Athens Street Scenes

Acropolis

This post is a mishmash of photos from different districts in Athens. The heat and intense sun were too much for walking, so I jumped on a “hop on, hop off” bus and rode around the city – stopping to explore interesting places.

The buses look like those red double-decker buses in London. The bottom level is air-conditioned and enclosed and the top-level is fully exposed. Each rider gets a headset and a map handout indicating numbered major points of interest. As the bus passes by each point an audible commentary (in multiple languages) describes the site and its significance. It’s really an easy way to familiarize yourself with a new city and figure out how and where you want to spend your time. A ticket is good for 24 hours and during that period of time you can hop on and off the bus as many times as you want.

I’m impressed with the many faces of Athens. It’s really a cool place! Several areas took my fancy – including the Acropolis and the Plaka, Monastiraki, Psiri, Metaxourgio, and Kolonaki districts.

I will visit some of the museums – archaeological, ethnic, folk-lore, art, anthropological and more. Museums are a good place to avoid the afternoon heat.

Athens is rich in street art and graffiti, especially in Psiri and the port district, Piraeus. There aren’t many tall buildings and most of the newer ”boxy” buildings were built years ago to accommodate an influx of immigrants.

A group that leads “alternative tours of Athens” focuses on street art and architecture, so I plan to sign up for one of their outings. This is a link to their website – http://www.alternative-athens.com/tours.html.

There were more demonstrations last night around Syntagma Square and the Parliament Building. You could hear the commotion inside the hotel. I have limited knowledge of Greece’s economic issues so I will do some research. The demonstrations are recurring and this one included thousands of people. Likely protesting high unemployment and unpopular austerity measures required for the release of more bailout funds from the European Union.

Athens Greece

Acropolis

I arrived in Athens yesterday after several months in Turkey and the Greek Islands. It will take a few days to acclimate but so far I like Athens. It’s nice to be in a city again.

My hotel is near Syntagma Square in the city center. After checking in I took a walk by the Parliament, National Library, Municipal Cultural Center, and University of Athens. It was a hot day so I ended up in the shade of the lush National Gardens – a treasure of indigenous trees and plants.

Often there are demonstrations in the area around Omonia Square which is not far from Syntagma Square. There was a loud one yesterday around 6:00 pm. Luckily I was back at my hotel – not sure why they were demonstrating. Some say it’s wise to avoid the Omonia district altogether because of its high crime rate.

Parliament

Athens is the capital of Greece and over a third of Greece’s total population of ~5 million live here. With Greece’s economic woes and high unemployment I’m wondering how well the city is functioning. Many Greeks are unhappy about the thousands of illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Syria, and North Africa living in Athens in homeless encampments. Greece has called on other European nations to do more to help tackle illegal immigration into the EU.

An Australian couple I met in Santorini just passed through Athens on their way to the Greek Islands. They gave me advice on their favorite cafés and which locations to avoid. Omonia was on their “do not see” list. The cafés are lovely and since it gets so hot a wonderful place to stop for a rest and a cold drink. I noticed a live jazz café near the National Gardens so may check it out one evening.

Athens

Many people think of Athens in terms of its ancient history as one of the world’s oldest cities. ”The stimulus of the 2004 Olympics made Athens more than a repository of antiquities, lifting it above the clichés of pollution and impossible traffic that blighted its reputation in recent years.”

Lykavittos Hill

“Classical Athens was a powerful city-state known as the cradle of western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. Its cultural and political achievements had a large impact on the rest of the European continent. Today modern Athens is a cosmopolitan metropolis central to economic, financial, industrial, political, and cultural life in Greece.”

Daphni Monastery

Athens’ classical heritage is visible all over the city. It has beautiful architecture including ancient monuments like the Parthenon. Athens is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Acropolis and the medieval Daphni Monastery.

Athens has mountains on three sides - Mt Hymettus, Mt Parnitha, and Mt Pendeli. There are twelve hills inside the city. The Acropolis and Lycabettus are the two most prominent. The hills of Athens are a refuge from the noise of the city and have amazing views of Saronic Gulf, Athens’ boundary with the Aegean Sea, and Piraeus, the city’s ancient port.

Athens Observatory

Most major places of interest are in Syntagma Square, an area surrounding the city center. The rest of the city is divided into districts including Plaka, Monastiraki, Kolonaki, and Omonia.

Mt. Parnitha

The metro system in Athens is described as “a wonder to behold that puts many better-known metro systems to shame.”  I took it from the airport to my hotel and it was clean, easy, and efficient.

Ancient Thira

Mesa Vouno Mountain

Mesa Vouno Mountain is a backdrop for Kamari, the village where I’m staying on the island of Thira. Ancient Thira is Santorini’s historical city on top of Mesa Vouno. Dorian colonists from Sparta founded the city in the 9th century B.C. and inhabited it until the early Byzantine period. Archaeological excavations are ongoing at the site and it’s closed to visitors on Mondays.

The route to Ancient Thira snakes up Mesa Vouno Mountain through steep, winding cobbled streets. The city is at the very top on the crest of the mountain.

So far, the ruins uncovered are from Hellenistic-Roman times. They show Thira was a flourishing city with temples, public buildings, a theater and agora, shops, quarters with residences, a network of roads, and a sewage system.

It was hot so I caught a bus to the base of the site and then walked uphill to the entrance and followed the rough stone pathway through the complex.  It took about two hours to complete the tour. Despite the heat there were colorful wildflowers along the trail. The views were breath-taking!

Tomorrow I leave Santorini and the Greek Islands for Athens. It will be a big change. It finally dawned on me that the missing piece between Turkey and Greece is - no Muslim call to worship and so far I haven’t seen any mosques. I started my travels in Istanbul and after several months in Turkey where 99 percent of the population is Muslim I grew accustomed to hearing it throughout the day.

My hotel in Santorini has great cable. Al Jazeera comes in clearly so I can get caught up on world news - maybe a mistake. The three stooges are popular here and you can almost always find one of their movies on cable TV - still laughing about that.

Sailing Santorini’s Caldera Rim

Kamari Beach

Yesterday I sailed along the rim of Santorini’s Caldera with a small group of five lively tourists and a crew of three. The other tourists were from Vancouver BC and had been in Athens visiting relatives.

We began and ended our sail at a marina near Perissa. It was an interesting variation on the hike between Fira and Oia and circling the caldera by land.

Sailing by Red Beach

On the way to the volcano we sailed by islands, beaches, and bays along the southern part of Santorini near Akrotiri Cape and Thirasia, Aspronissi, Palia Kameni, and Nea Kameni  Islands. We caught some good wind and the crew did a great job sailing.

Profitis Ilias Monastery

You need to spend time on Santorini to understand its secrets and the layout of the island. The villages are all beautiful but distinctly different. Where I’m staying in Kamari is a laid back beach location and traditionally Greek. Oia and Fira are different and perched high on the cliffs above the beaches with sweeping vistas of the archipelago.

Church of St Nikolas Peramataris

Santorini is small and easy to explore. You can rent a bicycle, hire a car, or jump on local buses that cover most of the territory every day. Another option is catching a caïque, a small traditional Greek fishing boat.

White Pebbles Beach

There is great hiking on the island but even in spring hikers need to be prepared for the scorching sun. Since my arrival there have been a few cool, overcast days – perfect hiking weather.

The clear sunny days were very hot. I assume the heat is one reason the Greeks enjoy their afternoon siesta so much. Don’t try to do business then - it’s nap time!

Red Beach

Our first stop, Red Beach, had deep blue water and impressive red rock formations. We swam and went snorkelling before continuing to White Beach which is accessible only by boat.

Aspronissi Island Beach

Our final stop was at the hot springs where we swam in the warm sulphurous waters while the crew prepared a buffet dinner of traditional Greek cuisine and fresh local fruit.

Thira Volcano

The wind was strong for the sail back to the marina and at about 8 pm we watched the sun disappear. The sky was hazy so the sunset wasn’t as spectacular as we had hoped, but any day spent sailing on the caldera is a wonderful experience!

Fira to Oia

The craggy coast from Fira to Oia is a shining example of nature’s works of art! The hike between the two villages follows the rim of the caldera and provides a flow of spectacular panoramic views!  I took tons of photos but while reviewing them later decided either my photography is getting worse or it isn’t possible to communicate such extraordinary beauty in a photograph.

Amazing sights are everywhere – the volcano, circle of islands, unique flora and fauna, steep cliffs, white- and pastel-washed churches and villas, big sky, and of course the blue sea. The light reflection and colors around Santorini are simply incredible!

As you can see in some of the photos, the day was overcast but it wasn’t cold. Finally the sun came out in late afternoon. I stopped for lunch at a café that was almost hanging off the side of a cliff. They were playing jazz from an LA radio station.

I underestimated the effort a bit as I have done many eight-mile hikes and thought it would be an easy outing. Some sections of the trail were steep and difficult with loose volcanic rock – walking poles would have been helpful.  Also I didn’t account for the several miles of walking to get back and forth from the buses to Fira and then back to my hotel in Kamari.

There weren’t many hikers on the trail but I met an Asian couple from Palo Alto, a Korean student from Seoul, and several Europeans. A couple hiking in the opposite direction was from southern California and they had friends living in Oregon.

Near the top of the hill where an old church looks down on Oia, the wind was fierce but it died down quickly on the other side. I took the wrong sun hat since you definitely needed a chin strap to keep one on your head. One day of hiking without a hat probably reverses at least 5 years’ worth of moisturizers and wrinkle creams – oh well. It was a magnificent and satisfying day of enjoying nature.

Tomorrow I’m going for a group sail along the caldera’s rim - a different vantage point for viewing the islands. If the wind on the sea is as strong as it was on that hill overlooking Oia, the sailboat will fly.

Greek Island Santorini

Santorini Circular Archipelago

After a rocky nine-hour ferry ride from Rodos, I arrived early Tuesday morning in Santorini. It’s the largest island in a circular archipelago of the same name. Santorini is about 120 miles southeast of Greece’s mainland and part of the Cyclades group of volcanic islands.

Kamari Beach

It was 1:00 am when the ferry arrived but the island’s spectacular volcanic rock formation was even clear at that hour of the day. It was raining with thunder and lightning and the storm lasted most of the day. Summer season doesn’t begin until late June and spring storms continue in May.

Santorini Beach

The archipelago is the remains of a volcanic caldera formed by the collapse of land after one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. The Minoan eruption occurred 3,600 years ago.

Oia

“A popular theory holds that the Minoan eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.”

“Named by the Latin Empire in the thirteenth century, Santorini is a reference to Saint Irene, from the name of the old cathedral in the village of Perissa.”

The Santorini archipelago consists of six islands but only two have inhabitants – Thira and Thirassia.

Black Volcanic Sand

Most tourists spend their time on Thira, the largest island at 28 square miles. Thira has several towns, historic sites, and famous beaches. Thirassia is mostly untouched by civilization and has a rocky landscape.

Perissa Beach

There are five major villages and towns on Santorini – Fira, Oia, Kamari, Perissa, and Akrotiri. Fira is Santorini’s capital, and main transportation hub. It’s known for cliff-side boutiques, trendy restaurants, clubs, and fancy hotels.

Fira

Profitis Ilias Mountain

Oia is north on the tip of the archipelago and has a world-famous dazzling sunset which can make the whole town “glow as if it were on fire”.  An earthquake devastated Oia in 1956. Residents rebuilt by carving buildings into the cliff side. Like Cappadocia in Turkey, Oia is has romantic cliff-side cave hotels. Greeks call this type of accommodation a “yposkafo”.

Kamari

My hotel is in Kamari, a traditionally Greek village known for black-sand beaches and crystal-clear water. Perissa is a recently developed town south of Kamari. Like Kamari it has beautiful black-sand beaches.

Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elijah) Mountain is named after the monastery at its top. The mountain is north of Perissa and has a great hiking trail that leads to the ruins of Ancient Thira. I hope to hike the trail to the ruins and walk from Fira to Oia. Still have vertigo after the long ferry ride so will do more sedentary things for a few days. I have also heard about the famous mule ride up the caldera.

Akrotiri

Red Sand Beach

Akrotiri is “Greece’s Pompeii” and “features the remains of Ancient Akrotiri preserved beneath layers of lava after a volcanic eruption”. Akrotiri has Santorini’s famous red-sand beach surrounded by towering red volcanic cliffs.

Greek Islands Kos and Rodos

Kos Bay

Last Sunday I travelled from Turkey to the Greek Islands of Kos and Rodos (Rhodes) en route to Santorini. Both are part of the Dodecanese Islands near the Gulf of Gökova. There is a decided difference between Turkey and Greece - at this point it’s difficult to describe.

I had a six-hour layover in Kos before catching a connecting ferry to Rodos. It was a beautiful day and Greek families were enjoying picnics in the parks and Sunday brunch at cafes. I walked around most of the day and took photos. There were a few cars on the streets but mostly bicycles. These are some photos from Kos and the ferry ride to Rodos:

Symi Island Clock Tower

Symi Island

Halki

Hippocrates Plane Tree

Tilos

Kos Church

Kalymnos Pothia Port

Kos Building

Kos Castle

Kos is three miles by sea from Bodrum and was founded in 366 BC. Kos Town is the main city. The island is known for its wine and silk production and colorful ancient history. Kos participated in the War of Troy. It was colonized by the Carians and in 11th century BC invaded by the Dorians.

Rodos

“The Venetians captured Kos in 1315 and sold it to the Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes. Two hundred years later the Knights left the island to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans ruled for 400 years before transferring Kos to Italy in 1912.”

Colossus of Rhodes

“During World War II the Axis powers took over Kos and Italian troops occupied it until their surrender in 1943. Later, British and German forces clashed for control of the island in the Battle of Kos, where the Germans were victorious. German troops occupied Kos until 1945 when it became a protectorate of the United Kingdom, who ceded it to Greece in 1947.”

On the way to Rodos we stopped at Symi Island. The port was very beautiful with a clock tower and houses that were ”neo-classical grand old structures of former sponge trading merchants”. They were built on the hillside in “dramatic natural amphitheatre style”. Another island with a layout similar to Symi is Kalymnos with its beautiful Port of Pothia. The houses in Kalymnos have Italianate architecture with pastel-washed exteriors – a gorgeous backdrop to the blue Aegean Sea. Photos don’t begin to do these islands justice. Two of many small islands between Kos and Rodos are Tilos and Halki.

Rodos

Kos

By the time the ferry arrived in Rodos I was seasick – the sea was rough with a storm in the works for Monday.  Unfortunately I had no time to explore Rodos before my ferry for Santorini departed at 4 pm. Just getting stable enough to make the ferry for Santorini was all I could do – not pleasant.

Rhodes is about 541 sq. miles and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. It’s famous for the Colossus of Rhodes - a statue of the Greek Titan Helios - considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The medieval Old Town of Rhodes is a World Heritage Site.

The ferry ride from Rodos to Santorini was nine hours long on stormy seas. We arrived in Santorini at 1:00 am on Tuesday (I think). I was dizzy and seasick so will take a day or two to recover before exploring. I will be in Santorini for a week and then fly to Athens – no more ferries for a while.

More later…