Athens, Greece

I just realized that my posts may not make sense to you. By the time they post, it is already the next day.  For example, this is Friday---that we are in Athens. But since I'm posting late, it will be Saturday before you see it. I hope that makes sense.

I'm trying to keep up with my pictures daily. I'm downloading and editing them as I go along. I've even created a "print now" album so I know exactly which ones I want to print. I was tempted to do a Walgreens offer last night, but figured it would take way too long to upload those photos based on how long it takes here. Still, when I get home, I'll be ready to print. You know how I feel about narrowing travel photos down to just 10 percent for scrapbooking. We all take way too many. Currently, I have taken 196---and that's after paring them down! In my print album I have 45.

We had pre-planned to take the 7 hour excursion. Butch and I decided to re-think that when we found out that 2 1/2 hours of that is lunch and free time. So, the Broussards did that and we did our own thing. We opted for the 4 1/2 hour tour of the Acropolis. There were a lot of stairs and my joints are paying for it now. I took a couple ibuprofins, so I should be good to go. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering---despite the rocky and uneven terrain, I didn't trip or fall once! Even when it started to rain and those marble steps got so slippery---Butch held on to me, so that helped.

The day's highlights and observations:

This is the amphitheater on top of the Acropolis. I love ancient crumbling runs. They are still working on it.

Gotta love a tour guide who wears St. Cecilia plaid! And she even chose it for herself---unlike the teens who think its torture to wear those skirts.

The view from the top. Beautiful---considering it was a cloudy day, we could still see for miles.

And, of course, just out luck---they are renovating the Parthenon. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about every aspect of it. Very interesting.

There are so many people that use their iPads as their cameras. Don't they know that the camera is the same as in their iPhone? At least it would be smaller to carry around.

I think the Parthenon looks better from a distance so you don't see all that equipment.

This is the temple of Athena and Zeus.

Close up of the corner of the temple.

Did you know that Nashville, Tennessee is called the "Athens of the South?" We have our very own Parthenon in Centennial Park that is an exact replica---including the sculpture of Athena---and you don't have to climb 200 steps! The only difference is ours doesn't look ancient. 

Okay, great, now I can't get things to line up right. I hate it when that happens. I want everything to be symmetrical and neat. Oh well. When we got back to the ship we had lunch. I spent the afternoon reading and catching up on my blogs (when I wasn't frustrated at the slow speed).

Karolyn and I went for our "sole rejuvenation" treatment only to discover that we were a couple days early. There was only one thing to do---drink. Wow, I drank more in one night than I do in a couple of months! We started with vodka tonics. Then I had an "English Mary"---you know I'm going to try anything British. Basically it was a bloody Mary with gin---good. Then I had a bellini, and (who's counting) a number of glasses of wine with dinner. After dinner we went to one of the clubs for Beatles night and danced the night away---my last drink was a BBC. I was feeling good!!

 Not a great picture, but this is what I have.

It was a great day. On to Santorini, Greece tomorrow.