Thursday 3-20-2025
Today was our final day of the Greece land tour and thankfully the last four hour charter bus ride. Everything we have seen has been too beautiful and impressive to describe with words. A huge thanks to our wonderful tour guide, Jenny, for sharing her knowledge and time with us. She has made this trip ten times better. We have learned so much and made countless memories while seeing what feels like two hundred different things.
So, here we go…
Our morning started off with another 6:30 wake-up call and hotel breakfast before getting on our charter bus to the Acropolis of Mycenae. This was one of my favorite routes yet because we drove along several coast lines and cute port towns. We eventually made it to my favorite port town called, Nafplio. This city was the first capital of Greece and now it serves as a great weekend getaway for Athenians. I had the opportunity to sit and enjoy a cup of Greek coffee while looking out over the crystal blue water. Easy to say, this maybe the best view for a cup of coffee I have ever had.
Along the two hour drive to Mycenae, Jenny shared with us some good information about Mycenae. It was constructed about 1000 years before the Acropolis in Athens, making it the oldest settlement in Greece. The main inhabitants of this regions were obviously called the “Mycenaeans.” Their region inspired Greek literature from the Bronze Age like with Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
Once we arrived at the site, our first stop was the Beehive tomb of Myceanaen King Atreus. He was the father of Agamemnon who commanded the Achaeans during the Trojan war. They actually constructed it the shape of a beehive using different sized blocks and small triangles, giving it the strength to withstand earthquakes. Something even more interesting is the fact that it is the largest quarried stone found to this date. When they first began searching to find it, it was discovered to have been raided and left empty.
Next we climbed to the palace of Mycenae. Even though it was a bit of a walk to the top, the views were SO worth it. You could see for milles and miles covering the valley, mountains, and Saronic Gulf. We took some time to take photos and take in the view before heading back down to the bus.
It was finally time for lunch after our tour, so we headed to a Greek cafe to get some food. My food was pretty good and we had a nice view of the city below from the patio. They even served us fresh oranges for dessert! After using the “W.C.” (Bathroom) as they call it in Greece, we were in route back to Athens for the night.
After checking into our hotel, The Stanley, it was time for another adventure in the city. So, one of my friends, her mom, and my mom went to a place called Fillapappou Hill to catch a stunning view of the sunset over Athens. This has been one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. It was so nice to just sit and enjoy God’s creation in good company.
Once it got dark, we walked to an area called Monastiraki Square to catch a taste of Greek culture. On the way there we passed by the Roman Agora and Hadrian’s Library, two famous Greek architecture ruins. This square is great place to walk and shop while listening to street artist and trying unique street foods. We did just that, shopping, walking, listening, and eating even if it was just strawberries.
It definitely worked up an appetite. You may have seen pictures of the charming tables set up on the sides of the steps in Plaka. That was something we really wanted to experience, so we grabbed a table and enjoyed a warm meal while watching people stroll by.
By the time dinner was over it was about 10:30 so we hopped on the metro and headed back to the hotel for some VERY much needed rest and recovery.
It has been such a finominilal trip so far and we still have a whole cruise! There were some moments when I wondered how our tour guide and bus put up with us, but they some how made it through. Probably because they talked about us in Greek haha. While I will miss the scenic drives and our tour guide Jenny, I cannot wait to see the charming islands!
Leave a Reply