Monastiraki - Μοναστηράκι

NOTE: all photos are 25% of original size so they will upload faster.

This day (22 Jan) is my first day on the ground, so to speak.

I was wide awake at 4am, despite something like 30 hours with little to no sleep on the trip over. I try to get some more sleep, but finally get up for good around 6:30 and take a shower. I was afraid that there might not be any hot water in the morning, but there was. First shower in nearly 3 days, and it really felt good! Then I pack everything up so I can switch to another room when it becomes available. Breakfast starts at 7:30 and I head down then.

A daylight view of Fivos from outside:

The breakfast included in a stay at Fivos is actually quite nice, and in the Greek style: Hard boiled eggs, salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce), mandarins and oranges, bread, and both green and black Greek olives. I try to lighten the load of my backpack by cramming any electronics I don't think I'll need into my suitcase, then haul everything down to the desk. After securing my luggage at the front desk I head off in search of a phone plan.

The clerk at the desk gave me directions to a few phone stores, all a fair distance away by foot, and I head off in search of them, map in hand.  That's when I remember seeing a COSMOTE store, all sealed up and covered in graffiti, the night before. It's only 2 blocks from the hotel, and it's open! All the graffiti that had given it an abandoned look the night before was just on the roll-up doors that they use to secure to place after closing. I brought my phone from my last trip to Greece with me--an inexpensive affair that I had not charged or switched on for 2 years--on the off chance that it might still be in working order. I left it on the charger overnight at Fivos, but I had no idea if it would still work.

Here's the COSMOTE store:

I explain to the clerk that I want a SIM card with minutes, not a monthly plan, and she sells me a SIM card (with no minutes) for 5 euros. For some reason they always need my passport in order to sell me a SIM card. I haven't been able to figure why they need this. Anyway, we try my phone ... and ... BINGO! it works! Then I go to the counter to pay for my card and pay for €15 worth of minutes. Not a bad deal all-in-all. The desk clerk at the hotel was advising me to buy a phone call, but I think this is much better. It's nice to have Greek family (I'm talking to you Tasos) helping you figure stuff like this out!

Now I can call Katerina (in Athens) and Katerina (in Chania) and let them know what my number is. I arrange to meet Katerina in Monastiraki square at 11:30.

Monastiraki means "little monastery". Here it is:

There aren't many people around because it's not tourist season and it's still relatively early in the day. Here's view looking in the opposite direction, standing not far from where the man in this photo is walking. Note Acropolis in the distance.

They sell some really odd things in Monastiraki Square. Here are some *ahem* bottle openers:

I still had some time before Katerina arrived, so I found a nice café nearby:

Nice presentation. I don't know what that candied fruit is, but they brought it with the coffee, and it is delicious. The coffee was €2 and the sandwich €2. Not a bad snack for €4.00! And yes, that includes tax, so it wasn't €4.37 like it would have been in the US of A.

 

 

It's finally time to meet Katerina, and we go to another café, where I order my first cappuccino freddo.

 

 

Not in the traditional style glass, but delicious!

 

From there we went to a place called "Gassi" (I think), an old gasworks that has been cleaned up and preserved.

 

 

Who's this idiot "adjusting" things?

 

 

He certainly seems to be proud of himself...

 

 

 

Relaxing outside.

 

After this Katerina took me to meet her children: Katerina, Petros, and Georgios. Later Manolis came home from work, and took me out for fish mezes ("littles"). But that's a story for another blog post!