The last two nights were back to Athens to finish some touring. First, we returned the rental car. It was harrowing, and we’re just not going to talk about it. I will say that counting on your GPS in the city isn’t always a good plan as the signal can bounce off buildings and your rental car return can end up looking like the missing scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation.
We had two nights at The New Hotel, still in the Plaka neighborhood. The hotel isn’t one we would usually choose, but a credit card deal led us in this direction with a discount and upgrade potential. I am not a fan of haughty hotels. They are never my style. This one reminded me that my decision to avoid them is generally a good one. The hotel did have an exceptional breakfast, though, and we managed a minor upgrade to a room with a balcony. There we watched a couple of sunsets and even more fun, the rhythm of life of the apartment across from us. I think one of the things I enjoy most about travel is figuring out what it might be like to live in that place. We caught a sense of that thanks to the final two days.
That first evening we took it easy. The next day we went to the archeological museum. (Doesn’t that sculpture from 2,000 years ago look like George Washington? I sure thought so. I am even more drawn to ancient history after this trip.) Then we took a cab to the neighborhood where Milwaukee Bucks players Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo grew up. Unfortunately, the cafe where the brothers used to eat was closed for the upcoming holiday, but we still had some fun. We took a taxi back to the hotel, and walked to lunch at Meat the Greek. That evening we shared the last bottle of wine from our winery visit in Nafplio and then we tucked into bed early. Up and out the next day, the earliest possible breakfast at the hotel, and our driver arrived. Again, because of the half work day for the Easter holiday that Friday, it was a very easy trip to the airport.
There were a couple of unusual things about transportation this trip. We hired a car for a few Euro more to pick us up and take us back to the airport, and we never stepped foot into public transportation. Everything else was either our own driving or walking, plus a few taxis. That’s quite the change from other trips to Europe where the subway is memorized by the time we leave. I think it has a lot to do with how compact the attractions were in Greece. We used the Beat app to hire a taxi a few times, which was really inexpensive in Athens. Since there were two of us traveling it came out to about 2€ more than the subway that day. I have to confess that we’re starting to make that trade off more the older we grow. (Or at least I am. And once we pay for it Tom’s not likely to walk out of principle.)
The flight home was 10 hours 25 minutes. At about the fourth hour, it’s a bit claustrophobic. The flight was out in the morning, so it’s just a long ride home without much napping. We arranged to make a quicker connection than originally planned between ORD and DFW, but that plane was weather delayed, and once the weather cleared there was a mechanical issue, and once the mechanical issue was fixed, the pilots timed out, and then the flight was canceled because a new crew could not be found. So off we trudged to a Residence Inn courtesy of American Airlines. Our original flight went out as planned. We made it to Texas the next morning. And, since we had access to the Flagship level at the American Lounge in Chicago, it’s not like we actually suffered. Vacation lasted an extra day, that’s all.
Now we’re unpacked and managing jet lag. We took a walk today. As always, I’m determined to keep up the pace. If I’m going to boot camp for two weeks on the road, I might as well reap the benefits. Today our focus turns to heading north for the summer.
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The blog will change a bit as we shift to At Home and Camping posts. I have a lot to do to fill in for these daily updates. I liked doing it this way, though, and the posts will serve as a wonderful diary. Thanks for joining us.
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