Athens - Fall 2026

Our Greek adventure began in Athens with a smooth arrival, a beautiful hotel, and a very late night watching "American" football.

Our Stay at One&Only

For the Athens portion of our trip, we stayed at One&Only, which made coming back to the hotel something to look forward to.

Our room had outdoor sitting areas in both the front and back, with pale stone walls, comfortable seating, and greenery. The highlight of the room was the private pool and the heated bathroom floor.

Once we dropped off our bags, we went out to explore the surrounding area. One of our first discoveries was how familiar some of it felt: TGI Fridays, Starbucks, and McDonald’s were all represented. We had flown about ten hours to Greece and this area three blocks from the One&Only still felt like America!

That evening, we met some of TravelMan's colleagues for dinner. Later, we watched the Texas game and then Gator game at the bar and stayed up until 2:30 a.m. Because apparently, traveling halfway around the world doesn’t mean taking a Saturday off from college football!

Exploring Athens

The next day, we headed into Athens to explore on a group tour.

At the Parliament building, we watched the changing of the guards. Their traditional uniforms and carefully coordinated movements made this a memorable stop. The tour guide said they were proud of their subway system, so we headed down to look at the subway station. It was nice for a subway station, but we probably could have skipped this stop.

We also visited the Panathenaic Stadium. Seeing the sweeping rows of marble seating was impressive. TravelMan and I took a seat in the ornate chairs designated for the king and queen. Naturally, that required a photo.

Our visit included the passageway beneath the stands and displays about the history of the marathon. We also saw Hadrian’s Arch, with columns from the Temple of Olympian Zeus nearby. Athens gives you plenty of moments when an ordinary city outing suddenly puts you face-to-face with ancient ruins. We saved the Acropolis for the following day.

An Evening at Lake Vouliagmeni

That evening, we had dinner at Lake Vouliagmeni, one of the most beautiful settings of our first few days.

The towering rock formations surrounding the lake were what caught my attention immediately. In the evening light, the rugged cliffs and still water made a stunning backdrop for photos. Once darkness settled in, we gathered around the dinner table with TravelMan's colleagues.

It was a lovely way to end the day: good company, dinner by the water, and scenery that was hard to stop looking at.

A Morning at the Acropolis

Our next day centered on the Acropolis, including a morning tour and a close look at the Parthenon.

There were lots of stairs -- lots and lots of stairs. Up close, the scale of the columns and the details of the stonework gave us plenty to take in. We walked through the site, listened to our guide, and took the photos.

After the tour and lunch, we returned to the hotel for a break. This was exactly when that private pool earned its place on the favorites list. A morning of sightseeing followed by a quiet afternoon at the hotel is what I call balance on vacation.

A Private Museum Tour and Dinner with a View

That evening, we returned to Athens for a private tour of the Acropolis Museum, followed by dinner inside the museum.

Visiting after our morning at the Acropolis helped connect the objects on display with the site we had just explored. We saw the sculpted female figures known as Caryatids, and sections of glass flooring let us look down at the excavated remains beneath the museum. Even under our feet, there was more history to discover.

The evening ended with a view of the Acropolis illuminated against the night sky. After seeing it in the sunshine that morning, looking up at it glowing above the city felt like the perfect finish to the day.

A Yacht Trip to Hydra

The next day took us on a boat adventure as we headed to the island of Hydra by yacht. They were small yachts, but they were yachts, and we were happy to be aboard!

Approaching the harbor was beautiful. Boats filled the blue water, and pale buildings with red-tiled roofs climbed the hills behind the waterfront. Coming in by sea gave us a wonderful first look at the island.

On shore, one of the most memorable sights was watching donkeys carrying deliveries through town. We even saw them transporting large boxes of air-conditioning equipment. It made me miss my Amazon delivery man. Ha! There are only two cars on the island. So, it was walking or donkeys to get around.

We spent time exploring the harbor, enjoying lunch, and taking photos before heading back out on the water with our group. Along the way back to Athens, we stopped so anyone who wanted to could swim. The water was a gorgeous turquoise, and some of the people on our boat jumped right in. I was perfectly happy enjoying the view from the boat. At around 77 degrees, that water was well below this Florida girl’s swimming requirements! That evening, we wrapped up the day with a family-style Greek dinner.

Classic Cars and the Temple of Poseidon

Wednesday brought a change of pace, and a significant change in the weather. We headed to the Temple of Poseidon on a classic car tour, riding up in a vintage Volkswagen bus.

I didn’t get many photos of the other cars because of the rain. Also, full disclosure: cars aren’t really my thing. But our ride back caught my attention. Lou and I returned in a 1979 Mercedes convertible, the same kind of car I rode in for my fifth-grade patrol carpool. Sitting inside brought back memories, including just how small it felt.

I did have one objection: a car younger than me was being called vintage. I’m still processing that.

At the Temple of Poseidon, the stone columns stood against a cloudy sky, with the sea stretching out below the rocky coastline. Even with the gloomy weather, the setting was beautiful.

It was also incredibly windy. We wore earpieces to hear our tour guide, which were especially helpful that day. Between the wind, the rain, and the ancient columns overlooking the water, this visit had a very different feel from our sunny morning at the Acropolis.

Celebrating 50 Years on the Beach

That evening, we celebrated TravelMan’s company’s 50th anniversary with dinner on the beach, fireworks, and dancing.

The weather had turned chilly enough that the tent and heaters were very much appreciated. Thankfully, we could still enjoy the evening together, and the fireworks over the water made a beautiful backdrop for the celebration.

A Canceled Flight and a Change of Plans

Thursday was supposed to take us to Milos for the next chapter of our Greek adventure. However, we learned more about the rain and wind that had come in the previous day. A "medicane" (a storm in the Mediterranean that isn't quite a hurricane) had come in to stay for the next four days. Instead, of getting to fly to Milos, our flight was canceled as the weather disrupted travel to the smaller islands.

After a week of ancient landmarks, beautiful dinners, a yacht outing, and classic cars, we suddenly found ourselves figuring out what came next. It wasn’t the departure we had planned, and missing Milos was disappointing. But we weren’t ready to let the weather bring our adventure to a stop.

So we made a pivot, changed our plans, and headed somewhere entirely unexpected, PARIS, FRANCE! That deserves a post of its own.