.

Bill was looking for a good dinner, but I was craving orange juice…  This place had it freshly squeezed!  I bet that’s heavenly in the dead of summer.

Once the musicians moved on, a bunch of motorcyclists drove past with black balloons tied to their bikes.  We found out they were protesting something.

The waiter asked where we were from.  I said, “America.”  He gave me a funny look that said, “No kidding…”  We clarified for him, even though in a couple of months, we won’t be North Carolinians anymore.  I enjoyed a very nice fish dish…

I think it’s hard to go hungry in Athens.

Hadrian’s Arch…

I was wearing shorts, so I didn’t feel right about entering the holy place…