Sounion, Saronic Gulf, Athens
22 May, 2006 | Greece 2006
- We had three nights back in Athens at the end of the trip and took the opportunity to do a couple of day trips.
- About 50 kms south of Athens is Cape Sounion, site of the ancient Temple of Poseidon. It’s an impressive ruin in a stunning location, and the bus trip there and back (1 hour 15 minutes each way) is pleasant enough. We loved the old grafitti carved into the blocks at the base. Duff Kerrigan ‘woz ere’ from North Shields in 1895.
- We were also keen to see some of the islands in the Saronic Gulf that lies to the west of Athens. We thought about ferry hopping for a day, but there seemed to be some decent tours available for the three islands of Poros, Hydra and Aegina. We studied the various offerings and chose one that looked suitable for us. Didn’t know it at the time, but we were about to be schooled in the art of mass tourism, Greek-style.
- A nice little tour bus picked us up from the hotel and we were feeling very exclusive on our way to the port. Then all the little tour buses pulled up at the same, very large ferry and we were exclusive no more. Hundreds and hundreds of people were funneled onto said ferry, greeted by couples in traditional Greek costume offering photos, at a price. It got worse. Lunch included that famous Greek delicacy, the brussel sprout. Anyway, we had no choice but to go with the flow and get out of it what we could. The stops in Poros and Hydra were enjoyable and we carved out a spot on the deck to take in some sun and watch the scenery go by. We were a bit over it by Aegina where they dropped us on one side of the island then wanted us to pay an extra charge to be bussed to the other side of the island to see its famous temple. We declined, opting to wander the local fish market and have a drink where we were. We put that one down to experience.
- In the time we had left in Athens we walked out to Filopappou Hill to see the Monument of Filopappos, Shrine of the Muses and Socrates’ prison. There are good views back to the Acropolis and down to Piraeus. The latter reminds you that Athens is a coastal city.
- And we spent a bit of time hanging out in the squares, watching the Athenians go about their business, and plotting ways to get back and see more of Greece some time in the future.
