October 22, 2017
Today is Sunday and we had a lazy morning. We had looked up where the time church services began in Athens. They have only one small building that facilitates two branches, a Greek speaking branch and an English speaking one. Anyway, in the morning, I used Google Maps to map our walking steps from the metro station where we would get off. I took pictures of it since I would not have a data plan active to get live data. I was good to go. This would be our first time to try the metro system. We all got ready and headed out by 11:15 AM. Church services started at 12:00 PM. Following the metro was easy to do and to get to our metro stop. Upon exiting the metro station, I pulled up my map images on my IPad. It looked really quite obvious to me where we were. So off we went walking. Scott, he began to fiddle with his map who had an active GPS going. At one point Scott said, we are going wrong. I said no way...these were the instructions Google Maps had given me. So we kind of butted heads. So Scott said, you guys follow your maps, I'll use my phone and the GPS and let's see who gets there first. I was stupid and said OK....pretty stubborn. Well, after walking quite a ways and asking many people if they knew where I was, no one could tell me. So Denise finally convinced me to turn on our data plan ($10) for the day. As soon as I did that and brought up Google Maps., it was clear that we were well off the beaten path and had to back track. It turns out that the images I captured were not from the metro station, but from the city center that had the same name as the metro.
I think Scott got worried that we would get lost and was going to send out a search party. But we found our way easily to the church with a GPS tracking. I don't know what I was thinking by not following the GPS he had on his phone. He was not using cellular either, I don't believe so it kind of caused me to think his was not tracking right. Anyway...I felt bad that I did not listen. Stubborn old man I am.
Church services were awesome. I really enjoyed the wonderful members there. Funny thing...Scott looked across the foyer and said, I know that guy. He could not remember his name, but remembered his face. The fellow, he immediately remember Scott. Turns out, his name is Paul Hamm and now works for the State Department (Embassy). Scott was YM President and Paul was his counselor! Small world. Paul invited all of us to his house for dinner after church services ended. We had a scrumptious meal that his wife put together quickly of pulled pork, with BBQ sauce, some yummy vegetables and grapes. So nice of this family to quickly host us. Once we were done, Paul then drove us to our last archeological site, the cemetary that sits just outside the old city wall. We thought it would be open until 7. We arrived at about 5:40 only to find out it was closing at 6 PM. The lady did not want to let us in. We said that we would be quick. So she let us in for free...even thought we had passes from the combo ticket we had purchased.
Once we were done there, I wanted to take the metro back to our BNB. Scott, he wanted to walk it all again. He really loved walking around that Acropolis area. So again, we split up. Denise and I were to take the metro. Scott and Michelle were going to walk it. Denise kind of wanted to walk it to get one last Gyro and a few other things. But we were pretty tired and it seemed pretty far. So we went ahead and jumped on the metro. However, at our first point where we were going to transfer trains, we heard that our next stop was closed down by the police and our train would just go through it. So we would not be able to transfer to our last train. So we ended up coming up to the surface to also walk home. It turned out to be a good thing as it put us right in one of the squares where there was lots of Gelato....and....Gyros. So Dense paid 2,30 euro for a very tasty Gyro. She was a happy girl which helped ease the walking pain we both felt. So we grabbed the food and walked back to the BNB. We then packed our stuff, showered, and then plaid cards until Denise game up the ghost and went to bed. I was not too far behind her. But I could not sleep knowing that our flights tomorrow would be close. So it was a sleepless night for me.
I am writing this from our flight to Newark from Rome. We already have flown from Athens to Rome. Our cab driver was right on time...3:30 AM. Abraham was his name. What a great guy. He said he would return to get us (he was the cabbie who picked us up from the Athens airport). I was so impressed with him. Our first flight was at 5:55 AM which arrived in Rome at 7 AM. This flight left at 9:50 AM. Scott and Michelle, who fly stand by on American were waiting for their flight to Chicago to depart. It will be interesting to see if we all get home tonight.
This has been an interesting trip traveling with friends. It can bring you together or drive you apart. I hope through it all, that we will want to do this again to another part of the world. I don't know, they probably will not want to. We are not the 'walkers' and 'night owls' that we might have been in years past. I'm looking for ways to cut the steps down and to be as rested as possible so it can be enjoyed to the fullest...the little bit that I see. My friends, on the other hand, they enjoyed walking endlessly. They loved the social scene in the evening hours. I don't blame them, it is nice. Anyway, I can't imagine doing this trip without Scott driving us to think out of the box. We wouldn't have been on boats for a full day or riding donkeys up a cliffside or finding crazy different shops (Hanzel and Gretel's). The Hayden's made it fun. I'm glad to be going home...but we will miss them.
Pictures...
Great picture of Denise and I at church. Notice my casual attire. Probably the only time in my life I've gone to church in jeans.
Artifacts from the old cemetary.....
Happy girl...street break and a 2 euro Gyro!
One last group picture before we separate and find our own paths home. Kind of how life is I suppose. You walk it with good family and friends. But sometimes you must part and do it alone. Fortunately, others come along and assist. Thanks goes to my lovely wife and Scott and Michelle for creating a wonderful, memorable, trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, Santorini, Greece and Athens, Greece.
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