2001 Greece

March 4, 2001. Monasteries - St. Stephens, women must wear skirts, no headdress necessary. A nunnery and a monastery on mountain tops. Unique stone in the area. 5 hour bus ride back to Athens. Pat gives Marlena and Constantine 5000 drachmas each, apx $20.00 Canadian. To dinner in a restuarant in the plaka (Neighbourhood: Plaka Due to its proximity to the Acropolis, Plaka remains the area where the majority of foreign visitors stay and play. Its attractive features include small squares, some notable museums and the beautiful Mitropolis cathedral, as well as a host of places to stay, eat and drink.) Very good dinner with appetitizers, salad, wine, shekabobs and backlava. Home to the Almeda Hotel on the bus. Sat with 10 people at the table.
March 5, 2001. Leisurely day. Pat contacted Renaissance Tours - Nicholas - after breakfast and good byes to people from Trafalgar. We go by taxi to our new hotel at 11:00. Room not ready so we walk and see the museum in the metro center across from our old Almeda Hotel. Lunch - sandwiches - terrible. Watched CNN last nite and people going back to Eastern U.S. have a blizzard to go back to. Our new hotel is nicer, out of the traffic. I sleep all afternoon. Pat goes over our vouchers and goes for a walk gets a paper to read. I get eyedrops earlier in the day from a pharmacy and we get money. 50000 - $200.00 apx. Out to find a place to eat at 7:00. I have octopus, Pat has mousaka and feels they are ripping us off with regard to the wine and water - $30.00 apx for the meal.