On to the Big Olive

Athens, Greece

The bus trip (5 ½hrs) from Preveza didn’t seem so bad as our winding journey took us around scenic Amvrakikos Gulf (now we don’t have to sail it!), down to coastal Messolonghi (and its Byron associations), over the Rio-Andirio Bridge and along the northern Peloponnese coastline we’d gotten to know so well in Mr Panda.  The Corinth Canal flashed by and we soon hit the outskirts of Athens and our bus station.  From here, we were euro-fleeced by a taxi driver, but easily found our hotel in downtown Metaxourgio; certainly not the most exclusive of neighbourhoods but not too far from the action downtown, if you don’t mind a walk.

Memorable Graffiti

Memorable Monuments

Next morning we were up early for the obligatory sightseeing routine and luckily had a big red bus go right by our door.  Our first day was given over then to doing the Athens and Pireas loops with a walking tour and a lunch break at Monastiraki sandwiched in between.  These tours are such an easy orientation to new cities; they help us quickly locate major attractions, then after initial tours, become an useful “taxi”.  Back at the hotel, over a beer, we decided from the multitude of attractions for the following days.

Big Red - an excellent solution to get around this big city

Views over Athens