Aegina
Went to go and visit my former boss George. I have heard so much about his island while I was on the ship, Akis and I figured it would be better for me to go and see him there than to see him and Vasso in Athens.
The day trip consists of a Ferry ride from the port across to the island.
The time it takes on the ferry depends on which boat you take. As it turns out, we took the second slowest boat across making our trip each way 1hr and 35 minutes. Hey, I guess you can enjoy the ride. The quicker boats include the 'Flying Dolphin' which takes about 45 minutes from shore to shore. I think on the way home we were lapped by the dolphin!
The lowdown on the island is as follows from a website regarding Greek Islands:
AEGINA (EGINA or ENGIA) (pronounced Ayeena) sits in the Saronic Gulf just 20 miles from the mainland. It's so near you can even see it from the Acropolis on a clear day. It's a small, roughly triangular island about eight miles by six. To the north and west are fertile coastal plains, noted for crops of pistachios, almonds and figs. To the east and south are hills rising to the conical Mount Oros (Zeus, Profitis Illias) and a long rocky ridge with narrow fertile valleys on either side.
The islanders that don't commute to Athens either work in tourism or grow pistachios olives and citrus. So many now commute that the island suffers suburban problems of lack of parking and nightime traffic noise (mopeds mainly). Mainland weekenders give the island a party atmosphere, especially in the capital and it's popular with tour operators thanks to easy transfers, hotels galore, a photogenic temple at Aphiaia and many sightseeing excursions to the mainland. There is a small artistic community with a reputation for fine ceramics and it's well worth seeking out their small shops in the back alleys of Aegina Town.
The town itself is really quite quaint and it is a real contrast from the mainland. Despite the comments that there are issues with traffic and noise, I didn't find it all that bad and we went on a Saturday. First impressions were from the harbour...
And of course the next order of business was finding coffee. The coffee place was located right on the water with the traditional White and Blue that is associated with Greek architecture. It was very nice to see what all of the calendars and postcards brag about... Here I met Vasso!
After finishing the coffees, it was time for a swim. We headed down the coast and ended up doubling back as the place we went was full! There really is no bad place to be as you can pull over just about anywhere and swim. This is where we ended up.
We rounded out the day with lunch ~ at 4:30pm. I guess I am starting to get used to this. It was also my first experience with Ouzo. Again, the food was good and the scenery amazing!
The day trip consists of a Ferry ride from the port across to the island.
The time it takes on the ferry depends on which boat you take. As it turns out, we took the second slowest boat across making our trip each way 1hr and 35 minutes. Hey, I guess you can enjoy the ride. The quicker boats include the 'Flying Dolphin' which takes about 45 minutes from shore to shore. I think on the way home we were lapped by the dolphin!
The lowdown on the island is as follows from a website regarding Greek Islands:
AEGINA (EGINA or ENGIA) (pronounced Ayeena) sits in the Saronic Gulf just 20 miles from the mainland. It's so near you can even see it from the Acropolis on a clear day. It's a small, roughly triangular island about eight miles by six. To the north and west are fertile coastal plains, noted for crops of pistachios, almonds and figs. To the east and south are hills rising to the conical Mount Oros (Zeus, Profitis Illias) and a long rocky ridge with narrow fertile valleys on either side.
The islanders that don't commute to Athens either work in tourism or grow pistachios olives and citrus. So many now commute that the island suffers suburban problems of lack of parking and nightime traffic noise (mopeds mainly). Mainland weekenders give the island a party atmosphere, especially in the capital and it's popular with tour operators thanks to easy transfers, hotels galore, a photogenic temple at Aphiaia and many sightseeing excursions to the mainland. There is a small artistic community with a reputation for fine ceramics and it's well worth seeking out their small shops in the back alleys of Aegina Town.
The town itself is really quite quaint and it is a real contrast from the mainland. Despite the comments that there are issues with traffic and noise, I didn't find it all that bad and we went on a Saturday. First impressions were from the harbour...
And of course the next order of business was finding coffee. The coffee place was located right on the water with the traditional White and Blue that is associated with Greek architecture. It was very nice to see what all of the calendars and postcards brag about... Here I met Vasso!
After finishing the coffees, it was time for a swim. We headed down the coast and ended up doubling back as the place we went was full! There really is no bad place to be as you can pull over just about anywhere and swim. This is where we ended up.
We rounded out the day with lunch ~ at 4:30pm. I guess I am starting to get used to this. It was also my first experience with Ouzo. Again, the food was good and the scenery amazing!
posted by Carrie @ 1:54 AM
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