Greece - Athens

We left our sweet hotel in Nafplio smoothly, navigating the roads back to the Port without problem, meeting the rental car guy within 2 minutes of arriving, being dropped off at the metro station quickly.  We were just enjoying the glow of traveling done well and having a long half-day of Athens enjoyment ahead of us when we remembered we'd left Luke's laptop in the drawer of the hotel...  We considered various options for retrieving it and, thanks to a very kind hotel manager, she helped us work it out.  A few hours into our Athens time, Luke picked up the laptop from the bus station where it had arrived after being packaged and sent on a bus.  Crazy system, but it worked and we were so thankful to not loose hours and hours to getting the laptop!

Once we had a laptop plan, we were able to enjoy some good food and a trip to the Acropolis and Mars Hill.  The hike up was steep and hot, but it was amazing to be climbing a hill traversed by people for 1000's of years, hiking up to these very same temples.

The Parthanon was breathtaking.

Theater of Dionysus - 

A bit of restoration happening at the Acropolis - 

Again, the stones were slick having been rubbed by people for centuries, coming here to worship, pray, seek the gods' favor.  Incredible architecture and the whole place is heavy with layers of history.

Erechthion Temple with the "Porch of Maidens".

  

A highlight for me was standing on Mars Hill.  Before climbing up, we read Acts 17.  After witnessing the extreme efforts put into building and pursuing and appeasing these many gods, it was incredible to think of Paul preaching to the Athenians right there on that hill.  He could also see that these people were looking for help - for fulfillment - for truth.  "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious....The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands, as if he needed anything.  Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  For in him we live and move and have our being."   

 Paul's speech, displayed at Mars Hill.

We were glad to have soaked up the Acropolis and we made our way back to the hotel to clean up and head to dinner.  We ate in this cute street before wandering around, getting ice cream, and watching some street performers before bed.  

Our last day in Greece was planned with a visit to the Agora.  We left early in the morning to stop for coffee and a chocolate croissant before being the first to arrive at the Agora - the marketplace in the shadow of the Acropolis.  Amazing to cruise the streets where Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato taught and discussed, where democracy was born, where daily life happened in Athens - 

We let Rick Steves give us our tour - 

The afternoon was full of another great meal and shopping.  We found worry beads for the kids, scarves, gifts, and my sweet souvenir - a handcrafted gold necklace from a famous jeweler in the Plaka - he designed the Olympic medals a few years back, so he was good enough for us.  And, all o his jewelry was museum replicas.  So neat!

The last item on our must-do bucket list was the National Archeological Museum.  We expected a quick-ish walk from the hotel, but it ended up being much farther - and much wetter - than we expected.  We encountered pouring rain en route, but we got to stop in to the meat market and a coffee-roasting coffee shop - 

We made it to the museum with tired legs and backs, but it was a really neat finale to the trip as it put things into historical order for us from the Myceneans through Caesar Agustus.  I was pretty excited to see my "necklace flower" on a few ancient pieces!

Mask of Agamemnon - 

Mycenean bull - with "my" flower!

We soaked up the museum - without many pictures - and made our way back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.  We tried to find the "perfect" finale meal - knowing that it would be hard to have a meal that stood apart from the rest.  We embarked on a journey to a restaurant with especially great reviews, which was closed, and ended up taking our tired legs to a restaurant in the Plaka.  It was a solid, delicious final meal.  We delighted in our final night in Greece together and headed home for a short night of sleep before my early morning flight home. 

Our week could not have been more wonderful.  The full break from all responsibilities was amazing.  It was so sweet to enjoy every aspect of this vacation with each other.  We spent more time holding hands than we have in years.  Our hands are usually full of precious kiddo hands!  We were so happy to remember that, in addition to loving and being totally committed to each other, we really like each other and like doing life together.  We enjoyed each other as much as we enjoyed Greece and ended our trip full of love, thanksgiving, and joy.