At the last minute after doing some MEC returns we got a deal and bought new backpack carry on bags. Then we had to repack in the parking lot to ensure everything would fit. 😃

Leaving Chateau Diane

We breezed through security with our Nexus cards and were happy to see our flight is on time.

A few minutes to spare to grab a quick beverage and snack before boarding.

Greece here we come! 🇬🇷

Our first Greek sunrise.

Ready to land.

Salad for breakfast.. why not!

Ahhh solo espresso and Greek yogurt with honey… I think there will be more of this in our future!

Costas waiting for us at arrivals.

The view from our room. Not far from the sea. Tomorrow we will explore more.

Quick check of our room.

Lots of animals in the building! Several cats (haven’t figured out how many yet)

And an orphan goat that is part of the family.

Getting the bikes set up.

I think we are ready to roll!

Our home for the next 3 nights.

Found water and a Greek flag.

The beer is cold, and the atmosphere very warm and inviting.

Wine, fresh Tzatziki and pita bread… life is good!

Breakfast and an espresso!

We headed out on our adventure and at about 7 km we found a lovely bakery for 2nd breakfast. Fueled and ready we set off again.

Our next stop was at Valley of the Butterflies, Petaloudes. The butterfly season is from approx end of June to September, but the walk was spectacular and meandered through a moss covered gorge. After hiking the 5km route with lots of climbs and switchbacks along the stone path we grabbed our lunch at the Butterfly Cafe.

From here we had to decide on the short or long route for the day. Both of us were feeling very good, and the weather was spectacular. Sunny, 25 degrees and a gentle breeze who could ask for more. So we opted for the long route. On one climb Lisa said “I am really liking these e-bikes”, Ed’s response “Don’t get too used to them”. \240I guess a gal can only dream for now. It certainly made the hills very comfortable today, and this was one of the flatter days, so we are not regretting our decision to go electric.

The path then took us through a forest and a couple of villages. Even though it was Sunday, many of the roads were not very busy. The one busy road we did travel, drivers were very accommodating and gave us a wide birth.

Finally the journey took us down by sea and meandered on small farm roads near the water. We made a final stop to re build our electrolytes and enjoy a local brew along the water.

For our first full day in Kalavarda, Rhodes, we filled it!

Tonight we are enjoying a feast provided by our hotel of a local traditional meal which we are looking forward to.

I guess this means there will be another blog post tonight after dinner.

Oh did I mention cats? There is certainly an abundant population here! Everywhere you go, sitting in windows, on sidewalks, in restaurants, I guess they don’t have Bob Barker here.

Checking out the wood fire oven.

First course!

And then there was more.

It seemed like it was never going to end. Everything was delicious and we would definitely order again. But maybe just not everything in one meal.

Our hotel (and many of the local restaurants) were preparing for a busy day and groups of families coming in to celebrate. When we came down for breakfast at our accommodation, many of the tables were moved around to make room for more guests and a band that would be arriving mid day. Niko was already busy preparing food for the day in the wood oven.

With another great breakfast in our bellies, and fueled with espresso, we were ready to head out on our two wheels and explore.

What we have found with the e-bikes, you still have to work, but the assist is so helpful in climbing.

It was another glorious weather day! We can’t imagine being here in July/August when it is almost 50 degrees! Right now the mid 20 temps are perfect.

Oh but wait, it was time for a 2nd \240espresso at a quaint seaside village. We have added to our morning snack tradition of Greek yogurt with local honey! Yum! And it has to be healthy, right?

Where we have deer and moose crossing to be mindful of, here it is goat crossings you need to be on the watch for.

Our lunch stop after our big climbs was a seaside restaurant. A few of their menu items were not available as their doors will be closing for the season after today. Several of the seaside establishments are already closed for the season with so few tourists, but we are loving the quietness of it. Our restaurant had a unique set up in that there was a courtyard in the middle with kids play area, and all of the tables were located with a seaside view.

A beautiful view!

Ed indulged in their daily special of Octopus with Risotto.

A view of the play area and seating.

As part of the tradition for this national holiday, many of the local school children participate in a march from the school to the town square in the morning. We identified them throughout the day as they were dressed in white shirts and blue bottoms.

When we arrived back at our hotel, things were hopping! As this is their first season, they hired entertainment and I do believe half of the village is here. What a great way for the locals to celebrate. We just hope because tomorrow is a work day that the celebrations don’t go on too late.

Video to watch.

Out and back ride today. Even Strava noted the climb!

This is our route map.

Now this would be our kind of restaurant if it wasn’t 10 am!

Up and over!

The busy square of Salakos.

Our first (and probably last) Greek coffee.

A firefighting tanker!

The local Volunteer Wildland Fire Department.

Looking back to the sea from where we had come.

Great lookout spot.

The closer we get to that bump “mountain” the larger it appears to be.

On our way into Embonas we stopped for some sampling.

So many choices. They even have \240Cannibis olive oil!

We have arrived!

And so did our bags!

Ah, a bakery with fresh pastries.

Enjoying the sights and people watching in the town.

Just Chilln!

View from the center of town!

View from our backyard for the night!

Chilln by the water.

The owner invited Ed to check out the cooler of fresh meat, and then showed him the grill where the meat is prepared.

Starters and a beautiful sunset! We feel very blessed.

The end of another wonderful day!

Enjoying morning espresso with the locals.

Looking back from where we had come.

Small island off the coast!

Another amazing view.

It’s hard to stop looking out to the sea.

This gorge was breathtaking! The pictures do not do it justice.

At one point we said, we can not keep stopping or we will never get there!

The long and winding road.

Enjoying coffee by the local church!

Tasting the local honey and olive oil.

Inside the church.

Kitty cat alley.

In the distance you can see the white castle. It was a steep downhill to get there. And of course a steep climb back out.

The Castle/Church at the top.

The views from here once again were spectacular.

Our final rose ceremony❤️🌹

Ok would the real bachelor please come forward!

Not all rooms are glamours when we book these tours. Beds are clean and so far hospitality has been wonderful. When you are in a small town that only has one place to stay, you can’t be too picky.

Enjoying our authentic Gyro!

Lots of deer around the countryside.

Our accommodations for the night.

Local fire department.

Ed checking out the fire trucks.

Looking back from where we came.

Watch out for goats!

Looking for a cafe near the church.

The dirt road leading up to…

The town square.

Heading back towards the sea!

Such beautiful weather and very few people enjoying this beach.

Admiring the coastline.

We found our home for the night!

I think they get very few people arriving by bicycles.

Wow! Certainly not what we expected.

Buffet lunch beachside while sipping on a Mojito.

And of course they have a station for espresso.

Now to dip our toes in the sea and catch a few zzz’s and enjoy the afternoon in paradise.

Good night from the Mediterranean.

The Lindos Acropolis from our arrival.

Heading in the streets began to narrow.

Stopping for our morning espresso.

We found a bit of an out of the way place to enjoy our espresso with the locals.

It was easy to find the Acropolis once we figured out just to follow the shops through the maze of streets.

The pictures just do not do it justice.

We could have posted so many pictures, but here are just a few.

The view is spectacular!

Yes, we agree with this!

Taking a final look back at the Lindos Acropolis!

We have passed many river beds that are completely dried up. One gal said they haven’t had but 1 day of rain since September. The ground is so hard we can only imagine what it will be like in the rainy season.

A must have on our travels to rinse things out at the end of a sweaty day.

Our home for the night.

A \240beautiful hilltop view to end our day.

This spread was all for us!

We figured we would qualify as motor bike parking.

Goats, Goats, everywhere. I think we saw more goats than cats today!

Beautiful tree lined roads.

The peacocks checking out our ride.

Not feeling the need to walk barefoot through this 150 meter tunnel!

There was an aqua duct system that ran along the road for many kilometres.

Monastery of Agios Nektarios

Inside the Monastery chapel.

Look a hobbit house!

The chapel in Eleousa

Abandoned buildings in Eleousa which is such a shame as they have beautiful architecture!

The long and winding uphill climb today.

The local fire services!

The chapel of Agios Nikolaos Fountoukli- beautiful colourful frescos built in the 14th century.

The Monastery of Agios Silas in the center of a very large park. I am sure this place is packed in the summer time.

Inside the chapel fresh spring water runs from this cistern.

We stopped along the beach for one last look at the sea from Kalavarda.

We did a walk about the village of Kalvarda \240and Ed was going to get to work helping them keep up with the white painting.

We stopped at the local mini mart and picked up beverages to enjoy on our patio for our final night here.

Saying goodbye to our host in Kalavarda. They really made us feel like family.

We were very glad we didn’t have to navigate the drive to Rhodes City.

Our first experience in the garden at Helios Gardens.

You can tell these plants are well loved.

Our magnificent room for the next 3 sleeps.

We also have a small kitchen and sitting room. The hosts provided a bottle of water, wine, and a filled fruit bowl.

Our first look at the square. (I am sure we will be here a few more times!)

We stepped outside the walls so that we could appreciate the grandeur of this fortress.

Stepping inside the Archeological Museum. Artifacts were there from all over the Greek Islands.

Who needs a shave more?

That’s one very heavy set of armour.

The floor was completely put together with different rocks and tiles to form the masterpiece.

The Museum Gardens.

After working up a sweat we decided Geleto was in order as we navigated the streets to the next museum.

Our first Glympse at the Palace of the Grand Master.

The courtyard in the palace.

That is one long set of stairs!

Everything in these rooms was grand!

Leaving along the stone Knights road.

Our last Museum stop at the Church of our Lady of the Castle. Partially destroyed by earthquakes twice, and rebuilt each time.

Found our way back to our temporary home.

Enjoying the gardens and wine provided by our hosts.

A view from the Moat.

A view from the Moat.

A view from the Moat.

An early morning view from the harbour.

The narrow passage to our home.

What a breakfast!

This church is one of the oldest, just around the corner. It keeps going down and down to the alter.

Even garbage cleanup is done by motorcycle in the old town.

The large iron gates that protected this medieval city in the day.

Enjoying our sea side walk.

The boat \240entrance to the harbour.

A diving platform in the sea! We did not go and try it out.

Video

We found the entrance to the church cave by the sea.

Very unique inside.

Video

Enjoying our breakfast/lunch by the sea.

We found our way back to the Medieval City!

The Jewish Synagogue Museum.

Around every corner there is always something beautiful! (And another cat!)

Our morning walk among the windmills.

Looking back from where we had come.

The chapel of St Nicholas along the water.

Spectators stadium at the Acropolis.

The track is in the background behind Ed.

Not sure what this guy was doing, but he had very large mesh traps filled with bread and very large fins.

Loading a ferry bound for one of the other islands.

Looking back from where we had come.

We are always discovering new (old) \240things here.

Seahorse fountain.

Quiet town in the evening.

Video: View from our room.

Our first mission was to locate the bus station for our plans for the next couple of days which was very easy to find. Then off we headed towards the central Lions square, Morosini Fountain. This is the central hub of the streets which allowed us to get our bearings. What we also found were many American franchised stores, H&M, Starbucks, M.A.C. As we headed to our next destination we did come across a couple of beautiful landmarks. It is interesting to find the new and modern mixed in with the old.

St. Marks, Venetian Loggia which is a very ornate City Hall built around 1628.

The central fountain.

Video of City Hall

From the steps of City Hall

City Hall

Our next distraction along our route was the Parish (church) of Saint Titus. Beautiful from the outside and the inside!

Say what?

You never know what will be found through an open door.

After a few distractions we finally arrived at our destination the museum of Ancient Greek Technology. Ed was in heaven! This museum displayed the Hi- Tech inventions from then and now. On display were many fully functional reconstructions of Ancient Greek inventions. A science and Technology paradise.

Demonstrations too!

We had worked up an appetite with all of the science contraptions so we headed off to find somewhere for a bite to eat. Once again while in search of our destination we came to the Metropolitan Church of Aylos Minas, and with its open door we had to go have a look. ABC=another beautiful church!

We found this little lunch spot on one of the quiet alleyways. Ed enjoyed the Greek dish of Mousakka, it is becoming one of his go to dishes.

Our final stop for the day was at the Museum of Crete. We only had 1 hour here as they close early with the winter season, it was enough, but we could have used more time. Very interesting displays on the different occupations of the island, the occupation during WWII, cultural celebrations and clothing. It will well done and we really enjoyed it.

We wrapped up our first day here in Crete with an after dinner stroll on the streets around the fountain. Very different vibe here than on Rhodes. Very lively, bars and restaurants were busy, shops were still open and there were lights and music everywhere.

Evening stroll by the Morozini Fountain.

Our first adventure of the day was heading to Knossos Palace. It is located only 5 km outside of town so we decided to navigate there on the local city bus system. Our mission was successful and after about a 20 minute ride we arrived.

Knossos is one of the big tourist attractions in this area. It has an area of about 20,000 sq meters which are surrounded by mazes of magnificent buildings, royal palaces, decorated and multi coloured frescos with themes out of the life of the palace, such as bull fights, religious ceremonies, etc.

Walking around you could imagine what it was like to live in this period of time. They provided an app that allowed you to self guide yourself from one display to another. The First Palace was built around 1900 BC. Through wars and weather events the palace was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The frescos are preserved far better than many other areas due to the climate here on Crete.

One of the multi story homes.

The throne room.

Not sure if these were water or wine! 🍷

The road leading into Knossos palace

You may have noticed the puffy jackets are now out. Weather has been different here. It is still between 17-20 degrees, but when you are in the shade with wind it can feel quite cool, and after the sun goes down. We have been layering off and on throughout the day. Today is also the first day we have had some clouds, but still no rain. We are not complaining, but the locals do say it’s desperately dry here.

We choose to get off at a different bus stop on the way back closer to the fountain and grab a quick bite for lunch. Lots of options here and they have street food meat skewers for 2€ which were excellent! We walked a couple of the streets with more tourists shops and then headed back to put our our feet up for a few minutes.

Excellent lunch!

After a brief nap and a shot of espresso. We headed out again to visit the Venetian Marine Fortress of Heraklion.

Fueling up with an espresso.

The Fortress and pier guard the naval entrance to the city. This building was very grand and majestic. It was built upon a natural rocky outcrop. It has 2 stories and the view from the 2nd story was well worth the 2€ admission.

One of many canon rooms.

The view of the sea.

After a walk around the fortress we headed out to walk the rest of the pier. By the time we were at the end, we were very close to the airport and 2.5 km from our start. We were well sheltered from the waves and wind by the break walls.

Video: along the pier

Looking back from where we had come.

Pier art.

A couple of final shots of our view in Heraklion.

I don’t think I ever really described our new travel bags. They are carry on size, with several pockets both outside and inside.

The back has a zipper cover that when undone becomes a backpack. When done up everything is protected if we do need to check the bag on a flight.

On the uneven cobbled streets, it is much easier to carry the bags on our backs rather than pull them.

Next stop Chania.

We finally found our little hotel.

Garry explains about the knife shops.

This shop custom designs knives and sends them all over the world.

Muslim homes had wooden facades built for added privacy so that the woman of the household would not be seen.

This church was a mosque and later converted to a Christian Greek Orthodox. You can see both the church tower of the Christian and the mareitt of the Muslim tower from where the faithful would be called to prayer each day.

Inside the former Mosque. No windows which was typical.

Enjoying our first taste of Raki. A liquor made with cinnamon and honey.

The sun was setting as our tour ended and we were heading back.

Our room and view of the Venetian Harbour.

So good to be on the water! \240

We then took a stroll through the local Saturday morning market. It was buzzing with activity, loud conversations, and so many delicious sights and smells.

Fruits, nuts, olive oils, herbs, vegetables, meats, cheese to name a few.

Who cut the cheese?

We then headed back to our hotel where our breakfast was ready. We try to find places where this start to the day is included. So far we have not been disappointed.

After fueling up we headed west out of town to explore the shoreline, shops and beaches. Most shops and hotels out of the main area are now closed for the season.

Not too many people in the water, but there were a few. They say the water temp is around 20 degrees.

We did come across a nice 50 meter swimming pool right by the sea.

They appear to have 3 activities at the pool, lane swimming, water polo, and finswimmimg? This is done with a very large mermaid like fin which both feet are strapped into. There was a group of young girls just out of the pool and they all had large cases about the right shape, we are sorry we missed seeing this in action!

Video: pool side

Google it, it’s pretty cool.

We then went to the Crete Marine Museum. The country and Islands are so dependent on the water for many things, the museum talked about the roll the Greek Navy played in so many historical battles, including WWII and with the Turks. So many miniature models that you could tell took 100s of hours to create. There was one room that made you feel like you were in the control center of a battleship, working telegraph machine included.

Our nautical day was not finished yet, we headed back over to the ship yard (where we had our morning cafe) as one of the buildings was also now a museum.

The interesting thing about these buildings, was they would dam the harbour to raise the water level of the entire harbour so that they could get large vessels inside these buildings to dry dock them and do repairs.

More to come later.. a little rest and we are off again shortly for more exploring.

Waiting for our guide to show up.

We were at the Market Building, currently under reconstruction. It is a very large T shaped buildings. In the day it was filled with shops and vendors.

The tour took us down what is known as “Leather Street”. Many of the shops and craftspeople on this street specialize in making many different leather goods. You can smell the aroma of fresh leather in the air. Unfortunately as with many of these skilled trades, the younger generations are not carrying on the business so there are less vendors each year.

We stopped at the Chuch of Trimartryi. There was actually a wedding taking place during our tour.

We decided to pause our tour here for the evening and we will resume our tour on Monday.

Things are a bit crazy and loud in the old town tonight. There is a US Naval base near here and we think most of them are on leave for the night! Needless to say, many of the bars and restaurants are enjoying this influx of patrons in their slower winter season. I guess this is also a fitting end to our nautical day.

Our next stop was to be the Botanical Gardens of Crete on the way up White Mountain. Here there is both natural plants and animals of the Island. They also have a superb restaurant using many of the local grown herbs and vegetables.

Our third stop was higher up White Mountain at the start of the Samaria Gorge National Park. Unfortunately the trail is now closed for the winter season, so you can no longer hike down to the water, but the view from the lookout we are told is spectacular.

However our plans changed when we woke up and Ed had a stomach bug, so we were sticking close to home today. Seems that it is a common ailment with tourists around here.

I went out exploring on foot, with intermittent trips back to check on things. So today will be a bit random of my discoveries.

The original Market from a different angle. I think this one better depicts the vastness of this structure.

This is the central fountain by the pier and our landmark to find our way around the streets.

The waves were really crashing on shore today, and yet several skillled sailboats left the safety of the harbour to enjoy a Sunday sail.

I decided to venture out along the long pier that protects this harbour. It was about 1.5 km to the lighthouse.

If you look closely you can see a sailboat though this canon embrasures (holes).

Made it to the lighthouse.

There are a couple of these fishing shops in the harbour if you are looking for sea sponge, shells and other trinkets.

This sail boat just returned to the safety of the harbour and it was almost laying on its side as it came through.

The museums are closed here on Sunday so feeling grateful we did them yesterday.

The patient is feeling better tonight and we were just out for an evening stroll.

We have one more day planned here in Crete before we are on the move. Let’s hope things go as planned tomorrow. 🤞

Another beautiful alley.

Back at the church from where we had ended.

From the courtyard of the Christian Greek Orthodox, when you turn around you can see the small blue steeple of the Catholic Church which is actually hidden down a very small passageway. It is kind of like David \240and Goliath here.

Video: can you find the Catholic Church.

It must have been morning pigeon bathing time at the fountain.

Another beautiful street.

Another beautiful street.

Vehicle traffic is only allowed on the Old Town streets from 7-9 am. If shops are not open then the delivery driver simply leaves items by the door, including cases of alcohol! It must be a safe town.

The ruins of this Mosque Temple have been turned into a unique shop. We were fortunate that it was open as there was more to be found inside.

This was previously the mosque tower, since destroyed on the exterior, but still exists inside.

So many excavation sites on many of the side streets.

Sorry loved this cat shot!

Our tour ended at the Mosque on the pier. In the day when Chania was under Muslim rule, having the Mosque right at the pier, kept Christians and women from coming ashore.

Back at our room to put our feet up and get ready for the afternoon adventures.

Stay tuned.. more to come

Our driver and guide Janas

Learning some of the history of Crete with wine & cheese..

Video: olive oil goes in everything.

Sitting down to enjoy our feast.

It truly is an engineering marvel how all these homes are built on rock on the side of a cliff.

Early to bed as we have lots to explore tomorrow!

The narrow winding roads to the summit were skillfully navigated by our smaller bus driver. While we were there, one large bus arrived, and as it was struggling to get turned around I mentioned this to Vanos and she said in the summer one day there were 15 buses here at the same time… impossible!

Our next stop was the village of Megalochori. We walked through the narrow streets with our guide and visited one of the cave houses that people used to live in. It would be cool in the summer, but I am sure very damp and cold this time of the year.

Inside a cave house.

Many buildings have domed roof and small windows as they felt this helped to keep them cool.

Years ago they used whitewash to paint the houses which contained lye which was supposed to help slow the decay pf the surfaces and repel bugs. The white they thought also helped to reflect the heat. Today they mainly use white paint. The blue accent on the doors and domes is symbolic of the Greek flag 🇬🇷.

Santorini is known for its wine production. The vines are trained to grow in a circular almost basket formation on the ground. The harvest unfortunately has suffered the last couple of years due to the severe droughts. They are trying to find a way to irrigate the plants, but don’t want to change the flavour of the wines

A grape vine.

A quick stop at Firostefani, the Honeymoon center of the island.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

This rock formation used to be the home of a small village. Unfortunately during one of the earthquakes it was destroyed. You can still do the steep climb up to the top for amazing views.

Skaros, apparently at one time there was a suspension bridge from the Island to the main island.

Beautiful well cared for homes along the winding streets.

Next we were on to Oia. This is the tourist highlight for all visitors.

At this point people can spend 2 hours in the summer waiting to get a picture. We spend 2 minutes 😃

Our guide described Santorini as the Disney of Greece. Very much alive because of tourism. It is both a blessing and a curse for the island. Last summer there were so many tourists from cruise ships they asked the locals to stay off the roads.

Stay tuned, there is more to come.

Video: from the dock.

Heading out of Fira along the path.

The alternate route at Skaros… maybe next time.

Pictures just don’t describe it.

At the crest of the first hill we met this man who’s family has owned and maintained this chapel for many many years.

You can see Oia in the distance.

We felt very much like we were back on the Camino today.

We successfully navigated the Athens Metro system, and we’re able to find our little Airbnb right downtown in the heart of all of the history. We are steps from the Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis, restaurants, shops, and so much more.

We arrived at our B&B, put her feet up for about 15 minutes and then headed out for a free walking tour.

Video: our Bnb for the next 3 nights.plus a rooftop terrace we have yet to check out!

Confession time: we brought with us from home one extra suitcase that we had put in storage when we arrived in Athens. It was a very easy service to drop off and pick up the extra luggage just outside arrivals. We will need the extra supplies we brought for the next and final leg of our adventure. 😉 Having to navigate public transportation with this extra suitcase did make us appreciate the flexible of only having our backpacks.

Lunch on the go.

We met our guide at Thisseos fountain square on the other side of the Acropolis about a 22 minute walk. This was our first day of rain, but it looked like the sky might clear.

We walked around the Agora Athens, which today is a park, but was the vital Market area in Ancient Greek Times. As we came to the Greek Market building (the first shopping center) we also had spectacular views of the Acropolis high on the hill.

The first Shopping mall!

Acropolis

Hadrian’s Library - once a university

Stopping for a word of explanation

The Roman Agora with a nighttime view of the Acropolis

This was a clock tower, using a water clock fed by a spring through an aqueduct system. It also had a sundial as a back up. Amazing engineering.

We strolled through Plaka with its narrow streets, shops & many many restaurants. Our group consisted of 10 people from England, Scotland, Turkey, Germany all of whom had just flown into Athens for a weekend getaway.

The tour ended near the Acropolis Museum and our Bnb. Our guide recommended to us a restaurant away from the busy tourist area which is family run and a favourite of the locals and it was amazing. Probably the biggest and best Moussaka Ed has had yet! And prices were very reasonable.

Needless to say, we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Our first stop after the biggest climb of the day (which wasn’t bad at all especially on the ebike) offered a spectacular view of the Acropolis.

Back down the hill and our next quick stop at one of the older and very ornate Greek Orthodox Churches.

After meandering through the shopping \240streets of Plaka we stopped for a quick break at the Athens largest cathedral. It is one of the younger churches, (only a couple 100 years old) very ornately decorated inside.

Cathedral courtyard

Inside, beautiful wood and metal decorations.

Next door to the Cathedral was one of the oldest churches still remaining, built during the Bysantine period 1000s of years ago. Very much a contrast in style.

Inside the old chapel.

Our guide timed it perfectly so that we could see the marching of the Guards which happens every hour. All men in Greece still have a draft of 12 months. Only certain individuals and size is a factor can become a guard. After the march, they must stand perfectly still without moving for 60 minutes.

The shoes had spikes hidden under the pom poms and weigh 2.5 kg each. A leg workout with every movement.

After the guard does the march, they get into position and then the supervisor does any final adjustments to ensure everything is perfect. They can not communicate. They have a code they use by blinking their eyes.

It is a prestigious honor to be chosen for the guard positions in the army.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Final inspection.

Our final stop was at the Zappion building, a conference center that has continued to be maintained in the traditional Greek style. One last opportunity for a photo stop.

Back at the bike shop, sad to have the tour end.

Our guide pointed out a famous Greek “donut” made with honey and cinnamon that we took a detour to \240on our way back to our BnB for lunch (and another load of laundry).

Inside the museum offered free wifi and an audio tour that you could follow along using your cell phone. All artifact have been found on the Athens Acropolis site.

The main floor of statues, we were unable to take photos directly, but I was able to get this photo from above.

The incredible detail in these statues was breathtaking. The muscles, clothing, expressions, movement and textures. One statue, it almost appeared that the clothing was translucent which is hard to describe from something carved from marble. Each statue is almost like a news article representing a victory of war, an offering to a god, a statement about an event that may have taken place.

Many of the statues were originally painted in bright and vibrant colours and were not all the stark white as we see them today.

The Parthenon which is the large building on the top of the hill has always been a religious temple however under different periods it has changed based on the ruling government. It was originally built 25 centuries ago! All around this building in a continuous formation were stories carved in the stone. On each gable end, there was a depiction of the birth of Athena, the Goddess of Athens. Originally in one of the rooms there was a statue of her that was \24013 meters tall!

These statues adorned the main courtyard.

Walking through the building the glass give you a complete view of the Acropolis above.

This was a continuous story of 92 panels that depicted a festival in Athens. From offerings, to games, to celebrations.

As we left the Museum, we had another incredible evening view.

We weren’t ready to head in for dinner so we decided to take a Stroll through the Plaka shopping district and to visit Hadrians Arch, with a view of the Acropolis in the background.

Hadrian was a Roman ruler who had a fondness for the Greeks. They actually had a nickname for him called “the little Greek”, but I am not going to try to type the Greek translation of that.

We have had no issues getting around in Athens. Many of the streets in our area are pedestrian only, or one way, so very easy to navigate on foot. We would not however, want to be trying to drive here.

Then we continued climbing the South Slope and through the gates of the Propylaea. What a majestic welcome this structure would make for any guest.

This vantage point also offered a spectacular view of the city and the harbour.

What an entrance!

After entering the gates it was off to the west side to the Old Temple of Athena and the Erechtheum.

And then for the most majestic piece the Parthenon. They are doing great work to restore this building. They say it may take longer to do the restorations than it did to actually build it. It’s like putting a jigsaw together with the millions of fragments they are working with. So many pictures, but here are a few.

This is a great picture of the continuous story telling.

We also had a very special interaction today with the Army guards. (Which we will add to later). As we were waiting for the gates to open a bus arrived and several guards unloaded, and entered the Acropolis. Just as we were heading in they were exciting so we got an up close and personal view. They were wearing the special Sunday uniforms reserved for special occasions and events. One of the unique things is the skirt has 400 pleats. This is to represent the 400 years of the Turkish rule until they were able to reclaim their land and Greek identity.

Note: I was taking a picture of the pleats, not up the skirt! If you look you can see all the layers.

As we started to descend on the North Slope we did run into a bit of rain, however we can’t complain as it’s the only rain we have had since we arrived 3 weeks ago!

We visited the Theatre of Dionysus, who was the first playwrite. Many plays and dances would be performed in this smaller theatre.

Can you imagine sitting for hours in this comfy chair?

After exciting we hit a coffee shop (with heaters) to dry out and warm up before our next adventure.

Each Sunday morning at 11 am there is a special changing of the guard ceremony and parade. We headed off to the Parliament buildings to witness this event. When we arrived spectators were about 3 rows deep and unfortunately the rain was still coming down in a steady drizzle. At 10:50 they announced there would not be a parade today due to the rain. The guards did a quick change, but not much on this hour.

Waiting for the parade.

Parliament Buildings.

Video: not much of a show today.

Of course the rain stopped as we left the Parliament buildings and we then passed through the beautiful Botanical Gardens headed for our next stop.

Our next stop the Panathenaic Stadium. It is one of the only stadiums made entirely of marble. It was built for the modern Olympic Games in 1896. Originally constructed in 330 BCE for the Panathenaea, it was later renovated by Herodes Atticus, giving it a horseshoe shape and marble stands for spectators. The stadium remains a popular tourist attraction and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Today it is used annually as the finish point for the Athens Marathon each year. (Which was last weekend). We had looked into it as they offer a 10 k but it was full from runners from around the world.

From the road/entrance side with flags flying.

We decided to climb to the top for a different vantage point,

Amazing view! Can you imagine thousands of fans cheering the athletes?

At the one side there was a tunnel that led to the change rooms. Today these are a small museum and gift shop. One of the really neat things was many of the Olympic torches were on display on the walls. Made us proud to see the Canadian ones.

Montreal 1976

Calgary 1988

Vancouver 2010

The altar from which the high priestness lights the torch as it begins its journey to the receiving country.

As we left the Stadium we had the opportunity to feel like “Winners”. Well I guess we feel like that every day!

On our walk back we came through Hadrians Arch once again, so we took the opportunity to add a day time picture.

One of these is not like the others!

For those of you looking for a guessing game challenge I have added something into the blog today that is different from the rest.

Can you identify it?

WhatsApp us if you can.