We got up and going this morning a little later than usual, leaving around 9:30am to the Acropolis bus stop to catch the hop on, hop off bus that would take us to the Parliment building. I had been told a couple of times by different folks that the changing of the guard on Sundays at 11am is quite the sight to see, so that was our morning mission. We arrived early and found a spot along the rope that outlined where we could stand. We were in the sun, which wasn't ideal but had a good view. The soldiers protecting the parliment building and the prime minister's home are from an elite military class which requires special training, character and even height! It reminded me of the Swiss Guards at the Vatican. They have 3 one hour shifts in a 48 hour period where they have to stand super still outside of the parliment or PMs house. Tourists pose beside them and try to get them to move (within reason) but all these guys do is blink!
Two of the guards stand outside together, watching over the tomb of the unknown soldier (at parliment building) and they change guards every hour on the hour. On Sundays and special occasions, the changing of the guard is a bigger deal. A band played, a whole lot of soliders marched and they all wore matching ceremonial uniforms (that take ages to make!). They also moved in synchronization; the two at the tomb moved very slowly to regain their circulation after standing still for an hour. The whole process was really neat to see.
After that we hopped on the bus for the audio tour of Athens - it was a bit of a bad idea as we sat up top on the bus in the sun and heat, but we learned about different sites and areas in Athens which was neat to know, especially after wandering around quite a few of them over the last few days. We managed for awhile and then got off at a square to find some food. We had kebabs (beef and lamb mix) in a pita - very yummy. We then wandered through the area of Plaka which was really touristy. Aside from the ancient sites, most of the areas we came across were really geared to tourists - lots and lots of shops and restaurants, essentially all offering the same stuff.
We found our customary trip magnet and then found the bus to go home.
We showered and prepared our bags for our trip to the subway and airport tomorrow.
We haven't seen much of Evita, preferring to be on our own. We've just hung out in our room for a few hours with our feet up. At times our schedule and Evita's are totally opposite and we don't see each other for more than a brief interaction. She's nice, no problem there. We realized we made the goof when booking the room, that it was a private room and not private apartment. Whoops. Lesson learned. It hasn't been so bad. The biggest downfall is the heat, the being confined to our room for privacy, having hushed conversations, and sneaking around in the morning to be quiet.
We left to find dinner at "God's Restaurant" (LOL). It was about a 20 minute walk from our place. We found it and enjoyed our last dinner in Greece. We shared bread and tzatziki and then I had moussaka (delicious) and Jeff had beef with orzo pasta (it looked like thick rice pieces - he said it was good). The service was good, the food was good, the atmosphere was lovely as we sat out at a table outside (as is typical). On the walk back, I had a very lovely sensory experience - it was dusk and we had full bellies of Greek food, there were children playing games outside, Greek women having conversation, couple's holding hands, a guy putting on a marionette show to a crowd, musicians playing for money, vendors selling wares and the Acropolis lit up for the night on our right. It was all the Greek I could take in all at once and it was perfect.
We're now back to our place to pack so we're ready to go first thing in the morning.
We're ready to go home, despite having had a great vacation.
Next I write will be to inform that we've made it home safe and sound.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and to journey with me on another adventure as I Holler Around the World.
Ciao for now.
Amanda xox
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