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own again and with a long walk back to the ship ahead of us we stopped at one of the many ice cream shops in the old town just like the byzantines in ancient times we needed fortification only ours was of the delicious kind joining jo for monday walks this entry was posted on april 10 2026 in buildings cities cruises history people travel walking and tagged goin cruising mondaywalk corfu greece travel photography unesco world heritage site 29 comments the best view in athens mar 19 in november 2025 we embarked on a 14 day voyage around the adriatic sea on board ms nieuw statendam with visits to greece montenegro slovenia croatia and italy with the cruise bookended by a week in athens beforehand and another week in rome at the end we spent a month immersed in ancient history and antiquities paired with spectacular scenery and encounters with welcoming people come along with us as we journey back to the time of the ancients piraeus greece we had one objective on our last day in piraeus to walk up the kastella hill to the holy church of profitis elias from the bottom of the hill the road up looked quite daunting but we were in no hurry i was so busy enjoying my surroundings i forgot to take a photo at the start and from half way up it doesn t look as strenuous as it felt at the time at one point we stopped at a junction to study the map which showed two alternate routes suddenly we heard a voice calling to us from above a kind lady had spotted us from her little balcony are you going up to the church she asked when we said yes she replied go up the steps the road is longer and steeper so we did up up and up some more until we were way above the city she was right we went back down via the road and it was steep after a long and tiring walk we finally reached our goal the holy church of profitis elias like other churches in greece dedicated to profitis elias known in the bible as the prophet elijah this one is located right at the top of the hill 90 metres above sea level this modern greek orthodox church replaced an older building damaged in the 1980 earthquake we were lucky to arrive when we did a few minutes later and we would have missed out and i would have been very disappointed after that long uphill walk the priest was farewelling a small family group and wasn t quick enough to fend us off as we slipped inside he was very obviously displeased but we feigned ignorance and were glad we did the interior was absolutely beautiful after a few minutes impatience got the better of him and he ushered us out firmly locking the door behind us perhaps it was his lunch time after our hasty departure we continued on following the road around to a view point we caught our breath for the third time that day not from walking up another hill nor being evicted from another church the panorama from up there was amazing we could see far out over the saronic gulf and all the way across athens to the mountain ranges of penteli parnitha and hymettus many of the apartment buildings directly in front of us had roof top terraces and i wondered how often the residents spent time up there and i was intriqued by this unique front door at the top of the lookout platform it would have been fun to see inside while the people who live in these elevated buildings have marvellous views the award for the best view in athens surely goes to these cats perched on the ridge of a red tiled roof just look at their amazing vista joining jo for monday walks this entry was posted on march 19 2026 in buildings cities history people travel walking and tagged mondaywalk greece piraeus travel photography 31 comments a memorable day trip part two mar 14 in november 2025 we embarked on a 14 day voyage around the adriatic sea on board ms nieuw statendam with visits to greece montenegro slovenia croatia and italy with the cruise bookended by a week in athens beforehand and another week in rome at the end we spent a month immersed in ancient history and antiquities paired with spectacular scenery and encounters with welcoming people come along with us as we journey back to the time of the ancients aegina greece when we visit historic sites we often feel like time travellers privileged to be given a glimpse into the lives of those from the past at the the archaeological site of kolona we saw homes built further back in time than we ever have before people have lived in this area since late neolithic times archaelogical excavations have revealed houses from that first settlement dated as far back as the 4th millenium bc in the 6 000 years since those earliest inhabitants subsequent communities simply erected new buildings on top of the old it was incredible to think we were walking in the footsteps of peoples from prehistory all the way through the time of the byzantine and roman empires up to the end of the first millenium ad we first saw kolona from the ferry as we sailed into aegina town after exploring in town and enjoying our delicious lunch on the seafront we walked back towards the ferry terminal and continued along the coast road to the heritage listed site wide sandy pathways led us around the excavations and then up a stairway to the top of the ancient acropolis as we wandered we passed in and out of different eras of habitation in just a few steps we saw the remains of neolithic homes hellenic temples bronze age fortifications and roman walls and cisterns on the hill which was once the acropolis of aegina we came to the single doric column we d seen from the ferry all that remains of the original 17 columns of the 6th century bc temple of apollo legend tells that venetian sailors gave the hill the name kolona meaning column because they used the columns of the temple as a navigation guide it occurred to me that those earliest residents chose well when they settled on the slopes of this hill imagine having these spectacular views across the waters of the saronic gulf to the peloponnese on your neolithic doorstep the site is also home to the archaeological museum of aegina founded by ioannis kapodistrias in 1828 the museum was the first of its type in the modern greek state three galleries house a collection of artefacts from the neolithic to the roman periods most discovered here during excavations eventually we left antiquity behind and returned to the present day retracing our steps back to town while waiting for the ferry we sat enjoying the harbour views and reflecting on the amazing history of this little island as we sailed away though our thoughts were diverted by the stunning scenery late in the afternoon the sun cast a glistening silver trail across the water by the time we arrived back in the harbour at piraeus silver had turned to gold what a fabulous day laughs with the locals fantastic food with free entertainment and a journey back to neolithic times definitely one to remember joining jo for monday walks and jude with a harbourside bench this entry was posted on march 14 2026 in buildings history people travel walking and tagged mondaywalk aegina archaeology greece museums travel photography 22 comments a memorable day trip part one mar 8 in november 2025 we embarked on a 14 day voyage around the adriatic sea on board ms nieuw statendam with visits to greece montenegro slovenia croatia and italy with the cruise bookended by a week in athens beforehand and another week in rome at the end we spent a month immersed in ancient history and antiquities paired with spectacular scenery and encounters with welcoming people come along with us as we journey back to the time of the ancients aegina greece we couldn t be in piraeus and not take advantage of the opportunity to visit a greek island with a sunny day forecast we boarded a ferry for aegina at just 16 5 nautical miles off the coast it s the closest of the saronic islands we found shaded seats on the outside deck for the one hour journey across the saronic gulf watching first as piraeus disappeared and then aegina came into view we didn t know then we were going to have some fantastic food fun encounters and a first time experience all in one amazing day aegina holds an important place in the history of the modern nation of greece from january 1827 to october 1829 aegina town was the capital of the newly formed country and the first governor of the greek state ioannis kapodistrias had his official residence here today half of the 12 000 inhabitants on the island live in the little town which lies nestled between the mountains and the busy harbour we walked all the way around the harbour strolling along leof dimokratias till we came to the large basilica we d seen from the ferry the panagitsa of aegina church of the presentation of the virgin was built in 1906 and is dedicated to the virgin mary as protector of the sea as we always do when entering a church we asked the elderly lady sitting at the door if it was okay to take photos yes she said nodding and smiling at us we took her at her word capturing a couple of images of the beautiful interior with our phones suddenly she was by our side no longer smiling and wagging her finger at us just one she scolded just one leaving the church and its crochety custodian the bustling shops and restaurants and most of our fellow daytrippers behind we turned a corner into a quiet side street the sounds of the busy shopping area faded as we wandered along the cobbled laneways lined with flowering hibiscus and rambling roses an occasional motor bike passing or a cat mewing in a doorway were the only noises to disturb the silence on one of those peaceful streets we found the metropolitan church of aegina built in 1806 it was the first cathedral of the modern greek state there was no one inside this ornately decorated church to monitor our camera usage a plaque in the foyer commemorates the 1828 swearing in ceremony of ioannis kapodistrias as the nation s first governor and the first sittings of the new parliament of greece both held inside the church on another street we saw the markellos tower built in the late 17th century by the venetians and renovated in 1802 by the revolutionary hero spyridon markellos the tower also played a role during the early years of the new government first as the governor s residence and later as the location of the state treasury on our way back to the seafront we came across a haberdashery store usually i d be attracted by the colourful display of yarn but this time i had a different purchase in mind as we d sailed away from piraeus on the ferry i d discovered to my dismay that the front seam of my brand new linen pants had frayed leaving a 10 centimetre opening fortunately i was wearing a long enough t shirt to cover the gap so it wasn t a complete disaster we entered the shop to find a friendly man and his elderly mother behind the counter when i asked for thread the same colour as my pants and a packet of needles the man asked why i wanted them so i showed him he raised his hands in the air laughed and said may all your troubles be as big as this we laughed too although i was secretly worried the gap might grow larger as the day went on luckily the rest of the seam held out and that night i mended it with some very secure stitching by now it was past midday so we walked back to the main street with its myriad of cafés we enjoyed excellent chicken gyros and some unusual lunch time entertainment a horse and carriage adorned with pink roses and carrying a bride and groom stopped right on the corner while the newlyweds got out to have photos taken the driver sat and chatted with friends in the next café completely ignoring the horn tooting and shouting of indignant motorists expressing their annoyance at the blocked street they were all still there when we moved on later we returned to another café on this street where we sat once again watching the passing parade while eating vanilla and forest berry ice creams so far we d eaten delicious food and met some interesting locals remember that first time experience i mentioned you ll have to wait till the next post to read about that joining jo for monday walks this entry was posted on march 8 2026 in buildings history people travel walking and tagged mondaywalk aegina greece travel photography 37 comments a new location feb 28 in november 2025 we embarked on a 14 day voyage around the adriatic sea on board ms nieuw statendam with visits to greece montenegro slovenia croatia and italy with the cruise bookended by a week in athens beforehand and another week in rome at the end we spent a month immersed in ancient history and antiquities paired with spectacular scenery and encounters with welcoming people come along with us as we journey back to the time of the ancients piraeus greece after spending four amazing days seeing the sights of athens we farewelled our little street in plaka with its view of the acropolis and relocated to the port city of piraeus we only travelled eight kilometres and were still in the greater athens metropolitan area but the scenery changed dramatically piraeus has been the major port of athens for more than 2 500 years serving as a trading and naval base since the 5th century bc it s also the fifth largest passenger port in europe and was the departure point for our adriatic sea cruise so it made sense to come a few days early and see a different part of athens from our hotel balcony we had an interesting view of the historic railway station and the ferry terminals which service travel to the greek islands more than once during our stay we sat outside observing the busy comings and goings of people cars and ferries on our first afternoon we set off to explore our new neighbourhood and visit the archaeological museum of piraeus the museum holds a fascinating collection of sculpture and pottery dating from the bronze age to roman times all found locally we were intrigued by these beautiful bronze statues hidden away in 86 bc and not seen again until their discovery in 1959 during excavations near the harbour imagine the thrill of unexpectedly finding a treasure trove like this behind the museum lies the ancient theatre of zea built in the 2nd century bc and modelled on the theatre of dionysus in athens next to the theatre we saw an outdoor exhibit of ancient funerary urns and stelae dedicated to people who lived in piraeus long ago from the museum we walked downhill to marina zeas a pretty little harbour where luxury yachts and fishing boats sat comfortably side by side resisting the temptation of the many cafés and restaurants on the waterfront we strolled around the promenade to the piraeus sign we spent some time here enjoying the autumn sunshine and admiring the views across the water before heading back towards the city centre and our hotel along the way we finally gave into temptation first at a fabulous bakery where we bought some sweet and syrupy baklava and then at a little stall in the square in front of our hotel where glen chose some greek beer o...