More New Friends: Another Day in Athens

The hot days have lent themselves to a slower pace and have given me some much-needed rest. I think I am beginning to feel human again. This morning, after having Greek yogurt in our room for breakfast, we eventually found our way to Victory Cafe. It is said to be a favorite of locals and tourists alike. 

We ordered a Greek salad and a Gyro plate. After being here in Athens I do not know if I will ever be able to eat Feta cheese, at home, again. The Feta here is to die for, and the cucumbers and tomatoes rival homegrown. Once again, another great, inexpensive meal, oh, and don’t forget the Cappucino Freddo.

This meal had a bonus factor; we met a lovely couple from Ormond Beach, Florida. They were a football rival when I lived in Deland, Fla. during high school, so needless to say, he had to throw in a “Go, Bulldogs!”  We had a great time sharing travel stories as well as stories from “home”.

After they left, another couple sat down and I immediately recognized her southern accent and knew they were from “home”, too. We also started chatting and found out they were supposed to be in Switzerland, but changed plans and came to Athens because of the rain in Switzerland.

They are planning to go to Switzerland next week, so of course, we shared our travel tips with them, along with our Airbnbs. We also shared a few of our favorite restaurants here, too. They were the cutest young couple, and we so enjoyed visiting with them.

After lunch, we decided to stroll over to the central market square, despite the vendors being closed on Sunday, just for something to do. Along the way, we ran across the Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. It is exactly what I expected for a Greek church. Full of rich-colored paintings, arches, and much gold and silver. 

The construction of the cathedral began on Christmas Day, 1842, and continued for twenty years. Workers used marble from 72 demolished churches to build the immense walls.

As we continued our walk, we ran across another church, the Holy University Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary: Panagia Kapnikarea. It is another Greek Orthodox Church built sometime in the 11th century and is one of the oldest churches in Athens.

It too is full of rich paintings, mosaics, and silver and gold. It is quite remarkable, and you can see where they are continuing to restore the paintings. 

After a very short walk through the stinky market, we headed home for the obligatory afternoon reset. I just can’t quite garner enough energy to last a whole day, in this heat.

After a few hours, we began to get hungry, and instead of wandering the streets, dodging tourists, and looking at menus, we decided to go back to Athena’s Cook, because it was so good.

As soon as we sat down I felt a hand on my shoulder, and who do you think was standing there? It was Andrew, from Victory, who said that Kaitlyn was inside. They decided to take our recommendation and have dinner at Athena’s Cook.

They had not ordered yet, so we asked if they wanted to join us, and they said yes! It was a delightful dinner, and we enjoyed these kids immensely. They live in Sedona, and we hope to see them again in the States. 

I love how the universe brings people into my life. 

Tomorrow is another day.

Night y’all!

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