From Tutankhamun To Tzatziki

Modern flight never ceases to amaze that you can close your eyes on one continent and wake up 8,000km away in another world, in this case with a 6 hour layover in between in Montreal. For anyone wanting to visit Montreal in the summer note that nothing opens until 11am, I suspect this has something to do with the City’s reputation as a party town as everyone has probably been up to the wee hours the night before.  We headed to Old Montreal in search of my nephew Jayson’s first “real poutine” and we found it in Pub St Pierre (https://www.pubsaintpierre.ca/).  Excellent food and ambience, recommended to check it out if you are in old town Montreal.  

At 11am we made our way into the montreal Museum of Archaeology which is worth a visit to understand the history of the island and also take in their rotating exhibits, in this case a very well done exhibition on the history of Egypt, a culture that put at its core the need for the individual to strive to do as many good deeds as possible and to live in harmony with their neighbours to gain access to the afterlife, principles that could be sorely needed in our society today.

We landed in Athens 45 minutes early due to a good tailwind and waited for our luggage….and waited….with the end result being 1 missing bag….my sister Terri’s.  We will know in the next day or so whether it will show up or whether she needs to go on a big shopping spree here in Athens.

After the rigmarole of filing a claim for the bag, we exited the airport (why are you allowed to simply walk out of an international airport in this day and age with no customs is quite bizzare to me) we were greeted by our guide for the day, George who explained that due to the extreme heat (44 deg C expected and it was at least 37 deg at 10am when we walked outside into the blast furnace) most of the attractions we were due to see had been closed.  George had cooked up an alternate plan which saw us driving to Souniou to visit the Temple of Poseidon which was on the extreme southern tip of the Greek mainland as that was “bit cooler” at maybe 42 degrees and would still be open to tourists.  On the drive out we witnessed many acres of scorched hillsides from recent fires in the past few years and some areas that had just burned recently.  George explained that wildfires are not unusual in Greece and normally occur between July 15 and the end of August when the winds from Northern Africa arrive.  

Arriving at the site of the Temple, what would normally have been an easy 10 minute walk up a well travelled path, becomes a bit of a different experience in 42 degree oppressive heat. The views from the hilltop are simply spectacular but the humidity created a haze that limited visibility to less than a few km’s, according to George on a clear day in winter “you could see Africa”…I know that isn’t true as you are limited to a about 10 miles on the horizon but it was nice to imagine. 

The temple was an imposing and impressive sight but with little shade and a hot wind blowing at our backs it was soon time to head back down to the comfort of our A/C van and take the slow road back to Athens along a coast of hidden coves and an azure ocean dotted with small towns, beach resorts and waterside restaurants.  We stopped at what was clearly a locals beach at a waterside restaurant for a lunch of grilled octopus, Greek salad and homemade Tzatziki.  The Octopus was simple and amazing and George said that due to the closed nature of the Mediterranean, the ocean is more saline and seafood is naturally better without any salt added, I believe it after tasting that food. Jayson took advantage of some time after lunch to take a swim in the 25 degree water, his first experience of the Mediterranean Sea.

George’s driving skills had clearly been honed over the years as a tour driver and he navigated us safely up the coast back into the bobbing and weaving, “is that a line market for a lane of just a suggestion?” traffic of Athens regaling us with a description of what life is like living in Greece  (hint politicians are universally hated and the people are taxed to death but we Canadians are used to that so no surprises there) but also lots of history and stories that we have only read about it got taught in school, for instance the Agean sea is named after the King Aegeus, the father of Theseus who was sent to rid the island of the half bull half man Minotaur.  Theseus, upon returning from battle with the Minotaur was supposed to have beat his ship with white flags so the King could know that his son had been victorious but after killing the Minotaur, he forgot to raise the flags, making his father the king commit suicide upon seeing the ships returning without the white flags and assuming his son had been killed in battle with the beast. 

George was full of stories like these and many more which brought to life many of the Greek myths that we all remember  being taught or reading at one time of another.  Another reason why guided tours with reputable guides can really bring a place to life and give context to the landscape passing in front of you.

Our place in Athens is in a perfect location right in the heart of the Plaka, or old town which was literally built around the stone outcropping that houses what we have come to this City to see, the Acropolis.  It’s surreal to drive around the City and see glimpses of this momentous structure down every small alley.  A brief stop at the stadium where the original Olympic Games were held and where today crowds of up to 90,000 people are regaled by the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was a highlight as it also included a story from George of the origins of the Marathon.  

We ended our evening at a beautiful cafe under the trees in the shadow of the Acropolis, reflecting on a day of long travels with tall glasses of Aperol and being serenaded by the sounds of Cicadas all around us in the trees, the heat of the day having broke to a balmy 31 before walking back to our apartments in vibrant streets still filled with shoppers and restaurants serving dinner at 11pm.