Quick trip to Athens, Greece

 I had 4 days off during the Presidents day weekend, so we decided to head south in search of some warmer weather.  We decided to make the trek to Athens to see the sights and hopefully do some island hoping to get a feel of the Greek Isle culture.

We landed in Athens in the afternoon and took the train downtown.  We got all checked into the room and went and ate some delicious Greek cuisine before calling it a night.  The next morning we woke up and visited the Acropolis. It was a blue-sky day so we figured we would take advantage of it before the scheduled rains arrived.  We spent some time on top of the Acropolis checking out the views and looking at the super olds structures, some of which date back to 500 BC. We got our fill of the Acropolis and headed down to the port to hop on a ferry enroute to Hydra. We stayed on Hydra for ~24 hours and took the ferry back to Athens, visited some more sights, went to sleep and left the following afternoon. Overall, a good trip with good historical sights, delicious food and average weather. 

Here are some pics to share:

Before I get into the Greece pics, I wanted to brag about my strong, smart and beautiful wife. She recently become CrossFit Level 1 certified after a weekend training session in Rome. I am super proud of all the hard work she has put in and can't wait to retire so that she can become the primary bread winner of the family.  

The Apt we stayed at the first night in Athens had a tremendous view. 

The New Acropolis Museum was right at the base of the Acropolis. It was built on old Greek ruins. 

E getting a head start.

We trekked up the Acropolis and made a few pit stops along the way. This olive tree offered some shade for us to get some water before we continued up. 

This is Herodes Theatre that is located on the way up. It was enormous and they still use it for performances. 

This is the entrance to the top of the Acropolis. Old stars and columns aplenty. 

The view from the top was amazing. Athens is a very large city that covers a large area.  

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day! 

The Aegean Sea can be seen in the far background. 

My girls with the Parthenon on top of the Acropolis. 

Selfie

The other major structure on the top of the Acropolis is the Erechtheion. This was built in 421 BC and dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. 

Head down from the top of the Acropolis. 

We wanted to hit one of the Greek Islands up so we decided to take a 1.5 hr ferry ride out to Hydra. All the books we read said it was a neat island with a relaxing atmosphere. 

It was very pretty but dead. Not as lively as what the books claimed. There are no cars on the island, only donkeys.

The food didn't disappoint in Greece. We ate our fair share of feta cheese and greek salads. Fresh and delicious! 

Hydra had a picturesque harbor. 

And there were a lot of walking paths that circumvented the island. 

We were able to see a decent sun set over the Aegean Sea, too. 

We brought bathing suits but the it was a bit too chilly to swim and play in the Aegean Sea. Instead, we skipped rocks, looked for treasure and played with sea creatures. 

E checking out the ferry coming in.

Back in Athens, we checked out the Parliament building and watched the changing of the guards. They wore funny looking uniforms and walked even funnier. 

And of course, we made a few ice cream stops along the way. This was the kids' highlight of the trip -- the local chill box. 

Breakfast the next morning offered another spectacular view of the Acropolis. We ate a delicious breakfast, the highlight being the greek yogurt. 

Then it was onto the Agora ruins. This was the commercial/residential area of greek back in 6th century BC.  

The Acropolis was always in the background anywhere you went in Athens.  Another trip in the books......