After breakfast this morning we checked out of the hotel, leaving our luggage in their store room to collect later. We headed down on to the Underground to go and spend our last morning in Central Athens.
Disembarking the Metro just by the university, we walked down towards Syntagma and then down the pedestrianised Ermou shopping street. The 15th August public holiday now open, Ermou was alive again with the shops all open for business and trains on the Underground now running at 5-7 minute intervals instead of the 15-20 we’d had over the long weekend.
We stopped in the Public store, which sells books, CDs, vinyl, DVDs, computers, lapops and mobile phones (plus accessories). This was a good opportunity to buy myself a Greek CD – a Πάνος Κιάμος album – as well as a birthday card for Dad, as his birthday is tomorrow.
We continued on down towards Monastiraki/Μοναστηράκι Square, and then headed up another pedestrianised shopping street in the direction of the Cathedral. Located in Mitropoleos Square stands (to give it its full name) the Metropolican Cathedral of Annunciation/Καθεδρικός Ναός Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου.
Time was getting on so we headed down on to the Underground back at Syntagma and returned to collect our luggage from the hotel. We then walked round the corner to the bus stop to await the 051 service from Omonoia to the KTEL Kifissou terminal.
Within an hour, just after 13:00 we were safely on the coach (I say safely – it had no seatbelts and we were practically sitting on our bags – but anyway) and we reversed out of the stand and started the journey back to the Ionian.
The half way stop was at a service station just outside Antirrio/Αντίρριο. After a 20 minute stop – time to go to the toilet and grab a quick bite to eat/drink, it was back on to the coach and then we were heading up to Amfilochia/Αμφιλοχία before turning towards the West towards the Ionian islands.
We arrived back at Lefkada’s KTEL terminal shortly after 18:30. Now the last leg of the journey: the 18:45 bus from Lefkada, heading in the direction of Nydri/Νυδρί and of course, our destination Lygia/Λυγιά.
Tomorrow is Dad’s birthday and we will also be in to the second week of our holiday. The second week will see us out and about in the car exploring the island of Lefkada.
Time for some rest now.
FH.