Athens, Greece

Day four of our adventures and I still can't post my own pictures, and boy do we have pictures! The problem is the snail slow connection I get on my netbook PC, (where the pictures are), and the lack of a card reader on the fast hotel PC I'm using now. I will get some posted... eventually. For now, I'll snip some from the Internet so you get the idea. We have enjoyed the Acropolis Museum Boutique Hotel. Especially the lovely staffers, Andreea, at the hotel desk and Inni, who serves a wonderful breakfast.

Since the 18th when we arrived, we have toured Athens from top to bottom. This morning, before it got too hot, we walked up to the Acropolis. Imagine a slippery, rocky, inclined path to the top of the Washington Monument. Dusty marble gets very slick after a couple of thousand years of polishing by millions of shoes and sandals. Sometimes it was like walking on ice. The lack of OSHA Supervision on the site ensures that your slipping and sliding will be unencumbered by those pesky handrails and view blocking guardrails. The danger just adds a little excitement to the long climb. Risks aside, the views are spectacular. The Parthenon, on its high perch looks magnificent but the view of the city is just as impressive and beautiful from the Parthenon. The sights are unlike anything I've seen in America. The streets were designed for a time when a chariot was the large vehicle and only a few streets in the Plaka section of town are wide enough for two way chariot traffic. Speaking of the Plaka, just a few minutes East of the Acropolis, is full of shops, restaurants, and the most scenic bar I've ever seen. Brettos serves their own brand of ozzo, a licroice flavored drink that goes down very easily.

This afternoon we board the Star Clipper. Here is a photo from their web site and a link. http://www.starclippers.com/eu/explore-star-clippers/photo-gallery.html . They say this ship will not only be beautiful, but the food and entertainment should be four star too! This is our first small ship cruise. The previous 21 trips were on ships that ranged in size from 800 to 2,400 passengers. In my experience the food gets better as the ship gets smaller. The Star Clipper carries only 170 guests with a crew of 72. Here's hoping my past experience continues.

Next stop, Santorini. If you don't see an update soon, it means we didn't get a good Internet connection. We are off to the ship now... more later.