The ferry has arrived in the port of Piraeus, servicing Athens. We're in the lounge where the luggage is and I've spotted a young couple traveling with backpacks. I approach them , Breanna & Jeff from Sacramento CA and they are headed for Athens Backpacker via the metro. We're looking for lodging so we'll follow them. I get the directions so if we get separated we can find it. Janeen is waiting for the elevator and it either doesn't stop because it's full from the level above or when it opens, she can't fit. I go down to let Breanna and Jeff know what is going on and tell them to go ahead when Janeen shows. We walk across the huge parking lot and get on the metro. I can figure out the stops so tell Breanna & Jeff on the train to go ahead, we'll meet them at the hostel. Get there about 7:30 a.m. and the hostel is full, but the guy at the desk tells us to check with the guy who is coming in at 8 a.m. He also directs us to another hostel. We leave all our stuff here at Athens Backpacker and go to find other lodging. Athens is awakening and it's a beautiful morning. I love wandering thru the waking streets of this old city. We are in Plaka, the old center of Athens near the Acropolis. We see it high above in the morning sunlight. What a sight!!!! The restaurants are putting out their chairs and tables and some shops are opening. We can't find the hostel and stop at Byron Hotel which has a room for E74. Too much Janeen thinks. I would have looked at it but it's better we waited. Find a hostel International and the guy thinks he'll have something for us, E25 for a twin with shared, E22 dorm with own bath and E20 for shared dorm. We'll come back. Find our way back to the Athens Backpacker and they have a studio apartment with 6 beds for E22 a night. We take it, walk over. Buy a sandwich en route. The studios is very nice. Sitting room with balcony and kitchen, bath off the kitchen and a bedroom with 3 bunk beds in a row with a balcony off the bedroom too. The door to the balconies are so cool. They flip out at the top to let air in while the door is shut to the balcony or you can just open the door to the balcony as any other door would do. A great idea and a great door to introduce to the USA. I take the low bed by the balcony door. We take the room for 2 days. Eat half of the sandwich. Bought some postcards to write to Athena & Rich and to Stephanie. Amy says she's having a rough time with the divorce. We go to the Acropolis. It is just gorgeous but crowded. I remember it from being here with Nancy Savel in the mid 90's. Janeen makes it but is having a problem walking. She sure has fortitude and I admire her for her stamina. We go thru the museum, I take many pics. Back to the room and finish the sandwich. Janeen will rest and I'll go out to get our train tickets to Istanbul. Get the metro again. Find the ticket office and get the tickets for Sunday. I buy stamps at the post office at the stop before Acropoli, my stop. Get some wine in route to the studio and buy some sea salt. The wine is in a recycled liter soda bottle and homemade for E5. What a bargain!!! I stop at the hostel to buy the walk tickets but the walk was 3 p.m. and we missed it. I'll check to see whats on the board tomorrow at the hostel as they post all the activities for sightseeing in Athens that they offer. They are always such good deals and only available to people staying at the hostel. Back at the studio and Janeen is sleeping and I wash my clothes, string a line up and hang them on the balcony off the living room. Pictured with this article as people are always curious as to how we get our clothes clean traveling. Lay down and sleep a bit myself. She wakes up and we go to dinner for a lamb stew-like meal in foil. Have a bit of an argument with Janeen over the dinner split. I buy a magnet for the fridge of Poseidon, the God of the sea. Go to bed and slept fairly well except that the crazy girl Kate from Maryland going to school in Chapel Hill, NC and staying in our studio, comes in and makes alot of noise. We have added 4 more to the apartment, Andy from Ireland, Sarah and Pelli from Australia and this Kate. Sarah is on the couch in the morning, Andy is in his bed and the other 3 beds on top are empty. Crazy night. It's Saturday and I'm up early and having my hair done at 9:30 and the shop is directly across from the door to our building. Shower and leave for the hair appointment. Sarah is sleeping on the couch. Andy and Janeen all in their beds. Go to the hair salon and Yorgos (George) at his salon "Blow" does my hair perfectly for E70 ($90). I love it. His salon is very nice and very cool chairs, open with shampoo cool area. His assistant has a shirt on with "Chicago city of rock". Yorgos is very nice. We talk and he is from an island in the Cyclades. I can't remember the name. He lived in London for 2 years to work and learn styling. He opened this salon about 1 year ago. He does a great job. I have 3 coffees, wonderful, and write in the journal while the color comes up. The salon is right across the street from our studio and the woman who owns the Athens Backpacker and studio along with her husband, has her hair done here and steered me to the salon. Back to the room and they are all gone. Janeen is writing in her journal. Crazy Kate has left her towel and pink shirt on the veranda, her toothbrush in the kitchen sink and her razor, shampoo, shower gel and condition in the bathroom. Janeen says the bathroom was a mess. We leave to go see the other sites, but not before 3 more girls arrive, one from Indianapolis, one from St. Charles, IL and one from Minnesota. We stop for crepes and orange juice where I got the sandwich yesterday and sit in the outside tables watching the activity around us. Heading for the ruins, we see the Temple of Zeus first near our studio. The Temple of Zeus began in 515 BC, the marble is from the 4th century BC, 2 rows of 20 columns on the sides (dipteron) and 3 rows of 8 columns at the ends (tripteron) originally housed an oversized golden and ivory statue of Zeus and a statue of the emperor Hadrian. The Arch of Hadrian, 131-132 AD with 2 inscriptions, on the westside: "This is Athens the ancient city of Theseus, and on the eastside: "This is the city of Hadrian and not Theseus". Then walk to the Ancient Agora below the Acropolis. While walking towards the Agora I spot a tree with red berries that look like red peppercorns. Sure enough! Break some branches off. FUN!!! They grow on a tree. The ancient Agora, meaning together or a place to meet. The Temple of Hephaistos 460-415 BC is above the Agora. It's a nice day but cloud covered, comfortable weather. We walk thru the Agora seeing the Temple of the Giants. Go thru the Agora and walk out to the left to the Kerameikos, which is a cemetery and museum. Janeen waits for me before and above the ancient cemetery. I go thru the museum and take various pics of the tomb markings taken from the cemetery and now housed in the museum. There is a huge grave relief of Demetria and Pamphile, 2 sisters and is one of the last tomb stones made before the law passed by Demetrius of Phaleron prohibited the erection of luxurious tomb monuments. I talk with a guide and she tells me they still bury people here and the original people are still buried here. Walk the cemetery a bit and then meet up with Janeen again where she is waiting for me. We walk on to the flea market. It's huge. Janeen shops while I try to get into the Roman Agora or "Bath House of the Wind". It is closed and you can only take photos thru the tall iron fence around the ruins. These ruins are in the middle of the flea market area with this tall iron fence all around them. We meet up again. I have looked at a few shops and want to return. We see a gal with a great looking gyros so go to have one. Hear Andes music and watch and listen to some great Andes music and I photograph the Peruvian musicians. Stop to eat for the gyros and some wine. That's dinner. Talk to some couple from the States, he's from Alabama and she's from The Philippines and they live in Dallas. Poor people! Janeen goes shopping while I drink wine. Go on from here. I bought a Greek style small ring with a turquoise stone for E8 from some Indian tout that I bargained with. He wanted 10 or more originally. I buy a head flashlight from another Indian while having dinner. These are great for use while traveling both for dark pay phones and in your room to read in bed while the lights to the dorm are out. Buy the dress I saw in Crete at E28 for E20. Walk on thru the streets of Plaka coming from the flea market and see some ceramic garlic and pomegranates for E2 and E3 and then see some bracelets for Sage and Sienna with the evil eye in sterling for E7 each. Buy a couple of postcards for Bob and Mark with huge erections on the statues. Janeen finally buys the ring she has been looking at. It is a very nice ring that swivels and on one side is head of Athena and flip it over and the head of Alexander of Great. It is a lovely ring in gold and she is very pleased with her purchase. Back to the studio where I smoke some cigs on the balcony and drink some wine. To bed, it was a wonderful day. I'm feeling better again. Obviously the weather affects me. 57 days till home. Up around 8. Today we'll leave Athens by train to Thessaloniki, in the north of Greece, and take a night train to Istanbul, Turkey. The girls left early for Mykonos. Hope they get good weather. Move my bag out to the studio area and pack. Janeen gets up. I clean up in the bath, shave and take the razor Kate left, it's a good one. Empty the talc container in my kit and fill with the shampoo she left. Dressed now and packed. Give Janeen her ticket and we leave our bags and go for some breakfast. Have the cheese pie, OJ and 2 coffees. Very good. Over to the backpack to see if we can leave our stuff. Get on the Internet at the hostel and Garret forgets to charge us. I go on for on hour. It's about 11 a.m. I can now reply to emails, YIPPEE! I have a new one from Ellen asking questions like management or a salesman probing. An email from Amy and a bill from homeowners Assn. saying my dues is overdue and charging me a $25 late fee which Amy pays. YIKES!!! and, an email from Deb wondering where I am. I answer everyone and check Temp 66F and cloudy. Try to check hotels in Istanbul, too expensive and was in hostels when my time ran out. Back to the studio and Ellsbeth, the owner who sent me to Blow for my hair, has said it's OK to leave our stuff there. Janeen's in the living room writing. She tells me later to take off my shoes! Woman is nuts!!! Stopped for a rollup as the tuna sandwiches were all gone. Pee and pack up. Walk to the metro and wait for Janeen. She's here in good order. I go get our money back on the keys to the studio at the hostel. Gareth tells me to check when we get to Istanbul for small hotels in the central. We get on the metro to the train station. Check our bags, mail my postcards and buy some chips. The train pulls in and we find our seats easily. Leaves on time, 1:23 p.m. We'll be in Thessaloniki at 6:20 p.m. The countryside is nice and very mountainous. Lots of pine. We see more mountains and they are snow covered. The train stops and is having electrical problems. We sit for 30-45 minutes. I buy a coffee and it's filter and pretty good. The train starts again, stops a few more times and now rolling. We'll probably get into Thessaloniki @ 7p.m. I get another coffee. They are very good and had a piece of chocolate. We are very late. Don't pull into the station till 7:55 p.m. Janeen speaks to the conductor about our connecting train to Istanbul. He has us follow him. I tell him we have baggage checked and show him the paper as he doesn't understand much English. We stop where they are unloading the luggage and we grab our bags. He's carrying my leather bag and Janeen's small bag. We cross 4 sets of rails having to climb up and down on 2 of them. To get down I have to steady myself on Janeen and then help her down. Now we have to climb up from the tracks in front of our train. I steady myself on the front of the train. We make it. They actually held the train for us and a few others connecting. Hug the conductor and say the Gods are with us! Get into our cabin 42/44 with 15/16 seats/beds. The cabin is very nice with a fridge that does not work and a cabinet housing it where I put my bags. There is a sink, mirror, soap and they furnish us with hand towels. There are 2 comfortable seats and the bed folds down onto the seats for the lower and the upper drops down above this lower bed. I take the upper. Hard to get up there, but I make it. The WC (water closet) is down the hall. We are quite comfortable. I order a Pepsi and drink it down. Drink my wine, eat some cheese and cracker and a few of Janeen's grapes sitting in our comfortable seats before we make the beds up. Get dressed for bed, make the bed up and climb up there. Janeen is reading below. I read a few Scottish fairy tales that will be nice to read to the girls. I put my mask on and try to go to sleep. Janeen asks if I have turned the heat on? What a strange question. The heat is coming out by her head. I sleep and wake up, sleep and wake up. The conductor knocks on our door for passports about 2:15 a.m. I think we are leaving Greece. We stop again and have to get out for a visa into Turkey of E15. I change into my street clothes but Janeen just leaves the train in her bed clothes. I take pics while we are waiting to get the visa. Janeen goes in the building and comes out to tell me they are asking for US citizens. I go ahead of the people in line and pay the visa. Now it's 3:30 a.m. and we leave around 4 a.m. I fall dead asleep now. Awake about 7:30 a.m. with the conductor pounding on the door to wake us. Get up about 8, strip bed, dress and clean up. We're in Istanbul at 8:30 a.m. Disembark and walk past where The Orient Express restaurant and waiting room is. We have arrived at the same place The Orient Express comes into Istanbul..............Istanbul, Turkey....
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