After we finished our cruise, we stayed in Athens for a few days. Part of our plan was three days in Athens, three days in Istanbul, and then on to Kathmandu. I am writing this post now in the Istanbul Sabiha Airport waiting for our red-eye to Kathmandu.
Arriving in Athens
In Athens, I think I was maybe more excited about seeing the sites than I had been during the last several days on the cruise. There were so many ports on the cruise that I actually feel like I began to not appreciate some amazing things because it had been so much so fast. After 21 days of ports almost every day, I was thinking that I did not want to see any more walled cities, ruins, or churches. But when we got Athens, there was not the same rush there had been on the cruise. We had three days to see Athens... and there is a lot to see.
I downloaded some Rick Steves podcasts of audio tours onto my iPad. Many people were using Rick Steves guidebooks during the cruise. Rick Steves has a travel TV show on PBS and focuses only on Europe. His website is quite handy for getting around Europe. He has some handy advice in his books, like how to get from the port into the city if you do not want to pay for expensive taxis. If you are ever planning a cruise in Europe or even just travelling in Europe you might want to sign his guide for the countries you are going to out of your public library... or buy them if that is your way.
As it so happens he has four audio guides as podcasts for Athens: a city tour, an Acropolis tour, a tour of the National Archeological Museum, and the Ancient Agora. Instead of paying for an audio guide machine at these sites, why not load it onto your phone or iPad and have Rick provide you with a free tour.
First Day Explorations
On our first day in Athens, we took the latest disembarkation from the boat we could so we would not be rushed. That is on 9:30am but still we had time to have our last relaxed buffet breakfast for some time. Our last eggs Benedict; our last bacon; and our last waffle for the foreseeable future.
It could not have been much easier getting from the port in Piraeus to our hostel. We took a city bus from outside the port terminal which took us to the metro station two stops later. The metro took us directly to the Victoria Square station. Our hostel was about a one minute walk from there. Some people from the ship took a taxi which could cost about 30 € depending on where you were going.
Once we checked into our room, we took some internet time. We were craving it a bit I think. A little later we decided to venture out and discover Athens a bit. We asked the guy at the front desk about a free walking tour that they had a sign for behind his desk. Many cities now offer these free city walking tours...
The Athens Marathon and Greek History
As we were walking we began to hear the noise from the Athens Marathon. As you may or may not already know, the Athens Marathon is the original marathon. Runners start in Marathon, Greece and run 26 miles to Athens... the exact distance of a marathon race. It started as a result of a Greek soldier, Philipineas, who was ordered to run from Marathon back to Athens to tell the women and children that they had defeated the Ottomans...
Luckily, not too many runners of the marathon today die at the end, although I am sure I would. The marathon finishes in the Palladium which was an ancient stadium but had an overhaul for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Runners finish the gruelling event by crossing the finish line at the far end of the stadium.
When we arrived at the stadium we went and sat just above the finish line. It was about 7.5 hours into the race so we watched people cross the line who were more thrilled that they finished it than how long it took them. We saw some people get helped across the finish line by others and we saw some people collapse as they got across. The Athens Marathon is an open marathon meaning anyone can run it. As it happened, the marathon was won, as well as second and third places, by Kenyans. They are such amazing long distance runners.
Greek Food and Markets
After watching the marathon for a while, we hit the streets again, this time heading towards Monasteraki. Monasteraki is a main square from which the market begins. Also, there are walking streets of restaurants and stores all over the place. We just explored the ruins like the Agora and Hadrian's library from the outside...
I was so excited just to have some Greek food. I love Greek food. I mostly wanted a Greek salad. I was surprised to see that it came with a solid block of feta cheese on top that was about four inches long by 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick. I am used to it being broken up in the salad. I am also used to there being a dressing of some sort that is vinegary. This one just had olive oil and lots of oregano. It was excellent though.
The next day we were slow to get up and going. Once we did, we asked the front desk guy for a place to find some good Greek food. He pointed us to a little restaurant around the corner at Victoria Square. We had gyros and Greek salad. I thought that I had died and gone to heaven.
Ancient Athens and the Acropolis
Next, we headed to the National Archeological Museum. It contains most of the artifacts that we did not see as we explored the ruins during our cruise. Other artifacts are in a museum in London. The free walking tour guide actually told us why he thought they would never give them back. Firstly, he said that they were actually sold to the museum by the Turks before Greek independence...
When the tour ended we were at the Acropolis. We bought our ticket to go in. The ticket also included admission to six other important sites and could be used over four days. As we entered the Acropolis, low and behold, we ran into Neal and Rebecca again who were just leaving. After chatting for a few minutes we began the climb.
Acropolis literally translates into "high city." At night it is particularly impressive because it is all lit up. I took a photo of the Acropolis just as lightning lit up the sky—it made it look lit up in the middle of the day. The main site to see at the Acropolis is the Parthenon. I’ve seen it in movies and in books, but it’s always more amazing in real life.
On to Istanbul
We left Athens the following day on a mid-afternoon flight to Istanbul. We were surprised to discover that we had to get a visa in Istanbul—45 € each for four days! We had no choice though. Our hostel in Istanbul was amazing, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the sea and a perfect location near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia.
That evening, we went out for dinner at a restaurant around the corner. The meal came with an appetizer of a large inflated pita bread that looked like a big balloon—you rip pieces off and dip them in hummus and tzatziki. After your main course, they usually give you tea or sometimes baklava. For about $11, it was a delicious meal and a great introduction to Turkish cuisine.
Exploring Istanbul
On our next day in Istanbul, we had arranged a free walking tour. The guide was Czech, had only been doing tours for two months, and told us right away he wasn’t very good at it—which made us laugh. In the end, he did a great job and was quite entertaining. We visited places like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, and more.
After the tour, we met an Australian couple, Sarah and Kieran, and grabbed fish sandwiches together near the port. They catch the fish right there, fry it up on a rocking boat, and serve it in a bun—simple and delicious.
The next day, we took it slow. Even the hostel manager asked if we were sick because we didn’t go out. Truth was, we were just tired. Travelling non-stop catches up with you. We eventually went out for dinner and an evening stroll around Sultanahmet Square, bundled up against the cool weather.
Across Two Continents
On our last day in Istanbul, we walked from Europe to Asia across the Bosphorus Bridge—truly a bucket-list experience. Istanbul is the only city in the world divided between two continents. The European side is the old city, the Asian side the new. We explored both, climbed to a tower, wandered busy streets lined with cafes and shops, and found the perfect house numbers for our home back in Canada (Nicola didn’t even barter this time!).
By evening, we were back in Sultanahmet for one last Turkish meal before our midnight flight. I started writing this post in the airport and finished it from our next destination—Nepal.
Reflections
Our time in Greece and Turkey was a fascinating mix of history, culture, and contrast. From the cradle of democracy to the crossroads of continents, each day revealed another layer of stories—ancient and modern, Greek and Ottoman, sacred and everyday. After weeks of movement, ruins, and remarkable meals, we were ready for a change of pace. Next stop: Kathmandu, and a whole new kind of adventure.
