Piraeus. Aegina and Cyprus
- KB Cook
- Dec 11, 2025
- 22 min read
Day 70 Athens/Piraeus
[In the previous blog, I reported on the end of the EF Tour in Athens, so now I continue on with my 2025 travel report.]
The taxi dropped me at the Twinn Downtown Piraeus and I left my gear in storage. Out onto the street, I decided to use the day to gauge timing, terrain and distances for the activities I had scheduled for the week. I got shots of the theater, which became a landmark, just down the street. Across the plaza in front of the Dimotiki Theatro was the Ierós Mitropolitikós Naós Agíon Konstantínou & Elénis, a large pale yellow Greek Orthodox church. A street bar, Leukes Nuxtes Beerhouse, blew me away: open air to the sidewalk, heavily decorated with statues and paintings. My first stop was the Filon Hotel, where I’d stay Thursday night after my return from Cyprus and close to the cruise port where I’d board on Friday.
Next stop was to check out the port, finding berths A and B, and feeling they were an easy walk. Another large orthodox domed building, Church of Agios Nikolaos, was set up a serious set of steps. It appeared close, despite the 11am hour. Albeit it was a Sunday, I spent the next hour window shopping and surveying the city. A few public art murals on building walls caught my eye,
Back at Twinn, they were ready to check me in. The room was functional, the foot of the bed near a full wall window out to the busy street below. Little space in the bath, but the shower had a door. No floor space to speak of, so I planned to use the bed for unpacking.
Back out, I decided to return to the Filon and ask whether I could store my bigger roller there while I was in Cyprus. They agreed, and I arranged it for the following afternoon. Locating the ferry port was next on my list, and I determined I needed gate 8, so walked to the waterfront and then strolled until I found the correct entry point. Past 3pm, I decided to grab a bite, getting a sandwich roll at the corner bakery and a bottle of Mythos beer from the hotel bar. I ate at a table in the reception area, and then headed to the room to freshen up and journal my day so far. I organized my gear, preparing for three nights with just the small roller. Using the hotel WiFi, I did email and Facebook, and relaxed with the sun pouring in the window.
At 7, I decided to head out to find supper. Despite being downtown, being Sunday there weren’t many options for dining. Down a side street, Refene offered service at small tables on the sidewalk. I started with their house salad, followed by a Kebap order. While I (thought I) ordered a half-liter of red, I was served rosé. A small block of cake was dessert, getting away for less than 30€.
Day 71 Aegina/Piraeus
Monday morning I was up, checked out with my gear in storage, and heading down the hill to the ferry port. Getting clarifying instructions, I joined a group waiting to board the spiffy new red-and-black catamaran high-speed ferry. We were off timely at 9:30, and seemingly flew across the Saronic Gulf to the port of Aegina, arriving 10 minutes behind schedule.
Relying on Google Maps, I sought the sole cathedral on the island. The 6km walk was to take 90 minutes, the Holy Church of Saint Nectarios of Aegina, its name nearly matching the researched Cathedral of Saint Nectarios.
The route took me through the town and then up into “suburbs”, where residences had arbors planted with pistachio trees. Unknown to me, the green nut is a major export for the island’s community, so the trees displace the usual olive trees. It was a gradual climb, allowing me to look north over the dwellings closer to the sea, and seeing the mainland even further away. As I hiked along, the ground looked more and more desert-like, but pistachio trees continued to abound.
Finally, coming around a bend, I spotted the tile-covered dome and belltower. A monastery, it sits near the top of a rise. Multiple stories filled with lacy white lattice in arched openings. The exterior was stunning. However, once inside the vault, scaffolding filled the central nave, supporting a large circular platform used for repairing the dome mural. Unusual for me, I found that there was an ambulatory which nearly circled the inner nave space, allowing views of the crossing from many angles.
Spotting what I felt was the cathedra, I got pictures of it as well as the ornately carved wooden 3-part iconostasis. At one end of the walk was a chapel, where the iconography breathtakingly told the tale of the Last Judgement. Completing my circuit inside, I walked the covered palladium-like balcony, viewing the nearby hills. Down to the base level, I viewed the hall, a temporary worship space, through the dirty glass windows.
There was a taxi in front of the building when I was finished, so I decided that I was meant to ride down, having climbed the distance. A 12-minute ride, he dropped me in town, and I poked into a fishmonger’s shop, walked the cover street markets selling produce, and found The Tour Grill House, a restaurant to sit and relax over lunch. Ordering too much food, tzatziki with fried zucchini and a pair of sausage wraps, I wound up eating mainly the zucchini and meat covered with the dip. I probably should have ordered a kebab platter.
With a return ticket for the 3:30 ferry, the next hour found me strolling the narrow streets, looking in shops, admiring the umbrella-and-flower hung alleys, shopping for pistachio nuts and ice cream. After sitting a bit in a bit of rare shade, I headed to the port. There, 5 minutes before the ferry arrived, was an information display. I learned the actual cathedral, Mitropoli Eginis, is in the port town, inland from the waterfront about a half kilometer. I would get to come back!
The ferry boarded, crossed to Piraeus, and I walked up the hill to the Twinn. Getting my gear, I tried to get the receptionist to get me more precise information for the KTEL bus station I’d need in 12 days. Finding it too difficult, I called for an Uber to take me out to my lodgings near the airport. Unfortunately, the online booking service for the hotel reservation neglected to forward the messages from Villa Vravrona, who would have sent a car for me. The Uber driver took me over a number of dirt paths and unpaved roads while we tried to locate the Villa.
The gate was locked when I arrived, but fortunately the two other guests were heading to the nearby Temple of Diana ruins, and I was able to get in and meet the host. My guesthouse room was ground level, looked out onto a pond and a pool, with a veranda behind that. An open staircase gave access to a loft with twin beds. In the corner was a small kitchen space, and the bathroom was efficient.
Out in the middle of nowhere, it was a nice quiet retreat. The veranda served as a bar and restaurant, albeit a limited menu. Taking my journal out to the terrace, I began recalling my day as I sipped on the first of two glasses of Greek white wine. The appetizer platter, a mound of local delights, turned out to be all I needed, although I capped the evening with ouzo. I was in bed by 9:30, as we 3 guests were anticipating a taxi at 5 the next morning.
Day 72 Cyprus 1
At 5 I pulled the small roller out to the gate, where the two younger women from Cleveland soon joined me. The taxi driver loaded us up, and took us to the airport. Dropped at International, I found my way to check-in at Aegean Air and got my boarding pass. At security, the agent decided my toothpaste tube was dangerously large and confiscated it, and almost took the jar of Vicks.
From the waiting lounge, we were called in groups, filling 4 buses which brought us well out into midfield to board the plane for Larnaca, Cyprus. Initially, it looked like I’d have 3 seats, but a (rather) late bus brought a straggler, causing us to leave 30 minutes delayed. Less than an hour and a half in the air, by 9:45 I was heading to immigration, which took 45 minutes despite staying in the EU but leaving the Schengen zone. Out of the terminal, I found Marios and his sleek Mercedez. Getting the bag into the boot, we were soon setting off for Limassol.
When working initially with my ToursByLocals guide, I’d developed a route that followed the coast counterclockwise to the west. Four cathedrals and one significant church, crossing the border away from Nicosia to avoid security queues, as I was staying on the Turkish-controlled side. Limassol is a significantly important city, as it is the cruise port for Cyprus, as well as a ferry landing for Israel. My goal was the Ayia Napa Cathedral / Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίας Νάπας, built at the start of the twentieth century.
Byzantine in style, twin rounded towers stake the north and south corners of the western facing front façade. A covered porch with six columns marks 5 arched doorways. The nave, filled with wooden upholstered armchairs for pews, leads to the crossing under a lanterned dome. A gallery sits above the side aisles, using the height of the vault. The iconostasis is ivory marble in front of the back wall behind the sanctuary: an arch filled with icon murals and a shallow tall niche with an icon of Mary.
In the center of the dome is the icon of The Pantocrator surrounded by winged angels. The lantern has 12 lights, with representations of the Apostles between them. At the rim are more angels, performing on musical instruments. The Evangelists, shown writing the Gospels, are painted in the pendentives. Photographing had many challenges – trees and a gate in front outside, cordons roping off areas and access in the interior.
Continuing to the west, we arrived in the southwest corner of the island: the city of Paphos. Our first stop was the Church of Panagia Theoskepasti / Παναγία Θεοσκέπαστη, a Greek Orthodox church rebuilt in 1923 on the site of a tenth century church. Brilliant stonework, the building is raised on a plinth reached by a long set of stairs. Unfortunately, it was closed (a usual state, per the Internet) so I was unable to view the treasured icons.
While we headed to the next on my list, we had to pass by the Greek Orthodox cathedral, so we stopped at the Agios Theodoros Cathedral / Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίου Θεοδώρου. On arrival, the building was locked. Crossing to the episcopal building, while watching the bishop climb to his quarters, a younger monk heard me plead my case and allowed me 5 minutes for pictures.
A long, narrow building with a rectangular footprint, five peaked dormers and a belltower are visible from the north plaza, with a half-dome apse to the east. Entry is into the longer north side, revealing an elaborate series of murals covering a predominately blue vault filled with gold stars. Icons of standing holy saints, with pairs of stained-glass windows set into the walls, were topped with medallions. Above, in arches of the dormers, scenes from the Old Testament, with more saints depicted in the actual vaults.
Still in Paphos, we headed to the Latin Cathedral - Panagia Galatariotissa / Παναγία Γαλαταριώτισσα. (Galatariotissa means milky or milk-white.) Research foretold a ruins, and the small tree-covered plot off Apostolou Pavlou Avenue proved to be a jumble of stones and a surviving column/arch.
I clambered around the rubble, squeezing passed the closely growing mature olive trees to find angles. It had been built in 1300, collapsed in the 1600’s
An hour later after passing through stunning landscapes, we arrived in Peristerona at the Saint Mamantos Cathedral / Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Μάμαντος. Set uphill on a side of the rising land, the iron gates were closed, guarded by two red-orange lion statues.
Marios found parking, and we entered the grounds and began trying all the doors. All locked. So I did my circuit, noting the near flat roofline (opposing dormers, no dome, as in Paphos.) Using the phone, I tried to grab a view into the nave through the heavy grillwork over the glass in the doors, without much success.
Leaving the hilly arid interior, we continued north to the coastal road along Chrysochou Bay. My notes remark on the great deep blue of the water, and pristine beaches. At about the east end of the bay, the road zigged inland about 2 miles, climbing to avoid the Kokkina enclave. Marios explained that this small patch of land was held by Turkish Cypriots, now occupied only by soldiers. With the partitions in 1962 and 1974, locals aligned with North Cyprus stayed, and the enclave is now a sticking point politically. Photography is restricted in the area.
Back along the shoreline, as we came to Morphou Bay, we reached the half-mile wide demarcation line between the Republic of Cyprus and North Cyprus. Apparently queues are long and slow at the several crossing in Nicosia, but the Günebakan crossing was a breeze. (I’d spoken with my Turkish Cypriot guide to ensure Marios could drive me through – there had been some question, as certain checkpoints are limited to Cypriots only.)
While on my journey through the Balkans, I had modified my daytrips.com booking to add Koruçam to my itinerary. Sirin, my “Turkish” guide, implied that it might be difficult to visit the cathedral there as well as the other North Cyprus sites on her itinerary. This required Marios to continue to follow the coast to bring me to the St George Cathedral / Καθεδρικός Ναός Άγιος Γεώργιος. A tall sandstone-colored building with windows only at the roofline, it faces south on the side of a light rise.
After taking my outside shots, I tried the doors to find them all locked. Marios suggested we might want to use the facilities and have a break, adjourning to the neighboring café. After ordering a lemonade and visiting the head, I learned that Father Andrei, the caretaker, had been relaxing in the café having his afternoon coffee. Marios had explained my passion, and the good Father kindly escorted me into the building.
Coming in the side door, I was quite surprised to find an unadorned nave. More research determined it is the seat of the Maronite Christians still in the 4 villages around Kormakitis/Korucam, and is considered their cathedral although the archbishop has a cathedral in the Greek side of Nicosia. Reminding me of many churches that I’ve visited in Italy, I found elements of their Lebanese heritage. There is even a roped off cathedra in the sanctuary. Father Andrei told me the bishop was in Lebanon for a conclave.
We returned to the café, and I bought the several men there a round of coffee. About 15 miles later, Marios pulled up in front of TasEv Boutique Hotel in Lefkoşa, my lodgings for two nights. After sending him on his way with a good tip, I brought my bag up a flight of stairs to the front room. Out my window was Arapahmet Camii Mosque, with a seriously evident minaret. Having arrived after the evening call to prayer, I internally dreaded the alarm-like effect due in the morning.
After settling in, I set out looking for an ATM, as I needed local currency. Accomplishing that task, my next objective was bottled water, so I studied the storefronts and buildings on my way back to my room. Along the way I spotted a brewpub, and knew where I’d have dinner. Cattycorner to the hotel was a small market, so I got my water and a few nibbles. Back to the Wall Inn Brew Pub, I had a Belgian Dubble with my sliced beef tacos. Both were so good that I ordered a second round of each. While filling a page in my journal, the call to sunset prayers echoed through the neighborhood.
Back to the room, I backed up my photos and then handled a day’s worth of email. A bit more reading and then I went horizontal.
Day 73 Cyprus 2
Dawn prayers rang out at 4:30, but I rolled over and returned to sleep, not getting up until about 8. The guesthouse served breakfast in a shaded open-air patio. A thin omelet filling the plate had added slices of potato, bell peppers and onions. A platter of sliced fruits and vegetables, basket of bread, conserves, and a tray of cheese slices with crackers accompanied the eggs and coffee, more than overwhelming me.
Setting out, I headed to a border crossing per Maps, only to find it walled off. The Turkish side has reduced the number of crossings all along the line, and some are restricted to residents of the island only. Barricades, razor wire, soldiers with weapons – I kept my camera lens covered and head down. Wending my way, I finally queued up at the Paphos gate, passing easily into the Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The latter is about a third of the island, the north / eastern end.
There were six cathedrals in Nicosia on my list, and I decided to head to the furthest away, to work my way back to the sole one in Lefkosa, as the Turkish side of the capital is called. It took me about an hour walking 4km in dappled shade, following streets that curved around topography. The Holy Mother of God Cathedral / Sourp Asdvadzadzin / Saint Mary's Armenian Church / Αρμενική Εκκλησία Αστβατσατσιν is a simple white building facing west on a triangular plot. Consecrated in 1981, it replaced the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Tyre, which is on the north side of the border. The neighborhood I was in is called Strovolos.
The present building has bare soft white walls and vault, dark wooden pews with red seat cushions cover a marble floor set in a geometric pattern. Oil paintings of religious scenes are placed sporadically around the nave walls. An octagonal lantern rises above the crossing; its glass panes etched with black lines.
A funeral was about to start, so I quickly took my interior photos. As the mourners began entering, I had a chance to speak with the priest, and he bemoaned the loss of significant landholdings by the resident Armenians and the Armenian Apostolic Church as a result of the partition.
Heading out about 2.6km to the north, I passed through more neighborhoods to the City Center of Nicosia. Apartment buildings, office towers, commercial establishments all filled in the sides of the streets, an evidence of a thriving modern community. Filling the north end of a large city block, St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral / Αγγλικανική Εκκλησία Αποστόλου Παύλου is surrounded on three sides by mature trees., including the west-facing entry. The exterior is comprised of cut sand-colored stone with a red tile roof. A small short belltower rises at the north arm of the transept. In my notes I compared it to a small country church. On my first attempt to enter, the door seemed stuck, so I found the office to get instructions to put my shoulder into it.
The nave has a single aisle, with redwood pews pushed up to the walls. Stained-glass windows are placed between the wooden arches supporting the bare wood vault. The sanctuary is set up steps behind an altar rail, the worship table at the front of the small apse. A wooden bench runs the width of the apse, with the seat for the bishop at the center.
Continuing north, I walked along the wall of the Tennis Club. Maps directed me along a straight path which doesn’t exist, so I wandered into the club looking for guidance, used their facilities, and left without seeing anyone.
Crossing through the archeological area of the ancient Paphos Gate (not the border crossing), I came to the Franciscan Holy Cross Church which I decided to visit. I much admired the three-panel stained-glass window at the rear of the apse.
A closer inspection of Maps revealed that Holy Cross and my immediate goal were in a nearly surrounded pocket within the North Cyprus side. Finally located, Our Lady of Grace Maronite Cathedral / Εκκλησία Παναγία των Χαρίτων is a block south of Holy Cross. With light olive gray trim on an off-white surface, the façade is very rectilinear.
While it was locked, I rang the door to the rectory, and the priest admitted me and pointed to the door from the office/sacristy. The nave is tall but narrow, with 2-3 person pews in four ranks. Large arched windows held stained-glass, repeating the format with the center featuring a different saint. Behind the altar is a mosaic of the patron.
Having completed half my day’s plan, I realized that I’d better swap the order of the next two, as I’d actually reach #5 on my way to #4. Out of the Lefkosa pocket and into the commercial streets of Nicosia, the noontime shopping district was empty.
Despite triangular pieces of canvas shading the street below, only a few stragglers were out in the heat of the sun. After passing through and along some archeological digs, I entered the large open square with the Apostle Barnabas Cathedral / Καθεδρικός Ναός Αποστόλου Βαρνάβα Λευκωσίας squat in the middle.
The “new cathedral”, St Barnabas has the traditional Greek cross footprint, with a large central dome at its center. The exterior is a faded light yellow, with red tiles on the curved roofs. Five columns holding curved arches provide cover for the entries from north, west and east. The interior is a brilliant white (in the reflection of the bright sun.)
With few exceptions, the walls are empty, however the dome displays the Christ Pantocrator. The iconostasis is heavily gilded, with icons on the panels and doors; a red and black marble tile geometric pattern covers the floor in front. Similar mosaic displays filled the open flooring.
Out the door and around the Archbishop’s Palace stands St. John's Cathedral / Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίου Ιωάννη, which is the “old cathedral” for the Greek Orthodox sect. Now part of the neighboring Byzantine Museum, it is a narrow rectangular stone building, about two stories high. A four-story belltower stands at the apse end in the southeast. Photography is prohibited, but I was in such awe of these 350-year-old murals that I resorted to bribing the guards with a 20€ contribution to the church. With security’s approval, the guard then encouraged me to take 3 more than the 2 pictures I’d bargained for. I left stoked!
The final cathedral required a return to Lefkosa, so I wandered a bit looking for an open border crossing. On my way I passed an open-air bar called Berlin Wall (how appropriate!) Looking down blocked streets, I saw well-kept abodes and a street ending in a three-story wall. Small Greek and Cypriot flags hang in streamers between buildings over the dead-end street.
I stuck my head (and camera) into one more Orthodox church before I made the 20-minute border crossing and walk to the Selimiye Mosque, historically known as the Cathedral of Saint Sophia / Ayasofya Mosque. It was the Latin, or Western Catholic cathedral in Cyprus until overrun by Ottomans in 1570, when it was converted into a mosque.
Built in the 13th-15th centuries in a Gothic style, the interior still bears the crossed arches and columns of a great church. Albeit the Moslem removed all Christian symbols and the pews, putting down a peacock blue carpet, which was a bit disconcerting. To me, it felt like being inside a balsa-wood model. I exited, looking up to the pair of minarets which now bracket the western entrance.
Completing my “obsession rounds”, it was about half past three. Siran, my guide for the following day, was meeting classmates at 5 at Büyük Han, at a café within a historic bazaar nearby, and she had invited me to join them, so I had 90 minutes to kill. I walked to Büyük Han, which turned out to be a two-story repurposed caravanserai. I strolled around the shops on both levels, finding a shady spot to sit and enjoy a glass of pinot grigio.
At 5 I found the group, numbering about a dozen, sitting at a long table at Sedirhan Restaurant. I sat at the far end, as they were conversing mainly in Turk. With an Effs beer, they ordered a Kryma böreği, a meat pie platter with ricotta, meat and halloumi. After a bit, Sirin’s brother arrived; he living in Florence, so I had someone to speak with for a while.
While the conversations were rolling around me, I did some additional research and found the location of Our Lady of Tyre Church, which had been the Armenian cathedral 1308-1310. Maps showed it was sort-of on the way back to my lodgings, so I went for a visit. My path took me along the border wall to my left, past kebab restaurants and an interesting yoga wall mural. The church is currently non-functioning, but has been restored. Supposedly barred to visitors, I guess coming at a late hour and slipping into unlocked doors allowed me into the nave for a few pictures. Its belltower proved to be my guiding point.
Completing my less than a kilometer walk to my lodgings, I noted that there hadn’t been a housekeeping visit. The room was warm, so I ran the air conditioning for a bit, and then opened the windows. A rock band was playing, but it stopped before the call to evening prayers rang out from the Arapahmet Mosque across the street. Resigned to another night on a hard mattress, I folded after journaling and photo backups.
Day 74 Cyprus 3
Waking at 8 after rolling over for the dawn prayers, I had another elaborate breakfast put before me, but I limited myself to the omelet, bread, cheese and coffee. Sirin arrived just before 9 and chatted with my hosts while I completed packing and got my gear downstairs. The original plan was start with a ride north to Korucam, but I’d visited St George’s on my arrival day, so we headed to Tuzla.
Site of the St Barnabas Monastery, now an icon museum, the monastery had revered and kept the tomb of the apostle Barnabas safe. Located on a dry flat plain, the several domed buildings and surrounding walls welcomed us after an hour drive. Inside murals adorn the walls in museum space, and an iconostasis fits into the face of the apse. On the walls are revered icons from many formerly Orthodox churches in North Cyprus, assembled to preserve Cypriot heritage. Fortunately, these images have been saved, as Islam prohibits representations of people and animals.
Excavations had yielded vast archeological treasures which were nicely displayed in the buildings of the former monastery’s cloister. Leaving the walls, we walked past excavated ruins, foundations of older buildings, awaiting further study. Across the road was a smaller domed stone building, the burial place of St Barnabas. Inside and down a narrow flight of stairs, the hallowed space is covered by a cloth.
After more than an hour, Sirin continued her tour by taking me to the remains of the ancient city of Salamis, where both the Greeks and Romans had flourished. We walked the huge Roman amphitheater(seating 15K), and the “forest of Salamis” – numerous white columns with statues filling the field. I took great delight in following the paths laid out through the ruins, finding mosaics of flooring and murals in arches. To the east was the Famagusta Bay.
By half-past twelve, we were seated in Eziç Restaurant in Famagusta. I ordered a chargrilled sea bass salad with a glass of rosé. At the end of a cul-de-sac, the multi-level facility was open to the brilliant sun.
After a lovely lunch, we headed through the Venetian walls into the historic grounds of the moated city also known as Gazimağusa. Numerous remains of buildings, many of them former churches, littered the dry grassy enclosure. Conservation had restored and renovated many, with more work planned.
My goal was the former Cathedral of St Nicholas, now Lala Mustafa Paşa camii / Καθεδρικός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου, a mosque. After the outside shots, we headed to the entry and removed our shoes.
Geometric designs covered the carpeting, the stained-glass windows and lower walls. The vault walls are white, with large clerestory windows filling the space with sunlight. Being there completed my mission to visit the cathedrals of Cyprus.
However, Sirin still had more church ruins for me to see, as we continued to wander through this historic space. The Franciscan Church was particularly well restored. And then we came to the Sinan Pasa Camii / “St Peter and St Paul Cathedral”, per the sign. Online, it is referred to as St John’s and St Paul’s Church, and doesn’t include naming it a cathedral.
One more larger ruins to view. The Church of St George of the Greeks, Chapel of St Symon has an informational placard which implies that the complex built in the 1360 might have been the seat of Bishop St Symon as an Orthodox cathedral.
By 3:30, we’d walked our fill, and needed a sitting-down break. Into a café, besides the facilities, we enjoyed a cup of ice cream. Back to the car, we drove through a thriving city of Famagusta, streets lined with named brands shops, busy with both vehicles and pedestrians.
Then we moved on to something completely different. The Famagusta suburb of Varosha is to the south of the historic city, occupying a 6km² stretch of seaside. It is completely fenced in, guarded by North Cyprus military, and has serious checkpoint controls. No photography is allowed. In August 1974, the Turkish military advanced, causing the Greek Cypriot population to flee. The area was fenced, and the population dropped from 15,000 to 226; once popular to the jet set as a celebrity luxury resort town, buildings are now vacant. In recent years, resort corporations have opened day-use beach facilities, but all must clear out by curfew. I have a few photos approaching and of the seashore, taken outside the zone.
Heading to Pyla to cross the Green Line, we were blessed with a quick and easy crossing. From there to the Larnaca airport was quick, and Sirin soon dropped me at the terminal at 5:30. I attempted to switch to the earlier Athens flight, but it was full, so I resigned to wait for my 9pm flight. Larnaca Airport is quite luxe, grand in a European tourist style. I hung out at gate 26, observing between reading and handling email.
The Thursday evening flight went without a hitch, and I was able to get my roll-on out to the pickup point. The arranged driver was there, and we headed to the Filon Hotel in Piraeus. There, I collected my stored large suitcase and headed up to my room.
Day 75 NCL Viva 1 – boarding in Athens
Awakening at 8, my first concern was to get online to arrange for bill payments. With two of my credit cards out of commission, it was quick and easy. I was still tired, as the bed was too firm, and the shower was only a handheld. At least the blackout curtains were effective, as I was facing east. I’d removed the duvet from its cover, and slept comfortably with just the sheet.
Packing, I headed downstair and checked out, leaving my luggage while I headed out to replenish what airport security had confiscated. Toothpaste, and moisturizer were top of the list, as well as needing batteries for the flashlight. I found the drug store items, and figured I’d get batteries on Mykonos. A stop at the ATM for euros (mainly 50€ notes), and I returned to collect my bags.
Having walked to the pier earlier that week, I figured it would be a simple hike. Well, I’d seen berths A and B, and NCL was a G, so when a taxi driver came by, I opted for the 10€ ride. Once in the cruise terminal, I couldn’t find my electronic paperwork, and checking the NCL site was useless. Fortunately, my passport allowed the check-in staff to find my records and issue me a boarding pass key.
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