Sunday 23 September - Athens & overnight Ferry to Crete

Sunrise: Athens                  7:13am

Sunset:  Athens                  7:20pm

Steps:                                 16,211

Sunday 23 September

Free day today until 3pm

I went down to breakfast at 7:15.  I planned on walking into the city to see the 'special' changing of the guard at 11am and also take photos of Parliament House, The National Library, University of Athens and the Academy of Athens.  I caught up with Lois & Elizabeth at breakfast and they were planning the same, so we all met at 9am in the lobby, after checking out and having the luggage stored.

On the walk into the city, we passed the following:The Runner, 

Dromeas, also called The Runner, is made of individual pieces of glass stacked atop each other to take the blurred shape of a runner in motion. Thousands of sharp, jagged pieces of glass form the sculpture.The running figure is the work of Costas Varotsos, who began working on it in 1988 and didn’t finish until 1994. It was originally erected at Omonia Square, but it was later moved because people grew concerned construction and the vibrations from the underground metro would cause it to shatter or topple. (source:Atlas Obscuba)

the War Museum 

Zeus or Poseidon of Artemision

Also the Byzantine & Christian Museum grounds.

Before getting to Parliament House, we passed the 10am guards, marching back to barracks.

We arrived at Parliament House and I took a few photos. 

After that, we went down the road to the other buildings, namely The National Library, 

the University of Athens

 and the Academy of Athens.

We then headed back to Parliament House and the parade  and changing of the guard.  The 11am ceremony on Sunday’s is a special one and I managed to get some okay photos. I think Lois got a whole heap of much better ones as she managed to get to the front.

I didn't realise that they wear a horse shoe on the bottom of their shoes.

Both left and right shoes, although they only raise and strike the right one.

That is what makes the loud clicking sound when they march.

After that we started walking back to the hotel but called into the Benaki Museum, where we spent a couple of hours.  
There was a black and white photographic exhibition on with some of the work of Joan Leigh Fermor and I took a photo of one of them. The Lions Gate, that we visited the other day. Her photo was taken sometime between the 1940's and 1960's

Elizabeth & I continued back to the hotel at 1.30 and Lois stayed for another 20 minutes or so.

We all had our luggage loaded onto the bus just before 3 and were headed to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon.  It took an hour or so to get there and we were on the coast road. I could see people participating in all sorts of activities, as we drove along.

Sailing, swimming, water skiing, fishing, paddle boarding and there were a couple of areas where there were HUGE inflatable slides .

The local guide filled us in on the story of Poseidon, then we had time to take some photos 

and grab a bite to eat, before re-boarding the bus at 5:30 and heading to the port of Piraeus, to board the ferry for Crete.

We were on board around 7ish and taken to our cabins.  I went down to the bar shortly after to have a drink and a few others were already there.  Jenny & Stephen came along, so was chatting with them when Elizabeth & Lois joined us.  At 9pm we all decided to go and get some dinner at the self service restaurant.  10:20pm and we decided it was time to head to bed, as we have to meet Christina in the reception area at 6:45 in the morning. 
Internet cost €3.00 for 100mb, so I just wrote up a word document about today and will transfer it to my blog the next time I have internet access at a hotel.

I put the light out around 11:45pm.

Tuesday is a free day, with absolutely nothing planned for the group, so I will update Monday's (today here) activities tomorrow morning and then do another update tomorrow night with the lazy days activities.  Mind you, I'm not planning on doing very much at all.

Till next time,  Night (9pm Monday 24th Sept) as I publish this.