I have to admit that I did consider using a much more provocative image than the one actually shown for today but one of armed riot police might have been offputting!
“transport, flights, and ferries”
Let’s step back a bit. When we arrived on Wednesday there was a notice pinned inside the tiny lift that said the following:
Dear Valued Guest,
Please be aware that a general strike this Friday the 28th, may affect public transport, flights, and ferries.
We recommend checking with your travel provider for updates.
If you need assistance with alternative transportation options to the airport or the port, please do not hesitate to contact our front desk.
It turned out to be a little more than “transport, flights, and ferries” though – shops, restaurants and historic monuments such as the Acropolis have all been closed.
Armed with the knowledge of the strike and that the likely flash point was going to be Syntagma Square just five minutes from our hotel we decided to try and do things likely to be unaffected. Our first attempt at that was to go to the National Gardens but it turned out that they were closed due to the strike so instead we headed to ChatGPT’s top pick – Filopappou Hill. This turned out to be an inspired move as it was quiet and the views stunning. I think that it has been our favourite place in all Athens.
We walked down from the viewpoint and headed back towards the hotel. The first people we passed were the disappointed tourists who had made their way to the Acropolis only to find it closed. As we got closer to the hotel the roads were clogged with protesters and down side streets were many riot police. It was like a scene from some dystopian film.
With so much shut we headed back to the only tourist street with restaurants open and had lunch. We ate a bigger meal that perhaps we wanted as we were unsure that we’d find anywhere open this evening. One restaurant that we’d tried to book for this evening told us that they would be closed. Tonight may have to be a bar of chocolate for me and a glass of wine for Helen!
