Adriatic Trip Day 11: Acropolis

Friday, June 20, 2025

Our tour took us to the Acropolis today, so we got a relatively early start, both because it was going to be a hot day and to avoid the crowds. Our bus took us to the parking area at the base of the Acropolis, so we had to do some climbing. I’m not sure if we beat the crowds — it was quite crowded, particularly entering and leaving the site.

Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of scaffolding on the Parthenon, but restoration and preservation work at the site probably never stops. We had enough time to explore the area and take a few pictures, but it was getting hot quickly. We got the group together and headed back for our bus.

Our next stop was for lunch, which we would have to make ourselves. The tour included a short Greek cooking class, where we made (or at least participated in making) stuffed peppers, Greek salad, and tiropita (phyllo triangles with a cheese and egg filling). This was organized as a competition between two teams, and we took the competition seriously. Jan was our leader, and we won, so she got the prize: a chef’s hat signed by our instructor.

The afternoon took us to more Athens sights, including the Panathenian Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympic Games were first held in 1896. The bus dropped us off at the Plaka, Athens’ historic old marketplace, where we were led on a walking tour before heading back to the hotel. It was a rather hot afternoon, and we were thankful for the many vendors selling cold drinks.

For the evening, we were picked up by the bus again for a drive to a beachside restaurant to the south of Athens. We sat outside at a long table on the stony beach. The dinner was unremarkable, but it provided a nice opportunity to chat with some of our fellow travelers.

This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Italy, Greece, Albania, and Croatia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.