Day 60: Exploring Athens

Friday, October 25th

 We set alarms this morning so we could have a day full of adventure. We didn’t book any tickets in advance, but we just wanted to do our own adventures.

We hit the gym and had a good breakfast. We are getting into a nice routine on the ship. We both got our egg white omelets, Christopher got his French toast, and I got my pancakes.

We headed straight off the ship to start our day of adventure. We didn’t book anything in advance (per usual) but we didn’t mind. Anything that you book, ends up being too many crowds for our liking.

Right as we got off the ship, we hopped in a cab that took us right near the acropolis. We explored the area behind it called “Plaka”. We found this tiny little church called Church of the Metamorphosis.

We ran around some streets and found little alleys that had the most beautiful views. I have been to Athens over ten years ago, and I didn’t remember it being this beautiful. Mainly, people come to Athens to see the ruins. It was fun to explore a little more on foot today, outside of the “main attractions”.

We then walked around to the front of the acropolis and climbed a big hill that had even better views. We are pretty good at finding the best spots for photos, and then before we know it everyone sees our discovery and lines tend to form. Christopher always jokes and says what would they do without us. In the touristy areas, you need to think outside the box and go the extra mile. The saying is true, the best views always come after the hardest climbs.

Tickets were sold out to go up and into the Parthenon, but we weren’t too upset about it solely because the crowds, and we still got amazing views from outside and the hills we climbed!

Next, we walked to the Olympic stadium. It was incredible. We bought tickets to go inside because they were cheap and it’s not crowded there. Athens held the Olympic Games back in 1896. We had so much fun goofing off and running through the tunnel that the athletes came out. They also had an area you could go into that had all the torches. It’s so amazing how well preserved this area is. There were families racing and couples timing each other around the track. Kids were standing on the podiums and posing as if they just won gold. Everyone was having so much fun, and it was such a cool atmosphere. We signed the guest book on our way out. We walked & explored a little bit more, then took a cab back to the ship!

We headed back to the ship and got some food in cafe two70. It was pretty fun, because the dancers were having practice, as we got a little bit of a show as we ate and regrouped.

After we got some fuel in us, we headed to the gym. It’s so nice to be working out hard on the regular again. We had another incredible sunset that we got to watch from the gym. These views never get old.

Tonight was casual night, so we threw on some jeans and headed to dinner. We still went to main dining, because we figured we’d get our moneys worth for having to pay gratuity, and enjoy being served!

We were excited to get to bed and get a good nights sleep, because tomorrow is the day we are looking forward to the most!

My highlight today was the Olympic Stadium & running through the tunnel, down the track, and then up to kiss Christopher as if I just won the Gold medal, because he’s the best prize. It’s so fun coming back to these areas I came so long ago with my family, and now I get to experience them with the love of my life and best friend. Life is so much better when you’re with the right person. Christopher’s highlight was also the stadium. It was just such a neat experience, not to mention it was only €5 each!