Our ship lifted anchor at Santorini about 10 pm and headed on to Piraeus, Athen's main port and one of the most important in the Mediterranean. We got there at 7 am after a leisurely cruise of 123 miles. We booked one of the ship's shore excursions for this stop. As is usually the case, ship sponsored land excursions are always expensive, the groups are often too large and at the end of each tour, you always feel that you missed something that you shouldn't for the money that you paid for.
We never learn our lesson, we just keep doing it time and again LOL. Part of the reason is we just do not want to be bothered searching for better alternatives. It is just so mindlessly easy to book a ship shore excursion and have the assurance that the ship will not sail until their excursionists are back on board.
On our way to the Parthenon, I saw some workers at a distance doing some clean-up work. I zoomed at the group with my point and shoot camera.
The result could be better but I'm happy with the 10X zoom of my pocket camera. Mababaw ang kaligayan ko, photographically speaking LOL.
The Parthenon undergoing some cosmetic (?) work.
I do not know what this is or why I'm here.
I was told this is a significant ruin but if this was in my neighborhood the local powers-that-be will say it is an urban blight and ought to be demolished and replaced with an income generating nonsense.
Everybody was looking and I looked, too, but I do not know what we were supposed to look at, so I just took a picture of them looking and what I thought they were looking at.
I'm glad we arrived before the tourist horde started coming. It was a mess here and I do not know how the parking lot we left behind or what passed for one, looked like. Our bus driver just told us to bail out quickly when we arrived and he'll pick us up at the arranged time and place, give or take a few minutes. Amazingly, we found our bus or the bus driver found us amidst the chaos - a near miracle without a gps or a cell phone.
Street parking Athens-style, any which way you can LOL.
The Panathenaic Stadium, I think.
We're headed to that ruin (like I care) atop that distant hill. After seeing so many ruins and archeological sites in many countries we've visited over the years, I'm getting an overload of them. I'd rather see other things even if they are less historically significant or famous.
I thought taking a pic of this mailbox is a pleasant change from all those ruins.
The glory of the past behind the beauty of the present.
At last we are heading down to the bus and back to the boat! I need a drink!
28 comments:
finally, you found time updating us with that cruise! wonderful, bert! :)
even with a point and shoot, you really have an eye for beauty. fantastic takes on athens! i mostly like the photo of those people doing a clean up! ang husay! :)
next post, please! hehe
i love that picture of those doing the clean-up.
nawindang ako sa parking. ha ha
beautiful pics, bert. love the last pic, too!
docgelo, may sakit kasi ako sa bato (as in batugan), I'll try to post more frequently. Promised LOL.
I wished your energy will rub on me. Where do you get it?
bing, I'm glad you like the pic! Parking there was a nightmare - I'll just walk or take public transportation.
I did the Mediterranean cruise in 2009 and we hit this stop. Your photos reminded me how much I enjoyed that cruise and how I wanted to repeat it.
Photo Cache, I'll hook you up with my wife and some travel companions since they wanted to do the same, time and again. This will be their third,'cause I'm not joining them this time. I'll go for a tour of the country and its people but ayaw ko na ng archeological sites and ruins. They have to tie me up and physically carry me to see another one LOL. And that goes for palaces and churches, too. Sorry.
Wow! You've been circling the world over and over. I love the photos, magpapa-adopt ako sa iyo kahit isang taon lang, yung madaming cruise schedule na taon ha, hehehe.
.. i'm still fascinated with ruins bert. siguro dahil di naman ako overdosed like you on seeing such places, hehe.
Nice photos and thanks for bringing us to Athens, Greece but I think you did not enjoy the trip especially the trip to the ruins hehehe, looks boring nga lol puro bato. I really enjoyed your side comments feel ko napipilitan ka lang talaga hahaha you remind me of my husband, napipilitan lang sa mga itinerary ko pag may road trip kami and lalo na taking pictures hehehe.
sheng, marami pang parte ng mundo ang hindi ko nararating. I'm sure you will be a good company on any trip with anybody. Hindi katulad ng ibang nakakasama namin na walang ginagawa kung hindi mag-complain about anything and everything that does not suit them. Hindi ako yun LOL.
rob, huwag lang sunod-sunod, I can live with it. But I think you will agree with me that the locals and how they live are far more interesting than the ruins of a distant past.
Missy, talaga sigurong ganoon ng mga husbands, mapagbigay basta ikaliligaya ng kanilang mga bitter half. Just kidding.
grrr.. pangarap kong makapag historic tour sa acropolis..
Bata ka pa - you'll be able to do it! You have all the years and more, to follow your dreams.
I LOLed reading your "like I care" side comment. Hahaha. Magaganda pa din ang mga nakuha mong larawan kahit you felt overloaded with all these ruins.
Happy Holidays, Sir!
Hindi ba ganuon ang feeling kapag you have seen enough for the day? LOL. Maligayang Pasko sa iyo at sa iyong mga mahal sa buhay!
I get exhausted when in the midst of any horde of people. I guess that's why I enjoy hiking so much. But I would probably book a ship's shore excursion if I were on a cruise that included Athens. But although the ruins were interesting, I like the scenery in your last photo better.
By the way, Nashville, Tennessee, has a replica of the Parthenon in a downtown city park. It's full-sized, and interesting.
I didn't know there's a replica of the Parthenon in Nashville! Gives me another reason to visit Tennesse other than to see an old high school classmate of mine.
wow greece!! one of the places i'd like to visit before i die hehe
Merry Christmas, bertN. Where ever you may be. : )
Natawa ako dun sa sinabi mo na if the ruins were in your neighborhood, they would be considered as blight and summarily be scheduled for reconfiguration.
Have a blessed Christmas kabayan!
Christian, you'll see it! I never set foot in a foreign country until I was 30.
BlogusVox, Merry Christmas din sa iyo. Wherever I am, I'm there LOL.
Oggie Ramos, historical significance usually takes a backseat to the dollar sign when the greedies take over. Merry Christmas!
Hi Sir Bert! Haha. Natawa naman ako na nagsasawa ka na. If you like, akin nlng yung spot mo. I'll go with your wife. Hehe.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I wish they're done with the restoration work on the Parthenon already - those scaffolding is an eye sore.
Happy New Year Bert!
Oh wow! What a wonderful cruise! I've always dreamed of seeing Greece with my own two eyes but your fantastic photos will do for now.
Happy New Year!!!
Reena,you are welcome to trade spot with me. I'll just go on a fishing and camping trip all by my lonesome LOL.
icedgurl, thanks for dropping by.
The Nomadic Pinoy, masakit nga sa mata. I'm sure they'll be gone when you visit.
dyosa, go via Europe on your way home and make as many stop-overs as you can conveniently schedule.
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