Our brief visit in Athens is transfixing. We knew we would have several hours between the arrival of our flight in the morning and the departure of the Corinthian II in the evening and didn't have any idea what they would do with us.
The flight smoothly landed ahead of schedule; our bags arrived along with all the others; the meet-and-greet person was right where they said he’d be. An auspicious beginning. When they told us we’d be camped out on the mezzanine of a hotel until we could reboard the bus to the boat, we were disappointed. But the mezzanine happened to be a glorious meeting room in the Plaza Athene Hotel, right on Syntagma Square, two doors down from the Grande Bretagne, where we’ll stay after the cruise. And was it stocked! Tables of canapés, deserts, soft drinks, bottled water and plenty of cool air.
No one was protesting when we arrived, but the square was chock-a-block with tents and street vendors. We were in time for the weekly changing of the guards and enjoyed their spectacle. We walked up the hill a ways, passing at least ten screened buses filled with riot police. We hurried back to the hotel to miss what was anticipated as a 1:00 pm beginning of protests. Nothing happened.
Our departure from Piraeus was uneventful and we delightedly settled into our cabin.
Pictures from our first day are here.
Pictures from our first day are here.
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