Day 18: Tuesday 25th October 2022

Start: Delphi, Greece (Currency: Euro)

Finish: Athens, Greece (Currency: Euro)

Temperature: 19 degrees departing Delphi,

 Welcome back my literary friends!

Today is the last ‘travel’ day of the tour, with tomorrow being our ‘departure’ day from Athens. We were up for breakfast at 7am and departing by 8am. Without warning, about two minutes down the road we jumped from the bus for the ‘morning’ tour of the Delphi Ruins. We spent three hours walking around the ruins and museum with our local guide. It was fascinating to see the ruins in the same place as they were carved and built (given that some historical places in Egypt have been moved over time!)

Inside the museum we took in further details of the history of Delphi and the significance of the ancient city in the region.

A few hours later we came to a stop for lunch at one of the best roadhouses we’ve seen on tour. It was pretty obvious that Panos had done his research as almost every stop we’ve had with him has been great. We ate the ‘Greek’ equivalent of McDonalds, Goody’s Burger House. I ordered chicken bao buns which were a great snack/lunch option. Bathrooms were clean and we had ample space to spread out.

About 45 minutes later we rolled into Athens, and as promised by Panos, the Acropolis could be seen perched high on the cliff face from almost every angle of the city. It was also chaotic, given that almost 5 million people live in the city, and this weekend everyone is arriving in town for Friday’s National day of celebration which is a public holiday.

We arrived at the Arion hotel and settled in for a few hours to get washed up before our final dinner together. Although it isn’t included or required, everyone wanted to come out together to celebrate our final night. For five of us, it signified day 18 of our 19 day trip together. Panos took us to one of his favourite local restaurants with a beautiful view of the acropolis at night, Attalos, which sits on the edge of the ruins of the Temple of Hephaestus. We ate everything from rooster to moussaka and veal. It was our final dinner together as a group and I have to say a very enjoyable one. By this time together, everyone begins to feel like family, and I was incredibly blessed with the family I had on this trip.

Tips:
Accommodation: Arion Hotel, Athens, Greece