day 4 ahhhhhhhhhhhhh......... what a glorius day it is when you get up in Greece next to the ocean! Angie says it was the subtle laps of the Saronic Sea that gently lulled us into that celestial slumber. I say it was the annoying crashing of those damn waves that kept me up most of the night! After a cup of coffee it was off to Ancient Epidavrous Theatre. Its a small amphitheatre set in the side of Mt. Arahneo. As we walked around the ruins of the temple of Asclepius and the Stadium we watched as small teams of excavators methodically unearthed their countrys hidden treasures. A short drive later we were climbing the steps of the 3rd century theatre that is said to be some of the best preserved and renowned for its amazing acoustics.Angie dropped a coin in the centre of the limestone theatre where it could be heard from my top row seat! Its a lot bigger than the sanctuary. This puppy holds 14,000 people. During the Hellenic festival one can enjoy many performances but as we found out most of them are scheduled during summer months. The museum was kool. Numerous marble statues stare you down as you make your way through the single corridor. Great stone carvers, these greeks! While walking back to the car I just happened to glance down and notice a 50 euro bill staring back at me. After asking around if anyone owned it we were satisfied that it was put there by the Greek Gods and only meant for us. At about 2 o'clock we headed back to our campground for a little r&r. A nice swim in the sea was refreshing.Washed out a few clothes and went downtown Epidavrous to buy Baklava and Boughatsa. The lady at the bakery was nice enough to write the name and receipe for this traditional phyllo and custard pastry. The town of Epidavrous was scenic but pricey. Hung out by the pier watching fishermen come in with their daily catch,shared some honey- soaked baklava and gazed out to the sunset both thinking the same,that we could'nt believe where we were. Day 5............. on the road for 8.30, taking E94 up the coast to Korinthos and then on to Athena. This was definetly a "hustle and bustle" environment from the peace and tranquiliy we had just left. Found Camping Athens after a few quick directions and set up under a huge shaded olive tree.Driving time was about 4 hours but with stops it was 7 hours later that we set up the tent.This was a day that we decided not to do much but chill and rest up for an action packed experience in the city tomorrow.Athens Camping,198 LEOF. Athinon.Day 6................. Athens is huge!! Traffic was heavy so taking the bus and subway to the Parthenon was a wise thing to do. 20 minutes to the Acropolis without the hassle of traffic or parking........priceless! The Parthenon, perched on top of the Acropolis, is the largest Doric temple in Greece. Pentelic marble was used to construct this world renowned monument but this marble becomes very slippery as your making your way up the side of the Acropolis. We were informed that on rainy days it becomes deadly and slicker than a skating rink. Took some crazy nice pics. The Erechtheion was well preserved with all six Caryatids in perfect condition. The Parthenon itself was off limits to human traffic. {much to my surprise as I remember exploring the area within the gigantic columns during my first visit here 30 years ago!}12 euro each gets you in and includes Hadrians Library,Ancient Agora,Theare of Dionysos so see the Parthenon first and use that ticket to explore the others. The Parthenon only took nine years to complete. It was dedicated to the worship of Athena. The Theatre of Dionysos was partially destroyed but still visible. The Herodian theatre was empty but we imagined performers like the late Luciano Pavarotti and the 3 tenors belting out some classical masterpiece. We hooked up with a guide at the Stoa of Eumenes. He gave us an explanation of what we were looking at. Free tour guide.......sweet! We're riding the transit system for free but don't get caught, you'll pay a hefty fine. We stopped for lamb souvlaki. {excellent, every place makes it a little different} After about 12 hours of walking and checking out ruins,Monastirki,Plaka and Omonium Square we jumped on a subway and bus and headed back, but not before we made one more crucial stop at a bakery for more baklava and walnut cake with honey. My pants dont fit anymore. Were gonna catch a few zzzzzzzz's now. Big day tomorrow.
