Acropolis +

Today was a relatively normal touristy type day. It started out with a trek around the Acropolis area with 2 friends from the Hostel- Alex and Lindsey. We marched around looking at ruins for several hours. We saw the Parthenon: see link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon This was pretty incredible. We also saw the theater of Dionysus= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_Dionysus this theater was the 1st stone theater EVER built. We saw the Tower of the Winds- which was a very complex water clock and wind vane! (see picture)

Then we went exploring a bit further into Athens- we had heard about a small- almost separate village out close by- It is still in Athens but the buildings are bit different- more quaint! After that we were starving and stopped to get some gyros- which were delicious! A little stand where you can get a chicken gyro for 1.8E. they were the best meal I have had in Greece so far- way better than the sit down places! For dessert we had fruit- strawberries, oranges and bananas! We headed back to our hostel...

The hostel is fairly nice- very large- it serves a very minimal breakfast every morning but for 24 E what can you expect! I had been meeting with a travel agent yesterday in preparation for my island touring, and I went back today to finalize my plans. The travel agent was amazing! So incredible! Penny we are never doing another trip again anywhere without one! I have my whole Greece itinerary planed out. Tomorrow I leave super early in the morning- by taxi to go to the port- where I catch a ferry out to Santorini! I stay there in a hotel for 4 nights. Then I take a ferry out to Naxos- where I stay for 3 nights. and then a ferry off to Paros for 2 nights. I return back to the mainland on the 12th- where I will be staying in a hotel right on the coast there- and will catch an airport express bus on the morning of the 13th to get to the airport to fly out to Prague! I am excited to have my own room in the hotels- In Prague I am in a hostel the whole time except for the very last night- where I have a hotel right close to the airport.

After booking the remainder of my stay I could really really relax!!! Oh I did see some of the protesters- it was a very calm organized march today- around Parliament. the police were out in droves and many of the major streets were shut down. It was nice because there was less traffic and it made it much easier crossing the streets!

After a long day I headed back to the hostel- pretty much everyone was taking naps- I decided a good sleep would do me a world of good! I slept from 3:30 to 7:30 it was wonderful! After that I went and got a bite to eat at a restaurant called God's Restaurant- the food was good and it was close to the hostel. After that we went and had some ice cream and returned back to the hostel where I just finished packing for tomorrow's excursion!

I have posted some pictures- Order of pictures- from top to bottom(left to right): 1: Tower of the Winds Protesters- close to Parliament building 2: Protesters- close to Parliament building 3. Lindsey and Alex and I at the Acropolis 4. Looking down from the Acropolis 5. Graffitii w/ my initials! :) 6 and 7: me at the Acropolis! I was trying a Zeus pose for one of them! 8. Flag of Greece The Parthenon 9. The Parthenon 10. Larger theater- that is still in use today! 11. Picture on left- smaller theater= Theater of Dionysus.