On the High Seas

For our first full day in Athens, Greece (it was a Sunday) we decided to head out of the city to the Greek island Aegina. We took a lovely 40 minute ferry ride to get to the small island (I did not think it was small but I guess it is in comparison to other islands). It had a larger port thought with lots of lovely boat, most of which appeared to be fishing boats (you can see the attached photo).

Once off the boat we loaded onto a bus to go around the island a bit for a tour. Leaving the main strip by the water we headed to the Aphaia Temple. The Aphaia Temple was a short bus ride of 20 or so minutes up into the mountains where the Temple was located. It was a very nice ruin of a temple. What is always so entertaining is how you can just go up to these old sites and walk around them but also on them with the fallen stones and such. After spending a little time there and looking at the view and temple. After that we headed back to the harbor but stopped at one more place the Agios Nektarios Church and Agia Triada Monastery. I liked the church more than the Monastery. The Church had amazing stone work along the outside in the balcony and pillars. While inside the church it had incredible metal work constructing the chandeliers handing from the ceiling, but was I thought was really impressive was on the chairs, pulpit, really just all over the detailed carvings on the wood. It was amazing! The Monastery was nice to but confusing about what was blocked off and what was not, but something really funny was that when I went into the Monastery I needed to put on a skirt because women are not allowed to go in the Monastery if wearing “trousers or who are half naked.” Yes, that is a direct quite from the sign outside the doorway to enter the Monastery. I had never been anywhere where I needed to change my outfit to get in.

After, the Church and Monastery we headed back to the harbor for lunch. There are tons of places to eat all along the harbor with mainly fish dishes. They are all aseptically pleasing too! All the restaurants have cute little matching chairs and with pretty matching table clothes, and of course everything in warm colors that just calm you as you look out on the harbor during your lunch. After lunch you must get a gelato because who does not want to eat gelato as you walk along the beach (which is a little past the harbor).

A few tips for when you are on the island. Everything that is good is not on the main strip, most of the time it is overpriced. So a tip do not stay on the main strip go back into the little streets behind the main strip because there are tons of little shops there along with grocery stores and if you are shopping for food as gifts for family and friends back home it will be a lot cheaper and a higher quantity for what you are paying at a grocery store then at a tourist store. That is all for now post again soon!