Athens

The airport where we landed in 1981 when we celebrated Gaby’s 16th birthday was very near the city, small, dingy, crowded and had almost no way-finding signs in English. Yesterday’s arrival was a pleasant surprise – new, spacious, well laid out and signs in many languages everywhere meant that finding our Road Scholar greeter was very simple.

The location is in the valley that was agricultural when we were there but it allowed the implementation of an infrastructure of trains, roads and airplanes to be we’ll coordinated. This was all part of the preparation for the Summer Olympics and was completed in 2001. It also was a key part of the colossal debt for the country, one it still suffering from, but increasingly less so.

We are staying further away from the Parthenon that I have ever stayed in Athens. The historic site can be seen from the 9th floor bar here in the Wyndham Grand. The hotel is on a Square which room looks over.

It is hardscape mostly, meaning the maintenance is low except for sweeping. But it retains space and that is key in cities.