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NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM
The New Acropolis Museum was supposed to be ready for the 2004 Olympics but you know how construction goes and it opened on June 21, 2009. The $200 million museum is quite impressive to say the least; it’s one of the nicest I’ve ever seen. Much of that is based on the location, which is unreal since it’s at the base of the Acropolis with direct views of the Parthenon.
GLASS RAMPS
The museum has five floors with over 14,000 square meters of exhibition space, enough room for 4,000 artifacts. My favorite touches are the glass ramps, walls and freestanding objects from the archaic and classical periods.
VIDEO OF MUSEUM
Photos are not allowed but I did find this official museum video on YouTube so you get a better feel.
MUSEUM HOURS New Acropolis Museum hours are Tuesday to Sunday: 8am to 8pm. It’s closed on Mondays and January 1, March 25, Easter Sunday, May 1 and December 25 and 26.
BOTTLED WATER
Even as the sun went down, it was really hot out. Buy bottled water from a street vendor – prices vary but I usually paid .50 euro).
ACROPOLIS
It was a dream come true when we visited the Acropolis, the flat-topped rock, 490 feet (150 meters) above sea level, depicting Greece's glorious past. The best time to visit is late in the afternoon after all the cruise passengers have left and the sun goes down.
HOLD ON TO YOUR TICKET
The Acropolis entrance fee is 12 euros but it’s good for multiple entries on multiple days (we went back two days in a row) and it’s valid for a number of museums (including the Acropolis Museum) and different areas of the Acropolis (including the North slope and South Slope) so be sure not to lose your ticket because you do need to keep showing it.
THEATRES
We spent time walking around the Acropolis’ Greek theater of Dionysus, the Roman theater of Herod Atticus and the ancient Agora.
PARTHENON
We made the climb up the smooth marble steps and saw the masterpieces of architecture like the Propylea, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens. But the highlight of course was the Parthenon, which was built as a temple to Athena in the fifth century B.C. and is considered the most perfect example of classical architecture in the world. My friends who had all visited before me were disappointed but to me, it was absolutely beautiful.
PLAKA
Natalie and I walked down the back of the Acropolis and ended up in the Plaka, which is an old preserved (and touristy) district of Athens. Plaka means "old" and it’s packed with stores, cafes and tourists.
SIT OUTSIDE
We tried to lose some of the crowd and have dinner on the outskirts of the Plaka on a cute, narrow street with grapes vines hanging over our heads. We went to a restaurant that was busy but had no idea how busy it would get. It turned out to be a haven for tour groups – at least three – mostly American but some Italian – showed up in herds. Luckily they were all inside while Natalie and I sat outside with all the stray cats looking for scraps of food. But it was still quiet, picturesque and romantic.
DINNER
For dinner I had a tomato salad (5e) to start and chicken souvlaki with rice and peas (9.50e) as my entrée. Natalie had the famous feta cheese and Pastourma. The food and service was just okay so we had dessert elsewhere (though we wanted to try their traditional Greek sweet "Pasteli" made with sesame and honey. But the owners were busy being sharks like the other restaurant owners, trying to bring in new business before bringing our dishes.
DESSERT
We walked four blocks down, took a right and we were back in the heart of the Plaka. It didn’t take long to find the perfect place to order a small (two scoops) Nutella gelato for three euro.
VIDEO
Here's a four-minute Johnny Jet video of my trip on Seabourn Odyssey. We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube.
NEXT WEEK Next week we take a three and a half hour flight from Athens to …
*If you heard about us somewhere else or have the link to the story please email Johnny Jet media and let us know where!
SOME OF LAST WEEK'S READER AIR-eMAIL
Love the videos! Keep them up. Wonderful travelogue, as usual. Judy S from Naples
I was on the ship at the same time. Being used to luxury cruising, I was disappointed in the service. I agree that the food is very good, but inconsistent. I recognize you and your lady in the pix. Sounds like you loved your trip! Keep this coming. Susan B -
In this newsletter, Turkish guide Eylem Kurnaz held a sign with "Mr. & Mrs. John Discala" on it. Did I miss the notice of John's marriage to Natalie? If not, are there any details of their meeting each other? Just being nosy ;>} Always enjoy the report, especially this one since I went to Mary's house near Ephesus when I was in the Navy and our ship went to Izmir. It was much less crowded in 1975 but it still looks the same! Dave H - La Mesa, California
Really enjoying this particular trip. We did an almost identical itinerary on Regent last year. I'm a bit behind in reading "Where is Johnny Jet" because we just returned from a cruise ourselves (Southampton to Monte Carlo). From reading your thoughts on the Seabourn Odyssey, it occurred to me that this is probably Johnny's first luxury cruise. Now that he has tapped into this new (and very popular) area, I'm really hoping that he will try at least one more luxury cruise for comparison sake. I'm a big CruiseCritic.com contributor (this is just a hobby - not affiliated with them or the travel industry in any way). Here is information on the other four luxury cruise lines:
1. Regent (http://www.rssc.com) has slightly larger ships (450-700) than Seabourn, is also all-inclusive, and, for the rest of 2009 and 2010, includes airfare and all excursions (if booked by September 30th).
2. Silversea (http://www.silversea.com) has a new ship debuting in January, the Spirit – 450 passengers. They, too, are offering free air.
3. Crystal (http://www.crystalcruises.com/) is approx. 1,000 passengers, is not all-inclusive, but their new promotion. gives passengers up to $2,000 ship board credit to handle tips, drinks, etc.
4. Seadream (http://www.seadreamyachtclub.com/) All-inclusive, smaller ships -- not overly familiar with this one. It's worth looking at their website if you haven't already.
Since the Odyssey is Johnny's "first", it will likely remain his favorite. Still, his insight into one or two of the other lines would be wonderful. (Note: there is space on the one we just booked – Cape Town to Rio on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager in November?
Jackie R - Bellingham, WA.
Vanessa, my brother and his wife recently celebrated their 40th anniversary at the Huntington Hilton with about 50 family and friends. Service was attentive, dinner was great and the accommodations comfortable. Couple all that with a great sunset view over the water and it was a sure hit. (Of course, his children planned it all, so they deserve the credit). Joe E - Camarillo, CA
Always been place i want to see Bodrum sounds way cool is it? Max H – Massachusetts
I love it there. Justin W – Santa Barbara
I'm jealous, the greek islands are my favorite and have been wanting to go to Turkey now for a few years. Enjoy! Jennifer D – Hermosa Beach, CA
*Please note that we reserve the right to post excerpts, perhaps edited, from your message on the Johnny Jet website and newsletter. We will not use your full name without your express permission. If you'd rather not have your message posted on the website or newsletter, just say so and it won't be.
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