Athens on Ice!

I have been to the dazzling and beautiful city of Athens many times but… What can you do when the main attraction is closed due to adverse weather conditions? The city has a lot to offer, and has so much history that most people would give anything to visit it.

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Walking around the city is a pleasure, and I never tire of coming back here over and over again – which I do have to do sometimes. Lucky me!  However, when I was there this time, most of the snow and bad weather cleared overnight, and the following day was beautiful and sunny. The little houses and roads around the Acropolis are very pretty, with distinctive mediterranean colours. Best of all is that you can spot the magnificent Acropolis and the Parthenon ruins from every corner of the city.

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This city has heritage of the classical era, and is represented by ancient monuments and works of art, but if you happen to be here on a wintery day, you don’t need to panic. There are plenty of indoors places to visit, and just strolling around like I did is really fun.

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What really amazes me over here, when I contemplate the ruins, is how amazing the lifestyle was of all those people from centuries ago.

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Like most major cities, graffiti is everywhere, and some of the street art I found to be quite interesting – a modern mash up with the ancient monuments.

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Athens is definitely a city of many surprises. It attracts people from all over the globe who are interested in Greek art and mythology. A city for many tastes which welcomes everybody!

25 thoughts on “Athens on Ice!”

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  2. I enjoyed Greece as well and was there in 1981 in September – very warm there when I visited. I am amazed at all the graffiti in this city that is so old and renowned for its ruins. How out of character it seems, but it was not run-of-the-mill drawings, but very creative.

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      3. I don’t know about that – I have been to many of the places you’ve been though – the bucket list items for me were the South of France, Italy, Capetown and Alaska … I do hope to get there one day. My favorite tour was the Greece/Greek Islands cruise in 1981 (a land tour of Greece, then we got on a Greek cruise ship and our ports of call were Cairo, Jerusalem, Kusadasi (Turkey) and several Greek Islands (Rhodes and Mykonos) … that was my all-time favorite trip. It was through American Express. I also did a Scandinavian and Russia trip in 1983 – Norway, Sweden, Finland, then a week in Russia (Leningrad three days and Moscow three days … one day for travel) and the last four days in Denmark. That was a superb trip through Maupintour. If you could find a trip like that, seize it – I’m guessing you may have already done those countries? I did a Panama Canal Cruise in 1982 and its ports of call were in South America and San Blas Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida. It was okay, I liked the land tours better but that was because I travelled alone – I’d rather sightsee than be laying in the sun and we had a lot of days at sea. I was not all that big on going to South Africa until my boss went last year and I saw his photos of the safari so I was more interested then. I really wish I had sought out a career that was in the travel industry … seeing the world is the best experience you can get!

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      4. I’ve been to Scandinavia before, not Russia. I was reading about South Africa and sounds nice, and also it has stunning wild life. I’ve never been in a cruise, but from what you say it sounds like a good idea. Have a great weekend!

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      5. Thanks – I liked the cruise because you only have to unpack the one time, but only if it has good ports of call. The Panama Canal cruise was nice, but I wish I had done an Alaska cruise which not only would have the exciting ports of call, but you get the chance to see nice scenery during the Alaska cruise – most of the time on the Panama Canal was just “at sea”. My boss did a guided tour of South Africa … they visited the prison for Nelson Mandela and also a small cove where there were penguins … I wouldn’t have thought that there were penguins in a warm climate. And he said it was just horribly hot the entire time. So that is all that they went to except going on the safari. I think it was four or five days and these were remote cabins in the bushes – no internet or phone. I knew this as I had the emergency number in case I needed to contact him. They went out every day in a Land Rover and had a guide for this. The Land Rover had an extended back so they sat in the back portion -it was like a wagon. He/wife and his son went with another couple and their son. The two sons are in their mid-20s. They went the first part of January. He did get some nice photos from the safari and they were very careful to ensure their safari guests were safe. They had to take pills before they went … I can’t remember what it was for, but I’m thinking it was malaria. They also had to get some vaccines as well. I’m going to show you this link, which applies to the U.S., but I am sure it is the same vaccines/meds for all travelers to South Africa. I would be a little leery on the vaccines/meds to be honest, and I know they got insurance in case they got sick and had to be transported home. But for the safari expedition, I guess it would be a trip of a lifetime. Here is the link – enjoy your weekend as well! https://www.passporthealthusa.com/2016/04/what-vaccines-do-i-need-for-south-africa/

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      6. I would love to go to Alaska. I think would nice to drive throughout the country. It must be really pretty and cold, also a cruise could be amazing with scenery. I’m going to have a look on the vaccines, and thank you so much for all the information! Have a lovely day.

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      7. You’re so welcome – the Alaska cruise sounds wonderful, and very picturesque. I will look forward to seeing where you go in future posts. I had a long day, walking for three hours and taking pictures and then writing a post – oops, didn’t get much more done, but it was nice, despite the cold – I am enjoying this year’s snow-free Winter. We had 62 inches of snow last year.

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