Breakfast was at 7am and the food was plentiful and varied. 

The sunrise promised another beautiful day for our adventures. 

After checkout, we boarded the bus for the short trip to the Olympia archaeological site. No climbing stairs today but a nice walk through a vast area.

There were many tour groups but they were very spread out so no sense of overcrowding. Maria K was exceptional with her informative commentary. I learnt that the Romans used bricks but the Greeks only used stones so it was easy to identify the architects.

It was a magnificent place with lots of peaceful ruins and greenery until the grass cutters started😆.

We were shown where the Olympic flame is celebrated in this destination every 4 years.

Finishing in the outdoor site we moved onto the Olympic museum to observe many artefacts and impressive artworks from Greek history.

The tour then gave us some free time to either have lunch or explore the small village. Maria K suggested one of only 2 cafes she would recommend and it was a hit! The Ambrosia Garden served quality Greek food in a lovely outdoor setting.

Back on the bus at 1pm we had a 3 hour journey ahead to reach our next destination, Delphì.

We had to cross the Rio–Antirrio Bridge, officially the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge. It crosses the Gulf of Corinth, linking Rio on the Peloponnese with Antirrio on mainland Greece. It opened to traffic on 12 August 2004, just before the Athens Olympics. It is spectacular — about 2.9 km long, with four enormous pylons, and was one of the world’s major engineering achievements because the area is highly seismic and the seabed is very deep and unstable. 

Chiliadou Marina is a mini fortress in a small village that we drove through.

Then we followed the coastline while seeing the  Peloponnese part of Greece across the Gulf of Corinth. Lots of small villages hug the coastline and everywhere is a photo opportunity but the beauty isn’t captured easily.

Closer to Delphì we started climbing up into the mountains on roads that forced Teresa to avert her eyes.

Delphi is perched high on a mountainside with very narrow streets. The bus had to unload quickly to avoid being yelled at by motorists. We collected our room keys for the Leto Hotel and then listened to our briefing for dinner and for tomorrow before having some free time.

I went to find some make up wipes that I forgot to pack when I was stalked by a cat soon as I went on the street!

A walk to the street below managed to find me a supermarket with what I needed. 

The Leto Hotel has a rooftop deck where we found ourselves gathering for a drink and a view of the mountains.

We watched the sunset from this amazing location.

Our dinner tonight was a set menu of traditional Greek dishes at the Tavern DION restaurant across the road.

🥬 Hortopita – a homemade pie with wild greens

🥗 Horiatiki – the classic Greek salad

🍋Lemon pork with tagliatelle

🍯 Loukoumades – Greek honey doughnuts for dessert.

The tomatoes tasted like real tomatoes, but there was no feta cheese on the classic Greek salad. The food was okay but obviously prepared for a tour group.

Only water was offered and we did not get asked for any drink orders. The conversations flowed nicely over dinner and the day’s activities were met with positive reviews.

Kalinýchta

Early start, breakfast at 6:30 and then checkout at 7:45 am. (Goodbye Acropolis view).

We walked down the street to the main roads with our luggage and boarded our tour bus with Christos the driver. We drove past some more historic sites before driving out of Athens for our next location, the Corinthian Canal.

There were more tour buses and tourists but we managed to cross the bridge and take photos before Maria K explained the significance to commerce of this engineering, joining the Adriatic to the Aegean as a shortcut. These days it is mainly used by private boats because it is not very deep.

We enjoyed clear skies with a temperature of 24C. Optus roaming has been disappointing again but soon as I wrote this yesterday I had 5G! Go figure?

On our way to Epidauros the bus ascended up along the coast and the views were amazing. The road was very winding as we hugged the Aegean coastline.

The theatre was very spectacular. We were taken through an explanation of the acoustics. There was also a museum which included some impressive stone work. We also passed a number of stray dogs and cats.

We stopped at a lovely Greek restaurant where the service was efficient and the food was good. We loved the dog and cats wandering around the establishment. The temp rose to 27C.

Bus left and then realised that Catherine and Russell had been left behind…..lucky we realised only a couple of blocks down the road.

Our next stop was beautiful Nafplio. OMG what a pretty town! It was the first capital of Greece. It is now obviously a tourist city with lots of shopping and cafes near the water’s edge.

After Nafplion we travelled through the Central Peloponnese, passing the towns of Tripolis and Megalopolis en route to Olympia.

The hours long journeys were a great opportunity to write the blog so I only had to upload it when I got to the hotel. It also gave me time to edit my photos ready for the block! We had a rest stop at Zevgolateio.

Hotel Europa was our accommodation for the night and it was reached at the top of some very thin and winding roads.

Dinner was provided as part of the tour in the form of a buffet but the smells coming from the kitchen were delectable.

Kalinýchta

Our tour guide is Maria Katerina. This group consisted of Catherine & Russell from NZ, Cheryl, Joyce and Frank from Perth, Judy from Sydney, Gail &  Rachael from California, young couple Jackson & Ketana from Rockingham and Henry & Gisa from Noosa. A WhatsApp group was created for our tour communication.

We had a large selection of hot, cold and traditional foods for breakfast. 

The tour started at 8:30 am for us to walk to Constitution Street where we met the bus with Christos our driver. The bus cannot navigate the narrow streets of this hotel area.

I took the opportunity to organise a group photo before we started the tour, Jackson happy to take the selfie.

There were some fund raising events happening so there was an obvious police presence along many areas of Athens. Like in Germany, shops here are closed on Sundays except in the major tourist areas.  

The bus drove us past some historic sites of Athens before reaching our destination of the Acropolis. 

I needed to buy a bottle of water and was told by Maria K that it will cost 50cent. When I got to the kiosk I only had the option of paying €3 for the bottle of sparkling water I found. I asked about the 50c water and the young boy behind the counter said that they didn’t have any small bottles. Maria K explained that it is illegal to not have 50c water in all Greek establishments and I could’ve taken the police to them  who would make an arrest if they couldn’t supply the required 50c water bottle.

It was too late to do that as we had started walking up the gentle sloped marble path to the Acropolis. It was important to have non slip shoes for this part of the tour because of the prolific use of marble underfoot. 

Apparently there were many cruise ships in dock and this created a surge of visitors to the ancient site….oh the humanity! I did enjoy though that I could hear a variety of languages informing their particular group.

Once at the stairs, heaving with people, there were no railings to hold onto so people with balance issues would struggle with this part of the ascent. There was a breeze but not as cold as yesterday, so layers were a good rule for the day. The temperature was around 22C. These pieces of ancient architecture were very impressive.

In 2009 an Acropolis museum was opened that housed many relics that have been excavated. We were told that this venue was also created so any items pillaged from this area could be returned like those in the British museum. They are still waiting for them.

There is also a glass floor which exposed the excavations and levels below. It is not recommended to wear a skirt or dress as there are so many places for exposure. It is also a bit freaky to see down but the glass is covered in dots so it reduces the feeling of nothing beneath you.

Maria K made it very interesting with her commentary and historical knowledge. This was a good size for our group and everyone was cooperative, friendly and punctual.

This part of the tour ended at around 1:30 pm and we had the rest of the day to ourselves. This was a good opportunity to rest for a bit, eat lunch and do the blog.

I asked Chat if I can find a place to buy some eyelash serum and it informed me that there was a Sephora not far from the hotel. Because we were in a tourist area, shops were open here. Once I found the shop, they didn’t have the lash serum with a ‘we don’t sell that anymore’! Apparently the EEU have the same rules as Australia in regard to these serums. 

So then I saw some sparkling jeans, that I didn’t need, in a store window which I had to investigate. I did not buy them. There were many people milling around shops or sitting in cafes enjoying the afternoon.

Before returning to the hotel, I went to the supermarket to stock up on sparkling water and supplies for the next few days.

A couple of things I recommend for any trip are to bring some zip lock bags that can be used to store food or other items safely. I also have a pair of folding mini scissors which must be packed in checked luggage but come in so handy for so many reasons.

After all the activity of the day, an early night was planned as we had an early breakfast and start for the next part of the tour tomorrow. Kalinýchta

The Air New Zealand lounge at Sydney airport was the offering for this flight. There was a nice selection of foods.

The flight was not full so musical chairs was the order of the day. I moved to the row in front of me so I had a row to myself but the hand rails couldn’t be raised. It was ok though as I could spread out and had access to extra pillows and blankets.

Doha airport is very big and we were bussed to the C section of the airport where I navigated to find the lounge to while away the next couple of hours.

We boarded the plane at Doha and it was full. The plane was very ‘foggy’ until we took off because of the humidity.

We arrived in a wet and windy Athens. It took me about 2 minutes to exit passport control as an EU member, the non EU line was enormous (smug) and my bag was already on the carousel so from disembarking the plane to getting my Uber took about 20 minutes. I easily withdrew some Euros at an ATM still in the airport. Uber here operate as taxis. I booked through Uber App and there is an Uber meeting point outside exit 4 of arrivals. My trip cost 53 euros and took about 40 minutes to get the the Hotel Plaka. The roads are great and there was very little traffic.

I love Euro radio stations as The Cure ‘Love Song’, Duran Duran’s ‘Come Undone’ and Supertramp’s Logical Song were played as we drive to Plaka.

It was too early to check in so Hotel Plaka stored my luggage and recommended Ergonhouse, about 5 minutes walk down the road for coffee and a bite to eat.

I then started to walk around streets and kept the Acropolis as a point of reference. It looms large above the city. It was obviously part of the tourist area as I saw groups being led around and I felt safe. I ended up walking down this lovely marble based wide street that went past the Acropolis Museum and the actual Acropolis.

Time for sleep

I noticed that the Hop on and Hop off Bus tour departed from this point so I bought a ticket because I had quite a few hours to fill in before I could get into my room at the hotel.

After the Athens bus tour I joined the Athens Riviera tour.

I was challenged by the fact that my iPhone died before the end of this tour. I didn’t even think to take my portable powerbank on the day.

But I found my way amazingly by keeping the Acropolis as a reference point. And just when I thought I needed to ask someone, I found myself near the Ergon House where I had breakfast! My room was on the 6th floor and when I opened the curtains, there was the Acropolis and Parthenon… wow! Didn’t expect that.

6pm we had a meeting of the small group for our Inspiring Vacations Greece tour. Mainly older people but we do have a young couple as well. There are 13 of us plus our guide. Communication is good through a Whatsapp group plus signage in the foyer.

It was so special to sit in my room for the evening and watch the sky change colour over the ancient ruins! I needed to sleep to readjust my time clock. The ruins were being lit up for the evening. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking someone had left a light on, only to realise that it was the lights of the ruins because I kept my blinds open.

 

Time for sleep. Kalinýchta

Check out from our room meant that we had to leave our bags in a designated area in reception. It’s very organised with a sign informing us of the shuttle bus pick up time for our flight. It had been raining so the temperature was milder than the last few mornings. 

Souvenir shopping was on the agenda before our planned activity with Mark Olive and his Masterclass.

We wandered around the town centre and purchased our souvenirs before deciding to walk up to the viewing dune in the centre of the resort.

It was time to go to Mark Olive’s presentation which was relocated to the Arnguli restaurant because of the earlier rain. This activity was part of NAIDOC week and he said that it was the coldest NAIDOC week that he can remember.

We managed to get front row seats again as been our luck for most of our tours! The masterclass was very engaging and samples of bush foods were passed around the audience to sniff and/or taste before finishing with a fusion ravioli. Mark also has a restaurant at the Sydney Opera House called Mark by Midden that may be on the cards in the future. 

Mangata bistro was chosen for lunch with pastas and Chilli margaritas consumed.

A walk to the viewing platform dune follows the red dirt paths across the resort.

Sails in the Desert is another area of the resort and the after walking around the reception area the Walpa Bar enticed us for dessert and last cocktails.

Although it was unfortunate that we had mostly cloudy weather, the green in this environment was uncommon and a pleasure to see. 

The coach arrived on time and sadly it was time to leave. A visit to this part of the country is highly recommended!

Goodbye

Happy birthday to Teresa! We started the day watching the FIFA soccer game USA vs Belgium. It was such a captivating game that we postponed our plans so we could watch the whole game. Belgium won 4-1 goals! 

We popped the Peterson’s bubbles we brought from from home – ‘30 years of bubbles‘ Hunter Valley Limited Release Sparkling Wine to start the birthday festivities.

Pizza and beer at the Outback hotel for lunch, and strategically, left over pizza to take and put in our fridge for dinner after our booked tour to Uluru. 

We met our driver and guide Lucy from Seit tours at 2pm. She showed us the guest list and there were 3 Michele’s (one with a double l) and two Teresa’s on this small group tour. 

We were designated the front seats of the van which gave us a perfect view of the trip ahead. 

Firstly we stopped at a viewing area to take photos. Then we drove to the Cultural Centre where we were not allowed to take any photos.

Lucy was a great guide and helped the group bond as we travelled to the rock. We met Jenny from Fremantle, the Italian honeymooners Michele(male) and Maria Teresa, Debbie from Sawtell, Julie- well travelled with no filter- was from the Gold Coast and Mish from Connecticut with her 12 year old grandson William. 

The walking path around the rock was easy to navigate and flat. Lucy regaled us with the stories as we stopped at each significant site. 

Uluru is just as amazing up close with its many formations and characteristics. 

We were also lucky enough to see wild camels who Lucy said moved in 5 weeks ago and were eating everything around them. They are blamed for causing much destruction on the local flora and that keeps the local fauna away. 

After visiting the waterhole on the southern part of Uluru we drove to another picnic site to enjoy the sunset, bubbles and nibbles.

On the way back to our accommodation in the dark we could see some glimpses of the impressive drone show which was another activity on offer at this resort. Back to our room for some left over pizza and birthday bubbles. 

Good night

We woke early to watch Norway play Brazil at the FIFA World Cup with the antics of Michele’s new obsession Erling Haaland. The game was still playing when we had to go to reception to meet our tour at 6:15 am. We were pleased to hear later that they won and Haaland scored the 2 goals.

A pass is required to be able to enter the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park which has to be purchased separately from the tour. Teresa thought that the pass was needed from the time we arrived to the Ayers Rock resort but it was only needed when we entered the National Park. So our three day pass we bought should have been dated from 6th July, not from our arrival time at the venue on 4th July….a costly oversight.

This SEIT Kata Tjuta tour offered a small group experience with a limit of ten people travelling in a comfortable van. It was an informative drive of about 30 minutes duration to reach the viewing platform for the sunrise. It was very chilly and unfortunately not so spectacular due to the cloud cover but Kata Tjuta (once known as the Olga’s) is an awe inspiring backdrop. 

We were then transported to the Waḻpa Gorge for the ‘moderate’ walk. It turned out that the terrain was rocky and uneven which challenged Teresa’s balance and Michele’s vertigo in places of high structures above her. The icy cold wind whooshing through the gorge also had an impact on the enjoyment of the walk. We managed to get half way before conceding that we didn’t need to go any further. 

A short drive away to the picnic area, we were served breakfast of cereals, raisin toast, English muffins, Nuttelex 😳, fruit cups, Vegemite, jams, honey washed down with fruit juice or tea and coffee. We sat with another Aussie couple and a mother and son from Denmark, and took great delight at their reactions as they tried Vegemite for the first time.

The Desert Gardens Hotel was a good choice of accommodation because we are the first pickup and the first drop off for all our chosen tours.

Once back at our accommodation the England vs Mexico FIFA game took our attention. The sun finally revealed itself so we took advantage and went for a walk across the resort (about 8 minutes) to the Outback Bar. Nothing is cheap in this region and two Little Creatures beers cost $33.

The Outback Bar is the only place that anyone can purchase take away alcohol and there are strict restrictions. You need to show your room key and ID (digital is ok) and they are heavily priced.

It was lovely to enjoy the sunshine as we ambled around the resort.

We walked up the path back to the Desert Gardens and stopped at the Mangata bistro and bar for cocktails of Finger Lime Margaritas.

Our next commitment was the NAIDOC curated dinner booking at the Arnguli Restaurant. The chef, Mark Olive was responsible for the menu and he was generous with his time and conversation as he worked the room.

The food was outstanding and Teresa was really impressed with the beef dish which was some of the best she had eaten! 

Suitably satiated we were ready to rest and enjoy a welcome sleep.

Good Night.

Sunrise was 7:30 am so we took an our time to prepare for our 10am helicopter flight.

Johann our bus driver collected us outside Desert Gardens Hotel to take us to the airport for our flight. There is a helipad just next to the resort but noise restrictions apply so they must leave from the airport for any flights before 10am.

We were led to our helicopter and assisted into the front seats beside Eric, our pilot. There were 2 more passengers in the back seats. We had to wear headsets in order to hear each other and the pilot’s commentary.

We were taken up to 500 metres above sea level and flew past the left and right sides of Uluru first before continuing onto Kata Tjuṯa which were amazing formations that could rival Uluru.

We learnt that there were no kangaroos or emus in this area because of the high population of wild camels who affect their food and water sources. The whole process is well organised and very professional. 

After landing, we walked to the IGA supermarket and bought some supplies before returning to our room to get ready for the next activity. 

A free bush tucker presentation was offered at 1pm daily so we were keen to check it out. It was very informative and then we were given crackers with quandong jam as a sample. The art gallery was next door where we marvelled at the artworks and watched indigenous artists at work.

The booked Field of Lights experience meant that we had to meet our guide at 5pm outside reception. The drivers had a list of our names and guided all the guests onto the bus. We were driven to a viewing platform and enjoyed canapés and sparkling wine while we watched the sunset over Uluru.

The guests were then directed down a path to round tables of ten settings. Gas heaters were scattered around the venue, making the outdoor dining more comfortable. We were also treated to a didgeridoo performance and a talk about how local Aboriginal people use constellations for navigation (although unfortunately we had to imagine where they were due to the cloud cover). There was a colourful drone show playing in the distance, which we were also able to view.

The food was outstanding and the whole process was well organised. Of course as it always is a small world, the host was Polish and there were people from Newcastle and Caringbah at our table (and four out of the ten of us were teachers). 

We then wandered through the impressive light installation, which you could choose a short (200m) or long (700m) walk.  At the end we were met by our guides and bussed back to our accommodation. A very special night and highly recommended.

Good night 😴

After Michele organised Basil‘s residence for the next 5 days with Loz, Brent and family (thank you!)

We booked dinner at the Wander restaurant in Wills Road Woolooware for the night before our flight. They only offer a set 5 course menu and the food is freshly prepared on premises by the chef. The portion sizes are perfect plus the food was tasty and top quality.

We woke early to watch the Socceroos play Egypt in the FIFA World Cup … it was a long game because of extra time so we had to watch the penalty shootouts in the Uber on the way to the airport. Sadly, Socceroos lost but they played a great game. Michele forgot to pack pyjamas and we were surprised to find out that many people do this, hence the reason why Peter Alexander shops are cleverly positioned in the airports!

It was a beautiful morning with clear skies as we left Sydney. Patches of snowy mountains were evident but once the plane approached the state of Victoria, the clouds obscured any more views.

During the layover in Melbourne Tullamarine airport we ordered Espresso Martini’s and light meals at the Bigge Smalls cafe and then relaxed in the Virgin Lounge. 

Our seats were in Economy X so we had plenty of legroom and comfortable immediately behind Business class. When service started we ordered and paid for the obligatory Cuvée bottles while Michele mentioned that it was a birthday holiday for Teresa. Later on during the flight the lovely attendant brought us complimentary Sparkling Wine and chocolates from business class as a birthday surprise with lovely sentiments written on some napkins.

The red centre revealed itself as we descended into the Ayers Rock Uluru airport.

A number of shuttle buses were lined up outside the airport to take guests the various areas of the Ayers Rock resort. The bus driver pointed out that the nearest Kmart was 5 hours away in Alice Springs.

We were booked into the Desert Gardens Hotel and Teresa checked in while Michele collected the luggage off the bus which saved us 10 minutes and a long queue.

The Deluxe Double room was spacious and clean with a roomy balcony that faced the red desert landscape. We chose an upstairs room but it could only be accessed by stairs which would be an issue for some people.

We had researched the type of restrictions, wines and high prices offered at the complex so we made sure that we packed some bottles from home, in our checked luggage, to avoid paying the high prices. 

The Mangata Bistro and Bar in our complex was the choice for dinner. 

We were very tired from the long day of travel so back to our room for an early night.

Good Night

The room was quiet, the king bed was comfortable and a good night’s sleep was had.

When I opened the blinds, I realised that I had a distant view of snow covered Mount Rainier which can be seen from most of Seattle. 

I needed to go to the closest Sephora which was located in the nearby Westfield Southcenter Mall. I booked an Uber to take me there, wait for me to run in and grab my products then take me back to the hotel. Lucky I did this as the other shops were tempting me and I have no room in my luggage. 

The Hilton has a complimentary airport shuttle that runs every 20 minutes. The traffic into the airport was congested but we arrived in plenty of time. 

I know I go on about it but priority gives me the opportunity to ask for a better seat, the ability to join the short queue at security screening which took me 3 minutes,as opposed to the other queue which looked like a 20 – 30 minute shuffle. I could then relax in the United Club with a meal and beverages while charging my devices. 

At about 2:30pm I was notified that my flight time has changed to about 20 minutes after the scheduled time. So more time in the lounge here but less in San Francisco….suits me!

We arrived in San Francisco at 6pm local time. The flight was very smooth and I had the Sea Salt Chocolate Quinoa snack with a coffee.

I found the lounge nearest our landing gate and it was a different one again than the one I went to on the way here. It has a better outlook than the others where I can watch planes take off and land.

I leave later tonight to fly across the Pacific to home. Looking forward to being home again.

Good night