Friday, June 4th, 5:30 p.m.

We just returned from our first "sneak preview" of Athens! I have to apologize for a typo or two from the last entry...Kris and I were on an extremely tight schedule to get back down to the lobby to depart with our tour director, Dimitra. By the way, Dimitra is a WONDERFUL guide...she is friendly, holds dual citizenship in both the U.S. and Greece, and as with all Encore guides, she is extremely knowledgable about her job. She took us to the Plaka district, where we got to disembark and roam free for a couple of hours. This area of Athens is a popular haven for tourists, and many cheesy tourist shops and overpriced cafes await unsuspecting Americans, and shop owners try their darndest to get you to part with your Euros. Kris and I were a bit hungry (we had no lunch; just a small breakfast snack on the plane before landing this morning), but we are also tired, so we searched for a nice taverna that appeared more "local" than "touristy". We found a nice place that was cool and out-of-the-way, and had a nice looking menu. Because our dinner is at 7:30 (and we sat down to eat at 2:30), we wanted something light. So, Kris decided on a Greek salad, and I wanted some dolmathes (marinated grape leaves, stuffed with ground lamb and rice). But without warning, a server descended on our table with bottled water and two glasses, and poured some for us while giving his welcome. And, before we could say "no thanks, we don't want any," he returned with plates of bread, marinated olives, and olive oil, which he promptly plopped down in front of us, and disappeared. Kris and I knew we were about to be charged a pretty penny (or euro, rather) before even ordering anything. But, we figured, "what the heck, we're only here once," and partook of the fare (we noticed, however, "locals" being greeted with plain tap water and nothing else until they ordered...I guess we can't help but appear to have "IGNORANT TOURIST" stamped on our foreheads.). :-) We ordered what we had planned, and made a nice lunch out of it. And sure enough, when the bill came, it was 28 euro (about 34/35 dollars). However, we had a nice time, soaked up some atmosphere, and got to experience a little of the Plaka district and its people.
We then met the rest of the group at 4:15 next to an 11th-century Greek Orthodox church (St. Catherine's), and got a couple of pictures of some nearby Roman ruins (from emperor Hadrian's era; columns and the like...see upcoming pictures). We returned to the hotel, and Kris and I went next door to an outdoor cafe to get a good, strong Greek coffee to perk us up before dinner, which we're meeting to head to around 6:30. We also went to the rooftop pool at our hotel, where we discovered the most breathtaking view of the Acropolis (again, see the pictures); it's in plain view, and like a postcard. I'll try to figure out if I can post any pictures to this blog in the meantime between now and tomorrow.