First Port: Awe-inspiring Athens!

We awoke to the sight of Athens on the morning of June 30! Athens is a city where the splendour of ancient Athens coexists with modern Athens, home to 4.5 million people and sprawling over 165 square miles! The Acropolis was our first destination and we inhaled every moment! Our private tour put us ahead of the cruise ship's excursions, so we enjoyed some uncrowded time to explore the sites of The Parthenon, The Temple of Athena Nike, and the Odeon of Agrippa Concert Hall and Theater, which has been reconstructed and is used during the summer to host Athens Festival performances. In Plaka, we walked the narrow cobblestone streets lined with shops and restaurants. At first glance, Athens may seem overcrowded with traffic, people and lacklustre cement buildings, but as a tourist, it's easy to love Athens! Its people are friendly, the food is amazing (oh! wonderful mousaka!), the shopkeepers mostly welcoming, and history absorbing.