Greece has been on my bucket list for years, so we booked a Viking Ocean cruise from Athens to Venice this spring. We spent 5 days in the Hilton Athens, then 10 days on a cruise ship from Athens to Venice.
First Dinner in Athens
By the time we landed in Athens in late afternoon (after nearly 24 hours of travel) we were so famished that we went straight to the hotel’s dining room—even before going to our hotel room. Imagine my delight when the waiter brought me gluten-free bread (baked in-house) and seemed extremely well-versed in the gluten-free items on the menu.
GF Bread at Hilton Athens
It helped that he brought us free champagne to celebrate our first-time visit to Athens! That dinner turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip. And, the scenic view from our hotel window was the Acropolis, off in the distance. What a terrific way to start the trip!
Greek Salad at Hilton Athens
This meal featured a Greek Salad, which was different from our Americanized version. The biggest difference was the feta cheese. Notice how soft it is in the photo, less firm than our American versions. It is also less salty. The salad often includes green beans and this one also featured cooked quinoa. It was delicious!
Visiting Greek Ruins
Our sightseeing started off immediately the next morning—no time to sleep in. After a fabulous breakfast buffet (featuring a gluten-free bread section), busses took us to the Mycenaean ruins north of Athens. That part of Greece is mountainous, volcanic, and arid so that’s why there are lots of olive trees—that’s all that can grow there.
Day Two in Athens was unplanned, so we did what we often do in new cities: we boarded a Hop On/Hop Off bus which circulated on a continuous route of scenic destinations. As the name implies, you can get off the bus at any stop you like and reboard when the next bus (usually in 20-30 minutes) appears. It is an inexpensive way to get an overview of a foreign city before deciding which points-of-interest you want to explore in depth. We have used this system all over the world (Rome, Barcelona, London, Bergen, Norway, etc.) and it works well for us.
Day Three was a day-long trip to Delphi, which was once regarded as the center of the world and the location of the Oracle of Apollo where all the wisdom was. All that’s left now are the ruins, which are really just columns of rock or marble.
Parthenon on Acropolis
Day Four proved to be the most physically-challenging of all. We climbed 80 steps to the top of the Acropolis, which is like a citadel or fortress built on a limestone hill that provides protection if invaded. The Acropolis, which is illuminated at night, is the hill itself while the Parthenon is one of the (most famous) structures built on it.
Thankfully, our hike was during broad daylight, but I realized one amazing thing: the shoes of millions of visitors have polished the steps to a smooth, yet dangerous sheen…..making them slippery and downright dangerous when wet. So, I was constantly watching where I stepped so I wouldn’t slip and fall. Notice the crane in the background: most of the Greek ruins are in need of constant repair because they are so old.
Acropolis from below
But once we were on top of the Acropolis the view was spectacular. I tried to imagine the Greeks who lived in Athens centuries ago and how they would retreat to this highest point if they were attacked. What a primitive way to live! How did they make sure they had enough food to weather a siege? What about sleeping arrangements? Disposing of waste? Clearly, I’m too urbanized!
Serendipity in Athens
One day, we decided to abandon our guided tour and strike out on our own. We were hungry in downtown Athens, and found a small little cafe which turned out to be fantastic. We made a meal of olives, dolmades, and lots of prosciutto. The staff appeared to understand my gluten-free needs and we declared this meal a success.
Olives
Prosciutto in Athens
Dining Onboard the Viking Star
Later that day, we boarded our ship, the Viking Star. This was our 3rd time on the same ship, so it felt like returning home. The first thing I did upon entering the World Café was let the Head Waiter know my gluten-free needs. I was delighted to see GF signs on the buffet items.
GF Sign in World Cafe
One of my favorites is the Seafood Buffet.
Seafood Buffet
Gluten-Free Bread on the Viking Star
I was served served several kinds of gluten-free bread on the Viking Star, depending on which restaurant I was in. Here are some photos:
GF Bread loaf on Viking Star
GF Bread slice on Viking Star 2018
GF Hamburger on Viking Star 2018
Head Waiter Boban on Viking Star
My favorite head waiter, Boban, took care of my gluten-free needs and he was a delight to work with.
After 4 days of jam-packed sight-seeing in Athens, we slept in on Day 5 and took an afternoon tour to Cape Sounion, which lies at the southernmost point of the Attica peninsula. After the hectic pace of the city, it was nice to get out in the country. The Temple of Poseidon is located here.
Temple of Poseidon
Larry and Carol at Cape Sounion
Throughout the trip, I was amazed to see how many of our “English” words actually have roots in the Greek language. The Greek alphabet was difficult for us to read, so road signs were confusing. It’s the same alphabet used for the names of Greek sororities and fraternities on college campuses, but try reading those alphabet letters on a street sign!!!
Olives Dominate Greece
One day we toured an Olive Museum, where we learned that olives were the backbone of Greece. In most areas, the soil is too poor to grow much else than olive trees. The Greeks used olives and their oil for cooking, skin treatment, religious ceremonies, and then they burned the leftover pits and pulp for heat. The photo shows an ancient, very crude olive oil press which is how they manually extracted the oil from the olive fruit.
Olive oil press
Greece’s Economy
You might be wondering about the economy? Greece is certainly is having economic problems, but our visit was unmarred by any strife. We did notice a lot of unsightly graffiti on buildings in Athens and our guides told us that young people use graffiti to express their discontent with the Greece economics and its likely impact on their future. One guide said the young people are disgruntled that their old-age pensions might be affected. But, in general, we found the Greeks to be very welcoming and kind.
Our cruise ended in Venice, visiting Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia along the way. In all, it was a fantastic trip and I was able to “cross Greece off my bucket list.”
