First day in Athens
Day two – Athens
Day two of our trip dawned peacefully and chilly while passing by Siros, Kithnos and Kea on the way to Piraeus. The good thing about the evening ferry from Symi is that you have time for dinner, and, in the morning, a decent breakfast, if you’re on one of the ferries that serve it. Unlike arriving at Symi from Athens, which tends to be early in the morning, you have time aboard the boat to watch some islands go past; the rest happen during the night. We were up and about early on our second day, catching the sunrise before enjoying a calm sailing into the sprawling mass of Piraeus.
Taxis
One thing I’ve started doing of late is organising transport before I leave home. Previously, I’d get the courtesy bus from the ferry to the dock gates (a 45-minute walk otherwise), cross the road and take the train into the city centre. It’s quick and cheap, but this time, as this was a special holiday, taxis were to be the thing. I used Welcome Pickups, a brilliant pre-book service that operates in various major cities. You do it online, state your arrival time and place, send some details including your photo, and pay in advance. (The prices compare well to other firms, and they track your flight or boat in case of delays.) Nearer the time, they send you the name, phone number and a photo of your driver who is invariably waiting for you when you arrive. That’s great for people travelling alone because you know who to expect, you’re not going to get ripped off, and you’ve already paid. They give you a bottle of water, maps and if you want, a good chat about things to do and see. Anyway… Our guy was waiting for us and whisked us off to the hotel.
Eating
We were staying at the Best Western next to the Plaka, a few minutes walk from Syntagma Square, and not far from Monistiraki, all our favourite places to visit. The day was mainly about getting a haircut, but the place we’d used before, Sir Barber just off Syntagma, was booked up, so we let that idea go and wandered Monistiraki and the surrounding area.
Needless to say, the holiday eating tour started well. We visited a place I’d been to with my mother the previous year (can’t recall the name right now). Then, in September, it was busy with tourists but also with locals drawn to the nightly live music and reasonable prices, considering it is right next to the cathedral. It was quieter in early March, and one of the attractions was the hostess who enlivens the guests by promising that ‘Later we dance Zorba. After, we smash playetes…’ in a drawling Australian-Greek mix. Great fun though there was no dancing or plate smashing when we were there. We also took a look around our locality and spied a barbers’ shop just up the road, closed at that time of night, and put it on the to-do list for another day.
Our main day in Athens was to be the following day when we had no travelling to worry about, and that turned out to be a walk and a half. More about that tomorrow.
