Athens

I am sitting on my bed, looking though the window at the Acropolis. It was raining when we arrived in Athens after another interesting taxi ride from Piraeus.  Enroute we were rear ended by a smart car. The driver was texting! Very little damage to the Smart Car but the taxi suffered. Our driver got out to talk to the other guy and suddenly there was a third guy in a suit talking to both of them. We were immediately suspicious when our luggage was pulled from the trunk so I hopped out and started taking photos. Apparently the guy in the suit was the brother of the Smart Car driver! Finally our luggage was returned to the trunk of the taxi but the trunk lock wouldn't work. A bungee cord secured the lid and off we went.

We have restricted our walkabout to a comfortable radius from the hotel where we feel secure. The main observation is the number of closed shops and businesses....boarded up and graffitied. Our taxi driver said that 65 percent of Greeks between the ages of 25-35 are unemployed. Plaka is quiet with a small number of tourists wandering through.

The ferry this morning was loaded with people returning to the mainland after a one week Easter break. We were very happy that we reserved a cabin and didn't have to sit cheek to jowl for the nine hour trip.

Tomorrow...Istanbul!!