Athens, Greece
Shore Excursion and Port Reviews

efschlenk

From the ship, walk counterclockwise along the harbor for about 20 minutes to the northeast corner of the harbor. The subway line is actually in a railway station building – ask locals for directions or use the port map provided by Celebrity. If gates are open, one can avoid traffic by staying on the waterfront itself.

A 24 hour unlimited use (metro and bus) pass for Piraeus/Athens costs 3 Euros and is a godsend -- just remember to ask for a metro map when you buy the ticket and take along a copy of an Athens map (did you do your homework?) which includes metro station locations. The metro is by far the best way to get around this traffic-clogged city.

The high point, literally and figuratively, of Athens is the Acropolis, which is best seen early or late in the day. To get to the Akropoli metro station from Piraeus you will have to go to Omonia, change metro lines, and double back a few stations. From the Akropoli station there is a pedestrian street which circles the Acropolis and will take you to the now gentrified Thissio district (if the Thissio station is open, this is an alternate approach to the Acropolis), the Monastiraki area, and back through the Plaka area.

The second must-see in Athens is the National Museum, which was has been closed for the last few years and should re-open in time for the Olympics. This is where you will see art collected from around the nation, including frescoes, ceramics, and gold treasures. The Victoria metro station, which is several blocks from the museum, was also closed for renovation when we were there.

An alternative to the National Museum is the Benaki Museum, a private collection (6 Euros) covering Greek art, culture, and costumes from the stone age through the last century. The Benaki museum is located several blocks behind the parliament building (Syntagma Square metro) at the northeast corner of the central park (which is a nice respite from the city in its own right). If you exit the museum about 10 minutes before the hour, you can walk behind the Greek soldiers (in white pleated skirts, tights, and tasseled clogs) who march along the sidewalk north of the park on their way to the changing of the guard (at the top of each hour) at Syntagma Square. The army makes sure that soldiers who wear that outfit are the tallest, least feminine, and most photogenic of their troops (while on guard between ceremonies they are happy to pose for photos with tourists, although they cannot move).

If you are curious, you can take the metro to the Olympic site (Irini metro station) north of the city. The station and site were still a construction zone during our visit, but public access should be available after the games. There is and interesting view of the stadiums from the metro platform, but that is as close as you will get for the moment.

A nice way to finish the day is to return to the Acropolis area and revisit it without crowds (access to the site and its small but interesting subterranean museum was free on the Sunday we were there). Restrooms, by the way, are located just outside the site entrance and also just outside the museum. Better yet, walk part way up the hill south of the Acropolis for a magnificent view back onto the site. Paved and gravel trails leave from the small park near the restaurant and taxi stand. Just meander upward (15-20 minutes) and turn around when you reach a clearing. Allow at least an hour (metro and Piraeus harbor walk) to get back to the ship.

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