Ancient Athens + A Hobo Peed on Me

Today was a full day of walking.  We woke up at around 5am.  I think yesterday we crashed for 4 hours, woke up a 6pm and went and got food, then slept another solid 10 hours.

After trying to sleep more and slowly getting ready we got out at 8:30ish and stopped for greek coffee, a bougatsa (feta pie), and a freddo creme royale.  Dont know what the creme royale was really but it was strong.  Greek coffee is the same as Turkish coffee.  Its poured on grounds in a metal cup heated by hot sand.  It was alright kind of earthy and strong.

After that we headed towards the Acropolis.  Its a short walk to the hill to get there, but its a pretty hefty vertical climb.  Lots of stray cats, cute alleys, and ruins surrounding it like the Roman Agora.

Got there around 9am and beat the rush and the heat.  Its been in the 70s so far and its supposed to hold that way while we're in Athens.  Views were great, very cool to see the Parthenon (temple of Athena Nike) and Erechthion which if I'mrecalling correctly was both a temple, monument and tomb.  Lots of the standing structures in Athens survived various era by being converted to Churches or Mosques depending on who ruled at the time.  On the south side of the Acropolis was the Roman Theater or Odeon of Herodeus something.  Very cool, still in use.

Afterwards we went to the acropolis museum for a little bit.  We covered 2 floors of artifacts and preserved pieces of the Acropolis where replicas are instead put in place for the restoration efforts.  Had a tasty lunch at the museum. A bagel stuffed with a type of goat cheese, tomatoes and pesto.  Break tray with olive oil, butter, olives.

We had scheduled a free tour that works of tips.  We headed over to where it started at 2.  The tour guide Evan was great.  It took about 3 hours but hit up a lot of the big sites in town and he did a fantastic job with the historical background.  

The hobo pee isnt as big a deal but it did happen.  We were walking to find dinner after the tour and Sarahs like "Alex step back!" and grabs me, but it was too late.  Some homeless dude had started peeing on a wall (on a main street really against a column) and i had stepped into the ground stream.  Luckily I dont *think* any splattered on my foot as I was in sandals.  

Are feet were really sore.  Somehow Sarah survived going up lots and lots of steps.  We found a place to eat that was pretty good.  One order was wrong which was fine.  We recieved fried egg with staka, and the things we actually ordered was a pork roll which turned out to be kind of like porketta and Dakos with Feta which ive made before.  Rolled pork with herbs that was cut into slices with mustard sauce.  Also tried Ouzo for the first time.  For the life of me it tastes extremely close to absinthe.  Its 80 proof where Absinrhe is 90 though.

Finally got back around 7:30.  Sarah is knocked out and I'll probably be the same in a moment.  Tomorrow we have a car rental and I hope I can get out of the city ok and then also not get lost and also not drive off a cliff as roads are narrow from what the Alex who runs our hotel says.

In general other takeaways so far: restaraunt service is a mixed bag, theres lots of cute stray cats no stray dogs, orthodox priests have cool uniforms, backstreets are everywhere and very cute.  Good amount of panhandling, some Jamaican dude "gave" me a bracelet for free and is like "Is dat your queen over there!?" gesturing to Sarah and im like "Yup she is".  So we both got free bracelets and he said we'd be together forever and also if we had any change that would be cool.  I had 20 cents on me.

While we were eating a greek unknown gendered person spoke a lot of greek to us and shoved a rose at me.  I know how to say no thanks in greek and i said it a bunch.  Theyre like 2 euro 2 euro.  And i gave them 1 euro and the flower back.  Then they said 2 euro! And i said no thanks.  Then he asked sarah 2 euro something something.  No thanks.  2 euro.  No thanks and they left. And a clarinet guy stopped by too.  Thats our stories.

The wokavator.  Its very tiny, but seems reliable.

Greek coffee

Feta pie was very tasty

Plakos area on the way to Acropolis

Roman Agora. Basically merchant area built during Roman rule.

I killed Sarahs feet/knees/legs, she a trooper.

Temple of Hephaestus and cat

Parthenon

Erectheion.  Marks the mythological site where Poseidon's trident made a salt water spring when competing with Athena for control of the city.

More Parthenon

Acropilis NE view

Acropolis museum (I dont thin we were supposed to take pictures in this section.  Whoops)

A motor vehicle

The sandwich was pretty amazing.  This was in the museum restaraunt.

View from Anafotika neighborhood.  Very odd place where the houses are shavks and it looks like greek island streets.  Apparently they cant sell the properties because its historical area, its on the side of the acropolis.  Very weird.

Segues.  We may look and act like tourists but at least we're not on segues.

Dinner.  We need to learn to just order 2 things.  Foods been filling