Hello from Greece! Most of my birthday was spent traveling. But arrived in Athens and took the train to my Airbnb to be treated to a fantastic sunset view of the Acropolis from my private terrace. The Airbnb is fantastic! Large and well-equipped with beautifully original nature artwork. In a quiet, safe neighborhood with handy conscience stores and bakeries, three short metro stops from the Acropolis. Walked around the neighborhood and grabbed a souvlaki for dinner and snacks for the house before sleep.
Set my alarm to get up early. Coffee on the terrace for sunrise and headed to the Acropolis. Was there at around 7:50, a few minutes before it opened, and bought the combination ticket for 30 euros. It wasn’t too crowded and while the weather was supposed to be cloudy with rain in the afternoon, the clouds broke with sun and blue sky when I made it to the top. While I admittedly am not a huge history buff, seeing the Theatre of Dionysus and Odeon of Herodes Atticus and then walking around the Temple of Athena Nike and Parthenon was fantastic, I especially loved the Porch of the Maidens (Caryatids).
Around 10:30, the hordes of tour groups arrived at the top, so I decided to move on. In need of more coffee and a snack, I headed to Plaka and sat at a taverna for a coffee and spanakopita. I quickly had a cat jump in to my lap and curl up to join me.
Headed to the Tower of the Winds and then the Roman Agora and then spent hours wandering the Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus and museum. It is amazing to see all this ancient stuff amongst the modern surrounding city. And there for every ancient relic, there is a cat sunning or licking themselves on top of it! I wandered more neighborhoods and saw the Presidential Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Hellenic Parliament at Syntagma Square. Then wandered the National Garden and rested my feet. An older gentleman on a bench next to me headed out and told me to take his bench and enjoy the sunshine, which I did.
Found an Easter Art Market and bought tried several kinds of local cheese and smoked meats. Bought some of the smoked meat and olives for home and travel snacks before heading to what remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. 
Walked past Hadrian’s Arch and wandered the colorful little area of Anafiotika at the base of the Acropolis Hill. Went to Hadrian’s Library before the clouds got ominous and rain started to fall. Perfect timing as my feet were exhausted after about ten hours of walking close to 11 miles. Jumped on the very busy metro at Monstriki to head back to my Airbnb. Of course, I stopped by a local bakery for delicious baked goods and more spanakopita chock full of spinach and fresh feta. The rain stopped and I sat on the couches of my terrace, enjoying my picked up food goodies and some mountain herb tea from the well stocked kitchen.
The next day in Athens was my neighborhood day. I woke up and did quick laundry as there was no rain in the forecast for the day and my place to hang clothes on the terrace. Then I walked from my place to the Pangrati neighborhood. 
Looked for graffiti art and then wandered through the weekly Farmers Market, killing time before the opening of an art museum I wanted to check out. The Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation art museum is small but fabulous personal collection with many of my favorites: Gauguin, Monet, Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Botero, and Anselm Kiefer. And my favorites, a Degas statue of Little Dance Age Fourteen and Van Gogh’s Olive Picking. The museum design and lightening is fantastic and you can really see the pieces up close and some even seem to glow. I enjoyed every piece, so I must have similar taste as the now passed art owners. There was also a great movie that had lots of interesting information about some of the featured pieces and artists.
Then I wandered over to the Panatheniac Olympics Stadium but didn’t pay to go in. 
Then wandered back through some areas I was yesterday to visit the Varvikious Market. Meat Hall, seafood. Taverna Aris. Grilled feta and lamb chops. Music. Psiri for more graffiti murals before winding back through neighborhoods I saw yesterday, playing with cats and waving or saying hello to people I met along the way and enjoyed to head back to the metro stop closer to my place where I wouldn’t have to switch lines.
I think two days in Athens was just perfect for me. And I lucked out with nice weather, although it is chilly at night and in the early mornings. I had hoped for better sunsets over the Acropolis and a photo of the full moon near the Acropolis, but no dice.
Saturday morning, I woke up early to check out and head to the train station for a four hour ride to Kalabaka, the town near Meteora. The train ride was nice, but a bit full as they just started running this line a few days ago since the tragic train accident that killed 57 people, many of which were young, college aged kids. At this time, there is only one train a day. Enjoyed the views and ate my lunch I had prepared the night before of more smoked meat and olives.
Arrived in Kalambaka and stopped at the bus station to purchase my ticket to leave later the next day. Walked from Kalambaka to my guesthouse in a village called Kastriki at the base of the Meteora rocks. 
The guesthouse is above a wonderful restaurant and my room has a view of the rocks. I walk a little, enjoying the surprise sunshine, as it was suppose to be raining. I have found that the weather reports seem to change by the minute. I had booked a sunset tour, in advance. While I generally hate tours, as I have a tendency to wander off away from the group, I thought it worth it to have a ride in the private minibus up the hills. Turns out it is a full tour, so as just one, they ask me to sit in the front jump seat of the van, which has the best view.
Meteora is a UNESECO World Heritage site and is well deserving. The beautiful rock formations jut out of greenery and sitting atop of several rocks are monasteries. We wind up the mountains and see views of all the monasteries, six of which you can enter. Originally inhabited by hermit monks, there are also little caves visible that they lived in along with Ypapanti Monastery carved in to the rock, which is not open to the public. The area was bombed during WWII. We went inside of St. Stephen Monastery with a beautiful worship area of frescos, and chandeliers, as well as outdoor gardens. We also visited the Byzantine Church of the Virgin Mary in Kalambaka, which is the church of the tour guide and where he was baptized. 
The nun helping to prepare for the Sunday service was very sweet and she pinched my cheek and stroked my face on my way out. We finished the four hour tour on Sunset Rock. It wasn’t the most fabulous sunset, probably better in summer, but the rain held out until right at sunset when it got cold and windy and started drizzling. The tour dropped me back off at my guesthouse, where I had a fantastic supper of moussaka in front of the fireplace to warm up. The owner brought me a little surprise dessert and it was all really delicious.
The next morning, I get up early and head out of the village on a trail that leads up to the Great Meteoron Monastery. Cloudy and a little drizzle, but the trail leads through forest that keeps me pretty dry. It is such a peaceful walk, full of greenery, small streams and wildflowers. Not sure if it was because it is Sunday or Easter morning, but I can hear the faint sound of what is likely the monks singing and chanting, mixed in with the sound of the birds and rain falling from the rocks. The trail winds up the hill and takes me to the bottom of the monastery. The guide had explained yesterday that each monastery usually has over a hundred stairs that lead down and then up to a narrow entry through the rock. 
This gave them protection to see who was coming and the narrow, low entry gave an opportunity to keep unwanted people out. I am the first one there but the crowds of big tour buses arrive just before the opening at 9:30am. I take quick look around, but get claustrophobic with all the people. Can’t imagine what t is like at high season! The monastery has An old kitchen, religious history and war history museums, as well as a beautiful worship area (no pictures allowed inside, so you will have to take my word for how beautiful it was).
Checkout is at 11am, so I have to head back to the guesthouse. Make my way back to the trail and part of the way in the forest is an orange cat, just sitting there. 
He sees me and runs over to me, jumping in my lap as I kneel down to pet him. He becomes my hiking buddy, following me step for step, sometimes running ahead on the trail to sniff out a plant, but turning around to meow at me as if to tell me to hurry up, or following behind and crying for me to wait up for him. He occasionally needs me to stop so he can jump in my lap for pets and purring. He stays with me almost back to the village, where a group of hikers pass me. I sadly part with my hiking buddy and tell them to take good care of him as he follows them back up the trail. I return to my guesthouse and enjoy a coffee with some delicious breakfast pastries they bring me at the restaurant, which is full of families after church. After checkout, I have lunch and head to the bus terminal for my bus.
The bus ride heads first to Trikala, with a bus change to Patra. It was an easy transfer and the bus isn’t too full so I can stretch out in both seats. The ride to Patra is about five and a half hours, but an enjoyable ride. We wind up and down curvy mountain roads of I think the Pindus mountain range, listening to Greek music. The scenery of agricultural areas with lots of bee boxes for local honey and the occasional cow grazing by the side of the road then leads through mining areas and smaller towns. Nearer to Patra, the route runs leaves the mountains and heads along the sea. Intermittent drizzle and sun has a rainbow appear and we cross a huge Rio-Antirrio bridge, one of the world’s longest fully suspended bridges that links mainland Greece to the Peloponnese Peninsula heading to Patras. I checked in to my hotel, located a few minutes walk from the bus terminal in the center of the city.
This morning, I had every intention of sleeping in, since I have not slept later than 6am with so many things to do and see. But my curiosity gets the better of me and I get up around 7 and then shower and grab coffee and decide to check out Patra. It actually seems like a really nice, liveable city. Wandered the waterfront and stumbled on the Cathedral of St. Andrew. Headed through neighborhoods before heading back for checkout and to head to the ferry to Kefalonia. 
Was a bit frustrated as it is really unclear where the boat leaves from and there are several ports. I knew from internet research that it was not the south port that is listed on the ticket and website. Frustratingly, it was also not the other ferry terminal I walked to. This seems like a good time to say that although I had heard a lot about Greek hospitality and that most people speak English, that has not been my experience thus far. Finally find a taxi driver that speaks a little English that took pity on me and drove me to the ferry, which was about 800 feet from my hotel in the other direction than where I walked (which would have been helpful of the hotel staff if he had told me, instead of just waving randomly and telling me it was close). Thankfully, made my ferry departure and currently en route to Sami, Kefalonia. They had predicted stormy weather, but so far it is still sunny, albeit a bit chilly. And so begins my first Greek island adventure! Stay tuned for more later :)
Love,
Betsy
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