We were nearing the end of our Family Trip to Europe, but there was still so much fun ahead. Our cruise ship docked in the Piraeus port in Athens, Greece early in the morning, and we were picked up to make the journey to our rented AirBnb for the next couple of days. Unfortunately, it was too early to check in to our place but they were at least able to store our bags for us. When booking the trip, I knew there would be a window of time before our check-in, so I had booked us an excursion in Athens that would hopefully be fun and not too taxing. While we waited for our excursion time, we found a McDonald's with WiFi and camped out at the tables for a couple of hours to collect ourselves and surf our phones. We were TIRED, ha!
After killing a few hours exploring the Athens city center near our AirBnb and surfing our phones at McDonald's, it was time for our excursion: a 3-hour segway tour of Athens highlights, including the Acropolis, Tempio Di Zeus Olimpio, Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympics took place, Ancient Agora of Athens, Roman Agora, Changing of the of Guards, Zappeion Conference & Exhibition Center, and Monastiraki. I had only heard of a couple of those locations, but the tour turned out to be such a fun way to see Athens highlights while still waiting to check into our AirBnb. We zoomed all around the city and only had 1 minor crash (Jeff, ha)! At the end of our tour, thankfully it was time to check into our AirBnb nearby. We were beyond exhausted and so thankful for a place to stretch out. Collin crashed on his bed for the next 15 hours, ha, but the rest of us walked to dinner nearby and ended up having one of the best desserts I've ever enjoyed - a Greek baklava inspired chocolate donut and ice cream dish. Words don't do it justice; I've been thinking of that dish every since!
When I planned this 2-week European itinerary, I knew at this point toward the end of our trip that we would be wiped out and tired of excursions. However, one of Connor's top sights to visit included the Acropolis in Athens, and luckily he had a willing participant to join him. The next morning, our last full day in Athens, Jeff and Connor wore their matching Mykonos shirts and headed out to tour the Acropolis site and museum. They loved it and it was for sure one of Connor's favorite sites. The rest of us walked around Athens, enjoying the city and some local Greek cuisine as well. The weather was getting warmer but still such a beautiful day to soak in the Greek city life and culture. Later in the day, we set off for our final excursion, a trip to Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseiden about an hour away. We avoided the sunset crowds and had the place all to ourselves, with stunning views of the temple overlooking the sea. On the way back to Athens, we stopped for a lovely waterside meal with stunning views and enjoyed our last beautiful evening before our long journey home the following morning.
What an absolutely incredible vacation we had in Europe with memories made that we'll cherish forever! I felt beyond grateful for this amazing two weeks with my family and all of the epic experiences we had along the way. Ciao to Italy and Yassou to Greece, it was the adventure of a lifetime!
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