Day Minus One: New York to Athens

October 14-15, 2005. It is quite uncommon that we manage to luck out on a non-stop transatlantic (or even domestic) flight. The trip from JFK to Athens took 9 hours, and it was the proverbial flight from hell. Luisa and I shared the rear section of the aircraft with a large group of over 40 rowdy midwesterners, apparently all related. After group exercises along the aisle while the movie was playing, and conversations carried across 8 rows, we were wishing for a layover, if only to cut short the torture.

After checking in at the Ledra Marriot in Athens, we took a taxi to the city's main plaza, Syntagma (which stands for "Constitution") Square. The afternoon was long, leisurely walk along the Ermu, the Athenian equivalent of Barcelona's "La Rambla," starting across from the Greek Parliament. It is lined by small shops selling trinkets, jewelry, and leather goods, amid ancient ruins such as Hadrian's Library.


A friendly shopowner pointed us in the direction of Hermion, an elegant Greek restaurant where patrons dine under a canopy, while gas heaters drive away the early evening chill. A sumptuous meal of tzatsiki, moussaka, veal and lamb, all washed down with the local Alpha beer concluded the first day of our vacation. Tomorrow, the cruise to the Black Sea begins.