Abandoning our original plans to rent a car and drive out to the northeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula to explore ancient ruins, we instead decide to take it easy and just wander around Piraeus today. It is such a beautiful day, we’d rather be outside walking and wandering rather than fighting traffic and driving most of the day.  So relax and wander we do!

Setting our sites on the St. Elias……at the top of Kastella, the highest point in Piraeus with reportedly renowned views, we hit the pavement, starting at sea level and quickly heading uphill.  And uphill. And uphill. And uphill.  We are talking steep inclines with absolutely no break for the entire ¾ mile walk.  Brutal!  But the Groves of Prophet Elias – the gardens surrounding the Holy Church of the Prophet Elias – are a lovely reward. And the views?  They are definitely worth the climb.  180 degrees around the coastline, all the way up to Athens where you can actually see the Acropolis and the Parthenon.  Seriously! 

Well worth the exercise and huffing and puffing (yes, even for us – it was nonstop incline).  The church was also lovely – but the show stopper, and heart catcher – was this little kitten who just looked so lovingly and longingly at us.  She (he?) almost came home with us in our backpack.

Heading back down to the marina – much easier downhill trek – we pass a cool looking anonymous church – anonymous because we could never find the name of it, and it isn’t listed in Google Maps, so go figure?  Great exterior architecture though.  Then it is onto the supermarket for lunch and the patio for a couple hours before striking out once again in the opposite direction on the marina, in the direction of the port, in search of The Rocks of Piraeus – some unremarkable old stone foundations and limestone building slabs – but surrounded by beautiful views across the water back to the outskirts of Athens. 

Deciding it was time for a beverage, we plopped down at this great little restaurant called The Apple Thief – too cute, as is the bartender who has the best sense of dry humor.  It is great, just sitting here on the patio, sipping and munching on our peanuts (that the table across from us gives the bartender grief for because that is what they wanted, not whatever they got – and he just laughs them off and banters and makes fun).  A perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Later – much later – we make our way around Zias to Papafigos, one of the many seafood restaurants lining the marina.  Even though we sadly took the wrong table – too close to very loud and verbose 20-something tourists (who obviously have been staying here for a while and would be very fun to listen to if they weren’t so blasted loud) – we still have an enjoyable time with excellent food:  Fried zucchini balls to start (loaded with zuchhini and cheese), Saganaki (oh so cheesy good), of course, grilled sun dried octopus for Ed and  Shrimp with zucchini, feta, ouzo sauce and lime for me.  A total feast. Way too much (the 2 app’s killed us) but so worth it.  Oh, and that silver jug?  Yes, that is all wine!

To top off our evening we are visited by another adorable Grecian kitty who stays with us until we finally say Avtio and make our way back to our patio to finish out our last night on land in Greece.  Tomorrow the Journey awaits.