Athens, Take I

So, we successfully completed our short journey to Paris and got back to Charles de Gaulle airport in time for our flight to Greece. It was weird that we didn't have to go through customs since we were already in an EU country.

And by the way, I noticed that all American airlines (all of them, not the one named that) are really wound up about safety. When we went to Europe last year and this year, I noticed that nobody else in the world gets so nuts about take off and landing and being buckled in, tray up, and seat back up, as us. About 10 minutes before landing in Europe, they announce "Oh, by the way, we're about to land and you might want to buckle up, put up your tray, sit up straighter, and keep your wine from falling over. No fuss though, just saying."

So, now for the real challenge: in our sleep deprived state, get off airplane, find the bus going to Syntagma square (sounds like Sin-tog-wa), stay awake for one hour, get off, avoid pickpockets, find our hotel, and get a room without bedbugs. Easy peasy.

Why is it that all foreign bus drivers seek to channel the spirit of race car driver, Mario Andretti? Our Greek driver was no different. I was surprised I had muscle strength to hang on and stay in my seat. I thought that it was overkill for Rick Steves to suggest that we watch out for pickpockets at 1 AM in Syntagma Square. Turns out he's mostly right, there were people everywhere! It turns out the Greeks, and their tourists, hardly sleep! One AM is just getting warmed up! More about that in later posts.

Fortunately, we spy our hotel sign across the Square in record time. No pickpockets either. The manager on duty was very nice. I know it was his job to be nice but I've found uniformly that Greek people are very pleasant people.

Next challenge, room without bedbugs. Not that Greece is chock-a-block with bedbugs. Its just that there is a world-wide explosion of them and they are not as easy to defeat as our Great, great grandmother did. I have a house full of carpet and it would be a nightmare.

So, sad news. I found indications that our room had bedbugs. As I'm trying to remember how my great great grandmother dodged that bullet when she first pulled in to old Yakima (Union Gap now), my wonderful husband cudgels together some tired brain cells and says "The ashtray, Terri!"

You see, he booked a non-smoking room. Even though it doesn't smell like smoke at all, the room shouldn't have an ashtray! I called the front desk and easily got our room changed and that room on a different floor did not have bedbugs!

Lovely, a restful sleep free from worry and bites.