People told us, in the planning stages leading up to our trip to
Greece, that we simply had to get to a Greek island for a couple days.
As we looked into it, though, the prospect of a second hotel, the ferry
ride, and a couple extra days blown in transit with all our stuff
started to look a little full for our supply teacher budget and our
school holiday timeline.
As a consolation prize, we decided to expose ourselves to the turquoise waters of the Aegean another way; we took a day trip on the metro down to the port of Piraeus; the port town that made Athens great., for some exploring and beach-walking.
On the recommendation of a travel guide near the hostel, we got off the metro one stop before the port to walk along the seaside with its cafes and shops towards the port. What they didn't mention was that this stop, beside two large sports arenas, wasn't exactly the touristy part of town. We weren't unsafe or anything, but we really felt the off-season nature of our visit.
Like any modern sea-side, the area around Piraeus is dotted with marinas and boathouses. It started to rain as we passed through and we ducked into a cafe for a coffee.
A word, actually, on Greek coffee. It was not, as they say, our cup of tea (ba dum pish!). It's kinda grainy and tastes funny. We elected to stick to instant and filter coffee after our first experience.
The further we walked, the nicer the area got. We decided to camp out on the beach for a while to rest our feet, and I decided to step in the icy February waters so I could say I've stepped in the Mediterranean. We also enjoyed watching a small group of older Greek men, one of whom jogged a 5 metre circuit back and forth while he talked to the others.
We almost ran into a much bigger marina with some truly staggering boats, many of which appeared to be British-owned.
As the day was winding up and we still had no idea how to get home, we asked newsagents to point us to the port, and we cut through the streets to the water on the other side of the peninsula.
Piraeus is the major port of Athens. In its heyday in the Golden Age, it was walled in and connected to Athens by long, guarded walls, rendering the city effectively siege-proof. Now, it's a major stoping point not only for the dozens of ferries to Greece's islands, but major Mediterranean cruise liners and lots of commercial shipping, too.
Greek letters quiz: this boat is called "Poseidon Ellas" or "Greek Poseidon (the god of the seas)".
Eventually we found our way to the Metro and made our way back to Athens before nightfall. It wasn't much of a Greek sea-side experience, but I think it was pretty good for about 2.50 euros each.
As a consolation prize, we decided to expose ourselves to the turquoise waters of the Aegean another way; we took a day trip on the metro down to the port of Piraeus; the port town that made Athens great., for some exploring and beach-walking.
On the recommendation of a travel guide near the hostel, we got off the metro one stop before the port to walk along the seaside with its cafes and shops towards the port. What they didn't mention was that this stop, beside two large sports arenas, wasn't exactly the touristy part of town. We weren't unsafe or anything, but we really felt the off-season nature of our visit.
Like any modern sea-side, the area around Piraeus is dotted with marinas and boathouses. It started to rain as we passed through and we ducked into a cafe for a coffee.
A word, actually, on Greek coffee. It was not, as they say, our cup of tea (ba dum pish!). It's kinda grainy and tastes funny. We elected to stick to instant and filter coffee after our first experience.
We almost ran into a much bigger marina with some truly staggering boats, many of which appeared to be British-owned.
As the day was winding up and we still had no idea how to get home, we asked newsagents to point us to the port, and we cut through the streets to the water on the other side of the peninsula.
Piraeus is the major port of Athens. In its heyday in the Golden Age, it was walled in and connected to Athens by long, guarded walls, rendering the city effectively siege-proof. Now, it's a major stoping point not only for the dozens of ferries to Greece's islands, but major Mediterranean cruise liners and lots of commercial shipping, too.
Eventually we found our way to the Metro and made our way back to Athens before nightfall. It wasn't much of a Greek sea-side experience, but I think it was pretty good for about 2.50 euros each.
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