We were very jet lagged and didn't sleep much last night. We both woke up at 2:30am and stayed awake for ~ 4 hours reading before napping through the morning. Fortunately, the Centrotel had a generous check out policy. We left around noon and caught a taxi to the fancy King George Hotel in Syntagma Square. This 5 star hotel was typically ~9 times the price of the Centrotel, but it was included in the cruise package. Our room was nice, but smaller than the Centrotel and really didn't have any advantages except the very convenient location and lovely breakfast views.
We spent the afternoon exploring in the rain that Ryan has decided he brings with him wherever he travels. We walked to Monastiraki for a delicious lunch of Greek Salad, tzatziki, pita, and souvlaki. The recipes were similar to Greek restaurants in the US, but the quality was so much better because all of the ingredients were extremely fresh.
After lunch, we visited the impressive National Archaeological Museum. The collections are extensive and the statues, particularly of Zeus, Poseidon, and Aphrodite, are impressive. Unfortunately, I was overcome with jetlag and spent much of my time on the museum benches. I'm really glad we planned this extra day on our own so that I wouldn't be in this shape once the cruise started!
After a short nap back at the hotel, we met the Corinthian group at a welcome cocktail reception. The staff is exceptional and we definitely feel like we will be in great hands. The lecturers were very down to earth and nearly all of their planned lectures sound too good to miss.
Dinner was on our own so we walked to the nearly Everest (Greek version of Quiznos with grilled sandwiches to order) for a quick bite.
There were two best aspects to our trip:
1. The Adventure Life folks and the folks in Athens and Crete who supported our itinerary, guided us, and ran the cooking program were all superb.
2. Everything they all planned for us went without a hitch. When we needed a bit of help, they came through with really good answers.
We became aware of AL from a friend who had an excellent experience in a different location. So did we. We can recommend AL without reservation.
Tom Campbell
1 month ago
This will be the third trip I have arranged with Adventure Life and I find their customer service and helpfulness to be excellent. Sandra has been very knowledgeable in describing the details of the planned trip as well as the signing up process for the trip. I have and will continue to recommend Adventure Life as the best tour vendor I have had the pleasure to work with. Thank you for your continued excellence.
Linda Haugh
2 months ago
I was given all the information that I asked for and my questions were answered quickly. Very pleasant and knowledgeable agent.
Miriam Weininger
3 months ago
Agent was timely and informative
Amy Jordan
5 months ago
The rep Mary was excellent
Got back to me rightaway w any info requested
Process was easy so far
Thank you