Our flights to Greece went well and were completely uneventful. Erin and Andrew dropped us off at the airport and took Buddy with them to the Crowsnest. We left Calgary in an Air Canada Boeing 777 which was only about 1/4 full and flew direct to London. Service was great, food was good, and the wine was free. Our bags were checked through to Athens so did not have to pick them up or go through customs in London.
Heathrow was very busy and our tickets did not have the gate number on them. We knew we needed to be in a different terminal so we followed the coloured lines and signs and got to the new terminal with no problem. The gate was still not posted and would not be until about 20 minutes before the flight was to load. We had a quick bite to eat, paying with euros and getting change back in pounds and undoubtable paying an outrageous exchange rate. Flight was posted, we went through a security check inside the secure area and boarded the full flight to Athens. Despite there being no empty seats aboard the flight, the crew was exceptionally courteous and friendly.
We arrived and cleared customs on time but too late to catch the last ferry to Aegina, an island outside of Athens. We took the bus through to the port of Piraeus to stay in a hotel near the ferries. Athens is an ancient city, with a population of over. 4.5 million officially. It was hit hard by the recession, lots of empty buildings everywhere, and you don’t have to go far to see the “ruins”. Near the small hotel we overnighted in, there were buildings that looked like they had not been cleaned up since the bombings of WWII.
The hotel was more modern, pretty basic with small rooms that had been updated but really just a spot to crash for the night to catch the ferry.
After a sleepless night preceded by 20 hours travel and prep, we got up and went over to the ferry. We grabbed a coffee (delicious) and some breakfast pastries along the way.
Piraeus is one of the largest ports in the Med. It has a major ferry terminal, and extensive cargo facilities. The Chinese have been investing in ports around the world modernizing them and this is no exception. Got out tickets and onto the ferry with no problem.
Aegina is a small island south of Athens that we thought would be perfect to adjust to the time changes. We chose wisely. Irides Studio Apartments is family owned and operated located n the north side of the island right by the ocean about 15 km away from the main town. “Irides” was named after the irises that grew on the land that has been owned by the family for many generations. More on Irides later....
