When we checked the Kineta train station yesterday we found that the suburban train station was closed and the line had obviously not been used for some time. However we discovered that the new train line also had a train station at Kineta, slightly outside the village and closer to the campsite. We went to check the times of trains and discovered that the ticket office was closed. A sign, luckily in English as well as Greek, reminded us that we had to have a ticket before we got on the train but stated that we would have to go to another station to buy a ticket. The campsite owner was unaware of this and made a couple of phone calls where, judging by his tone of voice, he was saying something like “how are visitors expected to used the station if they have to travel to another station to buy the tickets?”. He came off the phone stating that it was mad and down to 'the crisis' i.e. the dire state of the Greek economy and the cuts that have been made to attempt to correct it. He kindly offered to buy some tickets for us and also bought more for future use by his customers. So we drove to the 3km to the station, parked up, validated our tickets by stamping them (dire warnings about not doing this too) and waited on the platform. A notice said that the electricity was switched on for the railway at the end of October 2010, so everything was new. However, the electronic train information boards were not working, the simply said, only in English, 'Pay attention to the announcements' and there weren't any! The clock on that board was stopped at 12:00 and the two other clocks on the platform read 08:00 and 08:03 when the time was actually 09:06. The train couldn't have been in service for more than seven months and yet it was covered in very poor standard graffiti – all over the metal and half way up the windows. The train arrived and left early so it was bad luck if you arrived just before the appointed time. It is very sad that even with a prestige project like this new railway line, the Greeks can't get it right.
We arrived at Athens Central Railway Station less than one hour later and decided to walk to the Archaeological Museum. We were in luck as it was the one day in the month that it was free but staff shortages ('the crisis' again) meant that many rooms were closed. However the room housing the finds from Santorini, the thing that we most wanted to see, was open and we went there first. I won't bore you with the details but even with the restricted access, there was plenty to see with some wonderful finds from all over Greece.
When we came out three hours later we watched thousands of cyclists making their way into the centre of Athens. We never found out whether it was a protest or a celebration but it was peaceful and everyone, including many families, seemed to be having a good time. We walked on to Syntagma Square and caught the changing of the guard by the tomb of the unknown soldier outside the parliament building. The Greek soldiers dressed in their traditional white outfits with a mini skirt, tights and pom-pommed clogs, performed their amazing, slow-motion and complex choreographed routine. Each time that we see it we admire the precision and timing but we can't believe quite how silly it looks.
On then for an excellent meal at 'O Platanos' on Diogenous Street on the edge of the Plaka. This taverna was established in 1932 and its food and position in a small square by the Temple of the Winds makes it very popular with the Athenians.
We then spent an hour or so wandering around the slopes of the Acropolis Hill enjoying the architecture and views across the city. We stumbled across a small monastery in amongst the houses and I asked whether there were still monks there. It was still a monastery but only had occasional visits from the monks as they were based in Jerusalem!
We took the underground train from Akropolis to Larissa (Athens Central) where we caught our train back. Just as we approached Kineta we passed a company selling prefabricated chapels with lots of models on display. That surely could only happen in Greece!
Photos: The head of a monumental bronze statue of Zeus (or possibly Poseidon) from 460 BC – Athens Museum; The changing of the guard in Syntagma Square; View of the Agora from the Areopagus hill next to the Acropolis.
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