Greece Conquest Late summer 1998

Day One,  Reaching Athens
We started our trip from San Francisco. We exchanged some dollars into Greek Drachmas at the airport. Since we were flying on KLM, we had to stop at Amsterdam airport for a couple of hours.  It was raining hard in Amsterdam. Our flight started on time.  We got to Athens on time.  We passed through Passports and Customs without any  hassle.  Athens airport was not only crowded with people but also crowded with stray cats all over the place.
At the  taxi line we had to wait for a settlement of a dispute between a customer and a taxi driver. Apparently  the driver wanted to load more people in the taxi in addition to the original customer. When the customer insisted  no other passengers should ride with him, the taxi driver kick him out. Our taxi driver was smarter. He did not try to double up on customers, rather he just doubled his fee from us. When we reached our hotel, he claimed, in broken English, that he is entitled to 1500 Drachmas over what the meter showed (1 US$=288 drachma). He said there is an extra charge for picking customers from the airport specially if they have luggage. We decided it was not worth arguing and gave him what he wanted.
Before leaving the US we made a reservation at the Acropolis View Hotel. We were happy we made a reservation because the hotel was full. The Acropolis View was supposedly a two star hotel. It looks like  hotels in Athens are even smarter than taxi drivers. Instead of doubling their price they double their stars.  So a two star hotel in Athens is hardly equivalent to one star hotel in the US.
We reached our room using a tiny elevator. So tiny that only one of us with one suitcase could fit at a time. The concierge said the main elevator that fits one person and two suitcases was broken. The room was very small.  The air conditioning was blowing warm air and continuous noise was provided by the bathroom fan. Although it was a discouraging start we decided to look at the fact that we were lucky to find a hotel within walking distance to anywhere in town.
In spite of our exhaustion from the long trip, we decided to check out the neighborhood.  It was 9 PM local time. The weather was very nice. A cool breeze and the nice view of the lighted Acropolis were so lucrative that we could not wait for the next day to walk around. We felt it was safe to walk since there were many other people walking around. We walked toward the Plaka. The Plaka area is the heart of old Athens. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Many of the Plaka streets are restricted to pedestrians. However, we noticed that every now and then a car or a motorcycle pushed  its way through the crowd. It was a challenge to keep our toes from being flattened by the car wheels. We stopped on the way at the corner Taverna and ordered two Souvlaki sandwiches (Souvlaki is a grilled meat rolled in a pita with tomatoes, onion, and yogurt sauce). We were very surprised to see how crowded the streets were at this hour. We strolled up and down Adrianou Street which is one the main streets in the Plaka. Adrianou was very crowded with shoppers strolling between souvenir shops. After two hours, our curiosity was satisfied for the night. We went back to the hotel and almost immediately fell asleep.

Day Two, Exploring Athens
We woke up early. Our biological clock was still following California Pacific time. We started the day in the hotel restaurant enjoying a continental buffet breakfast that was included with the reservation. The food choices were  pretty different from what we call Breakfast in the US. The choices were very basics; Coffee, tea, French bread, butter, boiled eggs, cheese, jams, cake, lots of  cut  fresh tomato and peeled cucumber. After the breakfast we headed early to the Acropolis because we were told the place gets really crowded later in the day. The Acropolis started just one block from our hotel. We climbed up hill and bought tickets (2000 Drachma/person) from a small booth full of smoking employees. Seeing this smoky booth, Mary and I were shocked. Smokers in the US have to go out of the building to smoke and here non-smokers have to work in such a tiny space surrounded by clouds of smoke.
The  Acropolis was marvelous. The view was magnificent. Since we were the first to get in after the gates opened, we got to see the site's guards with their camouflage clothing and machine guns taking positions around the ruins to raise the Greek flag. The Acropolis was a grand temple complex built on top a hill to honor the city's patron, goddess Athena. We visited  the all- marble Temple of Athena Nike with its four figures of wingless Nikes (maidens attendant of Athena). We also visited the Acropolis Museum, Theater of Dionyssos, and  Herodes Atticus Theater. The Parthenon, the main temple, sits majestically on top of the Acropolis. Its name comes from the Athena Parthenos or the virgin Athena. There was a lot of restoration work going on inside the Parthenon so we could only see it from the outside. After that, we descended toward the other side of the Acropolis hill. We walked in the narrow streets  toward the ancient ruins of  Agora. The streets were crowded with all types of people, shoppers, salesmen, street vendors, beggars, tourists, and Christian worshipers running in and out of small Byzantine Churches. In the Agora, we visited The Wind Tower. The Wind Tower was basically an octagonal tower built originally to serve as a sundial, water clock, and weather vane. The tower was built by a Syrian architect during the 1st Century BC. The tower is worth visiting but probably a visitor can stroll around and see as much we could see without having to pay the entrance fee.
In the Monastiraki area near the crossing of Mitropoleos and Eolou streets, we stopped at modern café bakery. We chose a table on the side-walk. We spent like an hour studying Athens map and nibbling at our spinach and feta cheese pies.
We walked up Mitropoleos  street toward Syntagma Square to see the Parliament Building. On our way we stopped to exchange money at the National  Bank of Greece. The bank exchange rate was good but we were charged exchange fees. Later we learned of other exchange centers that offered the same rates but without an exchange fee. One exchange bureau we recommend is Mondial Exchange at 16 Nikis Street.
Just before Syntagma Square at the intersection of Stadiou and Amerikis, we came across the National Historical Museum. We decided to have look. The museum building was the home of the first Greek Parliament. In addition to many displays covering all major event in the Greek  history, the museum houses a complete collection of original Greek costumes. That alone, was worth the entrance fees of 1000 Drachmas.
 The Parliament was the main attraction in Syntagma Square. At the entrance of the building is the Tomb of The Unknown Solder. Two honor guards guard the tomb. The guards were wearing short white kilts, fez with very long tassels, and red shoes with large  pompons on the toes. In front of the Parliament, we joined  hoards of tourists waiting for the change of guard show. Pigeons were all over the place. While waiting, a man carrying a camera pulled my hand to put a handful of bird food in it. It took me a moment to realize that he was a tourist chaser. If a tourist opens his hand the birds are going to flock around him. The chaser without asking will take a picture and ask the puzzled tourist to pay for the picture. Of course there is no obligation if you have the nerves and wit to say I am not buying. Luckily I had the nerves to say no. The chaser tried the same thing unsuccessfully  with Mary. Luckily there was a big group of tourist coming. When the chaser saw them, he left us to try his tricks on the new comers.
After the change of guard we walked to the National Gardens,  just next door to the Parliament. At the entrance of the gardens we bought some refreshments. The prices were 50% more than other places. The National Gardens were pretty green and full of people. In the middle there was a small pond surrounded with hundreds of ducks. The ducks were very cute. We sat in two chairs in the middle of the ducks. Occasionally, we threw some of our food to them. When we ran out of food they started nibbling on our fingers.  We also visited the zoo in the middle of the park. It was a very poor example of a real zoo. There were a few scraggy goats and chickens and some other birds in not so clean cages. Many cages were empty. One cage housed several mice scurrying around  and snatching food. The mice obviously  were not the intended cage inhabitants. In Syntagma Square area we tried to get information from several travel agencies. We were trying to arrange reservation and ferry tickets to the Island of Santorini then to Kusadasi in Turkey. Most travel agents we encountered, were not very helpful. They told us they can arrange tickets to Santorini  but they could not help us finding reservations for the second leg of the trip toward Turkey. Feeling disappointed and helpless, we decided to postpone seeking reservation until tomorrow when we could consult with the Tourist Information Bureau about the best way to plan the rest of our trip. Back in the Plaka, we strolled along Kydatheneon Street. The street was for pedestrian only. It was crowded with people that appeared to be  mostly tourists. We window-shopped all along the long narrow street. We stopped at several souvenir shops. Most of them carried the same tourist oriented merchandise. All along the Plaka, in front of almost every shop and restaurant, there was a person standing to invite people to come in and buy something. The invitation often started in English then turned to German, then French. Some of those people came up with very clever way to persuade us to give their shop a try. The majority were repeating the pitch we just heard across the street.
Following the advice of our guide book, we headed to a restaurant that was supposed to be the choice of the locals. When we got there the restaurant was crowded with many of our American compatriots. Probably all of them read the same book. However, we have to admit that the food was delicious and the view was fantastic. The restaurant was the last establishment at the base of the Acropolis. Tasty food, superb Greek wine, soft breeze and Greek music in the shadow of the Acropolis were the perfect ending of our first full day in Athens. Coming down the hill from the restaurant along Kydatheneon, just few shops after crossing Adrianou, we stopped at an ice-cream shop. I advise anyone visiting Athens to try their authentic Caimaki flavor Ice-cream. Back at the hotel, we found the room very warm. Later, we learned that most hotel operators in Greece turn off the air condition during the day. We turned on the air condition  but for some reason, we could not get any cool air. We complained to the front desk. They promise to repair it the next morning. We decided to cool  the room using the old fashion way, an open window. We were so tired that nothing could stop us from sleeping, not even the noisy cat fights outside our window.

Day Three, Athens Markets
We started the day again with the Greek continental breakfast. This morning we felt energetic, so we decided to explore the market places in Athens. We took the scenic route along Dionissiou Areopagitou then Apostolou Pavlou streets.  This route  took us around the Acropolis instead of going up and down the hill or through the Plaka. There was an open land all around the Acropolis. Every now and then we saw a tip of a column or the side of an arch emerging from the tall wild vegetation and soil. It seemed to us  there were a lot more ruins half buried and probably more underneath waiting to be discovered.
The market area started the moment we reached Ermou Street. Suddenly we felt in the middle of numerous shops that sell tools, and building materials. Crossing Ermou was an adventure because of the heavy traffic and the lack of pedestrian crossings. We often waited for some locals to start crossing  so we could join them. Once in a while we crossed taking advantage of the traffic stop. No, this was not a sign of Greeks hospitality. It was mostly caused by a driver stopped to buy some kind of Greek pastries from a man with a tray of pastries on his shoulder. Farther along Ermou the market turned into some kind of flea market. People were selling old furniture, old shoes, empty used bottles, car parts, and many other old junks. At Monastiraki Square, we stopped to visit a small Byzantine church called Panayia Pantanassa. Behind the church we sat for Souvlaki lunch at a restaurant called Savvas.  After lunch, we walked up Athena street toward Omonia Square. Again the market changed face. We mostly walked by pots and pans' stores in addition to clothes and fabrics shops. The sidewalks were very crowded with salesmen trying to sell all kind of merchandise; toys, belts, shoes,  postcards ...etc. Just before Omonia Square, when Athena crosses Armodiou, we stopped at the Meat Market. The Meat market is a place no tourist should miss. A narrow large U shape warehouse filled with individual booths surrounded by narrow aisles bustling with people. The warehouse was sectioned according to the type of meat they sell. All types of meat were displayed; Pork, lambs, beef, poultry, and sea food. Different meat cuts were displayed uncovered and within reach of shoppers. Many whole carcasses were hanging from the high meat hooks above the individual booths. Butchers wearing white aprons spotted with splattered blood, were yelling what sounded like advertisements for their goods. Shoppers were handling the meat for inspection and haggling with the butchers. Across the meat market we visited the outdoor Fruit and Vegetable Market. That Market was even more crowded. At some points, we had to hold tight each other hand to avoid being separated by the crowd.  Around Sofokleous Street, we came across a variety market where you could find stores full of soap and detergents' products or stores that sells olives, cheese, and spices. Most people buying olive were sampling the different kinds.
After surviving Omonia Square crowd and construction, we headed toward the National Archeological Museum up 3-Septemvriou Street. This Museum is also a must for any visitor to Athens. The museum contains thousands of artifacts and statues presenting an impressive and thorough overview of Greek art through the centuries. Some of the artifacts were made at 3500 years before Christ.  We were impressed with the Hall of the Mycenaean Antiquities that was crowded with breath taking gold treasures. Many of the artifacts were in excellent condition.
We left the Archeological Museum and headed toward Syntagma Square to check with the Tourist Bureau about our trip to the Greek Islands and Turkey. The visit to the tourist bureau at Amerikis Street was disappointing. The one person staff  was not very friendly or helpful. She did not provide us with any useful information. So we decided to try some other travel agents. The moment we left the Tourist Bureau  a man approached us offering his services. He claimed his travel agency down the street can give us the best deal. It looks like tourist chasers use the tourist bureau to target their victims. It took some efforts to get rid of this man. All along the way many others tried the same scenario with us. Finally we realize what attracted them. It was a cruise brochure we picked up at the Tourist Bureau. We managed to have a lot more peaceful walk (relatively speaking) after hiding those brochures. Just before Stadiou Street meets Syntagma  Square, we came across a travel agency that did not have anyone asking you to come in. We decided to try it. It was a very lucky move. In that agency we met the most helpful people in Greece. The manager and the staff  were very friendly and professional. They arranged for us a cruise to the nearby islands and a day tour to Delphi. They researched for us travel possibilities to other islands. When we decided to visit Samos instead of Santorini, they secured two cabin tickets in the next ferry to the island. Finally they provided us with information about how to reach Turkey from Samos. We recommend this Agency to anyone in need of an honest and English speaking travel agent in Greece. It is a rare place where you can get excellent service and unbeatable price at the same time. The address is Boutros Tour,  7 Stadiou Street-Syntagma, Athens Greece, ( phone: 30-1-324-8171, Email: boutros@groovy.gr).
After leaving Boutros Travel we noticed that Metropoleos Street was blocked, a stage was installed, and a band was preparing to play some free music. We decided to wait and listen to the band. We later learned that the party is organized by a group of activists  to recruit more members. Although we did not understand the lyrics of the songs, We stayed there for a few hours enjoying the music. We had dinner at a small restaurant , next to Cine Paris, the movie theater at Kydathinaion street. We had an outdoor table. We ordered chicken Souvlaki , French fries, and Greek beer. We stayed there for some time watching people passing by.
At around midnight we headed to the hotel. Before going to sleep we spent some time on top of our hotel  to cool off, rest our numb feet and exhausted bodies, and enjoy the Acropolis View.
We set  the alarm clock to wake us early . A tour guide was going to meet us the next morning for our cruise to the nearby Islands.
 
Day Four, Cruise Ageana, Poros, and Hydra
After an early breakfast, we sat in the lobby waiting our cruise guide. The guide came on time. Luckily we were last to pick up. The trip to Piraeus ( Athens' port) took 30 minutes. The cruise ship named  John_P, was huge and buzzing with people. At least 300 tourists were on board. We opted for the non-smoking inside seats.  On deck, most of the passengers were  smoking. Second hand smoking was only one negative on that ship. The other negative was tourist pushers. The ship crew kept pushing us to buy drinks, or pay for photos they took for us without being asked. The rest of the cruise trip was all positive and entertaining.  The ship planned to stop at three nearby islands. The first on was Ageana. In Ageana, we bargained  with a man renting bicycles in the harbor. We ended up renting two bicycles for the price of one. We drove our bikes along the seaside. After an hour of biking, we returned the bikes then walked up to the ruins of the Archaic Temple of Appollo. There was not much left of the temple so we spent some time in the site museum then walked back to the harbor. On the way to our next island, Poros, we were served lunch. In the ship dinning hall we met two old ladies from France. Using my rusty French, we had a nice lunch conversation. Shortly after lunch we docked in Poros. Poros has more characters than Ageana.  The town was built on a steep hill. We walked up its  narrow roads  to visit a church on top of the hill. At the hill top,  we found most tourists did not venture up that far. We strolled down taking a different path. Except for the church and narrow roads there was not much to see in the short available time. So we decided to get some Ice-cream and reserve good seats on the deck for the trip to Hydra.  Hydra was the last island we would stop at. We managed to get two seats on the top deck of the ship next to the captain's cabin. We had fun watching the few boats sailing next to ours. We also got to observe our the captain's skills docking such a huge ship in the tiny Hydra harbor. The houses in Hydra were also built on the side of the hill. There was no cars in town. Donkeys and  feet  were the only mean of transportation here. We walked around the neatly stacked and colored houses. Most of houses were colored with white and blue pastel paint. We tried to visit what the cruise crew called  "Fantastic Hydra swimming beaches." We were disappointed to see that Hydra beaches were merely concrete platforms built over very rocky shore. So we decided that dipping our feet in the water was the only  form of swimming, we felt comfortable with, on these  rocky shores.
In the way back to Athens we could not find any seat in the Non-smoking areas of the ship. After an hour in clouds of smoke, we decided that sitting near the noisy engine was more tolerable than all the tobacco smoke we had to inhale. Half way through the return trip, Mary managed to find two seats in the ship show hall where we spent the time watching a humble performance of Greek music and dance. The tour bus dropped us back at our hotel around 8 PM.
After quick shower, Mary wanted to use her hair dryer. I was happy to have foreseen ahead of time that US electric appliances do not work with Greece 220 Volt electricity. So, before leaving the US we bought an international electrical converter. Alas! all this preparation was futile. When we tried to us the converter, we caused a short circuit throughout the hotel wing. It looks like the hotel was not wired to take such an appliance. Luckily, Mary, with her sharp observance, had noticed a fuse box somewhere in the hallway. In less than a minute, she went out and turned on the electric power saving us the embarrassment of having to explain what happened.   We went to the same restaurant at the base of the Acropolis. This time we ordered Stuffed Tomatoes,  Moussaka ( Greek eggplant dish), Greek salad, and lamb Souvlaki. The service during that evening was so slow. For some reasons the Souvlaki did not come until just about when we were ready to leave. So, we asked the waiter to take back the late Souvlaki. The restaurant operators were not too happy with us but we still managed to enjoy another nice dinner in the shadow of the Parthenon.
 
 Day Five, Day tour to Delphi
We woke up early to get ready for our day tour to Delphi. After the usual breakfast, we ran to meet  the tour bus at the nearby Herodion Hotel at 7 AM. The bus came late 10 minutes and then  stopped at several other hotels to collect more tourists. In the main office of Key Tours,  we had to wait another hour for more tourists collection. At  9 AM, another bus loaded all of us and started the trip toward Delphi. The sky was cloudy and it rained for a short time. Luckily the clouds cleared just few miles away from Athens. The trip to Delphi took around 3.5 hours including a refreshment stop at a small overpriced coffee shop. The road to Delphi was very entertaining. We felt refreshed looking at the open space in the country side. The tour guide, a very nice lady, filled up the time with background information and stories about Delphi. A little after 12 PM, we reached Delphi. The ruins were situated high on the side of a mountain overlooking the Golf of Corinth in the Ionian sea. Delphi is considered one of the most enchanting sites in Greece. It was home to Appollo and to the famous oracle of antiquity. Delphi was the center of the Amphictyonic League (Sort of United Nations of old days).  We stayed in Delphi until 2 PM. We were disappointed for the short visit because we wanted to enjoy the sites a little more. It did not seem logical for us to spend only two hours in Delphi out of what was described as "a day tour".  However, we had no choice but to follow the tour schedules. In the way back the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere at a Hotel called Anemolia where lunch would be served. Originally, we did not buy lunch as part of the tour package  because we preferred to choose our restaurant. We were very disappointed when the tour operators deprived us from that freedom of choice. After looking at the overpriced menu with the meager food selection we decided to boycott the lunch. We wasted like an hour and  half waiting for the lunch to finish. In the village of Arachova, the tour bus stopped  again at  a carpet shop for another half an hour. We felt very cheated with a tour that was willing to spent more time in tourist traps than in Delphi, the tour destination. Before leaving the carpet shop, Mary remembered that she forgot her glasses in the lobby of Anemolia hotel. We asked the tour guide Mariana for help. Mariana was very nice and helpful. She called the hotel and asked for the glasses. Just minutes, before leaving town, a guy on a motorcycle came flying with the glasses. While waiting for the glasses, we tried unsuccessfully to buy some sandwiches. It looks  like the sandwich's invention did not reach Arachova  yet. Therefore we had to satisfy our hunger with the cookies we bought at the beginning of the trip. Back in Athens it was still day light  so we asked Mariana to drop us in Syntagma Square. From there we walked around the Presidential residence area. At the corner of  Amalia and Vasilissis Olgas, plaka, we tried to visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Hadrian's Arch but it was closed. I convinced Mary that there was nothing more to see than what we could see through the fence. For dinner, we headed toward Monastiraki area.  After two hours of window-shopping in the Plaka, we reached Savvas at the end of Metropoleos Street. The restaurant was crowded.  We had an outdoor table. We order Ouzu  (Greece national alcoholic drink) and eggplant salad as appetizer. For dinner we had  grilled chicken, Greek salad,  Souvlaki platter, and some Greek wine. This time the wine was very bad. It tasted very much like fermented wood chips. The price was way more than what such food deserved. Mary and I decided that if one wants a good Souvlaki sandwich this is the place to be. For a nice dinner, one should look somewhere else.
After dinner, we stopped at our favorite Ice-cream shop. Mary got her chocolate chip and I got the Caimaki. On the way back to the hotel we had to walk against a huge crowd of people who were attending a concert in The Acropolis'  Herodes Atticus Theater.  At the top of our hotel , we suddenly realized that this was our last evening in Athens. We reflected on the many places that we did not have time to visit. We also felt sad not to be able to attend one of the concerts at the  Acropolis Herodes Theater. Unfortunately, we did not find out about the concerts schedule until it was too late.
Day Six, Trip Across the Aegean Sea
 We started packing our luggage immediately after breakfast. This was the first time we stayed in the hotel late in the morning. We got to experience the room environment during the day. The hotel operators turned off all air conditioning some time in the morning.  By the time we finished packing we were soaking wet. Since our ferry would not leave until 7 PM, the hotel agreed to keep our luggage in the storage room which was merely a corner of the lobby in sight of the receptionist. We walked to Boutros Travel Agency to pick up our ferry ticket. We spent the rest of the day shopping in the Plaka. At around five we took a taxi, picked up our luggage and headed to the Port. After an easy search the taxi found the ferry to our last stop in Greece, Samos Island. Our ferry "Golden Virginia" was huge. We were surprised to see how many colossal loaded trucks drove into its belly. The passenger cabins were way up in the third floor of the ferry. We had some real hard time climbing up the narrow stairs with four pieces of heavy luggage. We stayed on the top deck for a couple of hours watching Athens disappear slowly at the horizon. Then we enjoyed a panoramic view of the sunset and sea birds flying behind the ferry.  The sea was not very calm and every now and then salty wind caressed our face with large drops of sea water. When darkness came we went back to our cabin where it was a challenge to take a shower in the tiny bathroom that keep moving with every wave. Before going to sleep we climbed up to the upper deck to see the stars. We could not see many stars, because of the many lights on board of the ferry. While sleeping, the ferry stopped in two different islands before reaching Samos. Mary felt the ferry stopping. I was so exhausted that I heard nothing until my alarm clock announced it is time to get ready for landing in Samos.
 
Day Seven, A Day in Samos
We arrived at Vathy the main harbor in Samos at 6 AM. Samos town was still sleeping. Since we did not have any hotel reservation, Mary stayed in the harbor to watch the luggage while I walked around  town searching for a hotel. When I realized that all the hotels I stopped at were booked,  I went back to the harbor and asked a travel agent there for help. They only found a room in a low budget hotel called Pythagoras Hotel. They also gave us a ride with our luggage to the hotel. At the hotel we had to wait a couple of hours for a guest to vacate his room. While waiting we had breakfast in the hotel verandah looking at the Aegean shore of Turkey. After dropping the luggage, we rented a scooter from a Bikes Shop across the street. We thought naively how convenient to have a motorcycles' rental shop across the street. We regretted calling that convenience at night when we could not sleep because of the noise of motorcyclists driving back and forth all evening.
Renting the motorcycle was easy. The rental contract was in English . The contract was stuffed with fine print legal stuff that mainly says drive at your own risk and you are liable for everything that might happen. In minutes I was driving to downtown Samos.  Mary was behind me holding me tight in fear. We had a rocky start since this was the first time for me driving a motorcycle. However, after a few miles, I became used to the scooter. In no time, we were out of town for a tour around the island. The road stretched across nice beaches and lovely green land. We drove by many charming  small  churches and colorful houses. The Aegean sea was clear blue with no significant wave action. After driving through a small town called Karlovasi, the shore became rocky and the road climbed up a steep hill. At that point we decided to go back and stop at a restaurant situated on top of a steep cliff overlooking a bay like portion of the sea. On the other side of the bay we could see Samos town and its harbor. A very soft breeze with a faint smell of Jasmine added a touch of romance to the fantastic panorama view.  We were the only customers in that restaurant. The restaurant was operated by a husband and wife. The husband told us that his wife would prepare anything we want. We ordered Calamary,  Homemade Pasta, and Greek Salad. The food was very tasty and the price was very reasonable. Without doubt this was the nicest place and the best food we had during our trip. After lunch we wanted to take a walk down to the beach at the bottom of the cliff. When we got closer we discovered  it was full with nude people. So we turned around and rode our scooter searching for a beach that catered to people like us who still like to wear clothes.  Few miles before reaching Samos town we came across a beautiful and  clean beach. We loved that beach so much that we decided to drive back to the hotel , bring our swimming clothes, and dip in the warm Mediterranean water. We swam for a while, collected some nice stones from the rocky shore then hopped back on the scooter toward the other side of the Island to visit Pythagorio town. Pythagorio was named after Pythagoras, the famous Greek mathematician who lived there. The drive to Pythagorio was tough. We climbed over very high and windy hill then descended to the other side of the hill. In the lovely small town, we walked around the harbor. We could not visit any of the archeological places because they were closed. We drove back and reached Samos town when the sun was setting. The drive back was a lot easier since the wind was on our backs. We had dinner at a sidewalk restaurant near the waterfront. We spent the rest of the evening strolling in the shopping area of the town. At 10 PM, the town was still full of life, but we were tired. So, we returned the scooter and tried to get some sleep.  The room was hot with no air conditioning.  Although the weather outside was nice, the concrete walls were radiating all the heat soaked during the day. We had to choose between suffocating in the heat or opening the windows to cool but  be exposed to  the noise from the scooters running up and down the hilly road in front of the hotel. Eventually, we choose the noise over heat mainly because our sun-burned skin could not accommodate any more heat. The motorcycles noise did not stop until almost the next morning. In spite of noise and heat we managed to get few hours of sleep.
 
Day Eight, Leaving Greece
We woke up early. The hotel owner gave us a ride to the harbor. While waiting for the Passport Control office to open, we played backgammon in the harbor coffee shop. People were very surprised to see Mary playing backgammon. Although many Greek men play backgammon we did not see any  woman playing. At 8.45 we boarded the ferry toward the Turkish coast. We were sad to leave Samos and wished we had more time to spend in this marvelous island. We shacked up our sadness when we started  planning for the Turkish leg of our trip that would start in a few minutes at  Kusadasi harbor.

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