Day 14---Seeing Athens on our own

I must start out by reporting that last night’s evening on the rooftop with a view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon in lights was a fantastic experience, and well-worth the $10 Coke we bought and sipped on for about an hour while we visited with tourmates. What a memory.

However, we did not have the most exciting experience of the evening. With directions (and the loan of a tripod and a flashlight) from Jared, Glenda and Sharon had a bit more exciting evening. They left the hotel and hiked up paths to the top of a nearby hill for a nighttime photo of the view some of were enjoying from the safety and security of the hotel rooftop lounge. Those of you who know Glenda and Sharon will have to ask them for the details, but it involved several dogs that did not like their being in the area at night, and receiving help from a homeless man. By the time they told the story this morning, it was a laughable event, and the photos they took were wonderful.


Our last full day in Greece was warm (hot?) and sunny. We began the day with a wonderful worship service right after breakfast. We worshipped in song and prayer, and we listened to words read to us from God’s Word. Jared delivered a brief lesson. Following some announcements about our plans to leave early tomorrow morning, we took advantage of the rest of the day as a "free day" in Athens.

About half of our group went first to see the changing of the guards at the Parliament Building. Most of us took the subway, which was an interesting experience, and a little difficult to navigate since none of us knew any Greek. However, the Athens subway system is new, clean, and has historical artifacts on display in the stations. Once we arrived at the Parliament Building, the changing of the guards was an interesting ceremony, complete with a marching band. However, the outfits the soldiers wore were a little unusual. As Glenda put it, "No wonder no one accepts Greece as a major military power when their soldiers wear mini-skirts and pom-poms on their shoes." It might be something for those in positions of authority in the Greek government to think about.

From area of the changing of the guards, the group went in many different directions. Olen and I, along with Lucy, Sharon and Glenda, decided to take the subway once more and head across town to Lycabettus Hill. As it turned out, the nine blocks from the closest subway station to the viewing platform on top of the hill was a series of steps for all nine blocks! When we finally arrived at the funicular for the "ride" to the top, we had already climbed a large portion of the way. The view from the top was a view of the city of Athens in all directions, including a view looking down on the Acropolis and the Parthenon in the distance. It was a bit hazy, but still beautiful.

Sharon and Olen shoot the perfect photo from Lycabettus Hill. That is the Acropolis between them in the background.

From Lycabettus Hill we hiked back down to the subway station and took another subway back to the Plaka area. Once in Plaka, the five of us had lunch at one of the lovely sidewalk cafes before going our separate directions for a little more time for sightseeing and shopping on our own. On the way back to the hotel I was reminded of one of Billy’s memorable comments, "You know, even the graffiti in Greece looks high-class, since the words include all those Greek letters." You can always count of Billy to say something astute.

The final dinner together tonight was a combination of eating, laughing about events of the trip, good-byes to those who won’t be leaving on the same plane as the group, and thanking Ferrell for planning such a wonderful trip.

During dinner, Olen was the recipient of a plastic bag full of wooden sticks from Magnum Ice Cream Bars. He accepted the gift in a gracious manner, announcing that he planned to plant them (as you would seeds) and hopefully he would eventually harvest a bumper crop of Magnum Bars…the first in the United States. Since ice cream bars are definitely a cold-weather crop, we assume they will harvest in the winter. We will keep you updated on how that project goes!

The plan for leaving involves some early hours. Our bus to the airport leaves at 3:00 AM. It will be a short night, followed by a VERY long day.

All good things must come to an end. We made plans for this trip so many, many months ago. At the time the actual trip seemed so very far off. It took so long for the departure date to arrive, but in what seems like a blink of an eye all the exciting sights and events are behind us, and the trip home looms ahead. But, what a wonderful trip it has been! We have enjoyed the things we have seen, the many things we have learned, and the special people we have shared these exciting experiences with. We would not trade the events of these few days for anything. The memories will last a lifetime. We are all returning home better Bible students and better equipped to teach Bible classes. Thank you again, Ferrell.

What a wonderful world we live in! What a treat to get to travel to see a portion of it with Christian friends.