Piraeus, Greece

We arrived at ATH at 6 PM. Our luggage was one of the first six pieces on the baggage claim belt and we were off to meet our driver. He was holding a sign with Angie's name and we were off to Piraeus. Fifty minutes later we arrived at the Phidias Piraeus Hotel. This is a super small hotel with about twenty five rooms. The front desk person couldn't have been nicer with the check-in process. He said we'd have complimentary breakfast and set up our included transfer to the ship. He also brought our luggage to the room.

 We needed a little dinner so we took a stroll out to the waterfront area. So many restaurants!! We found Bibere which has Greek favorites. We both ordered the Kebap (sometimes called kebab) and shared a Greek salad. 

 The Kebap was so flavorful. Seemed like a combination of lamb and beef combined with garlic and other traditional spices. Served with soft, slightly grilled pita bread, tzatziki and tomato. There was also some deliciously sauteed thin sliced red onions which adds so much flavor! We also had a couple of local beers. The beer scene here is much larger than when we were in Athens in. September 2021. Some very good IPAs. The Greek salad had all the traditional ingredients. Remember - there is never lettuce in a Greek Salad. 

Don't let your local sub shop tell you otherwise. And the feta cheese here is unlike anything you can get in a US grocery store.  

After dinner we walked along the waterfront. There are so many bars and restaurants. Each has inside tables along with tables that have right next to the waterfront. And in between is a very busy road where the waiters have to play Frogger. We stopped at a bar called The Amsterdam which the clerk at the hotel had recommended. Great liar of beers. We decided on a local cider. I had traditional apple and Angie went with a cherry.

 Both excellent! And don't forget to serve over ice! We had that for the first time on our Cunard cruise and it really makes a difference. Keeps it chilled and a little bit of water seems to bring out more flavor. It was then time to head back to the hotel. 

This morning we had the included breakfast at the hotel. A good selection of eggs,pancakes along with fruit, Greek yogurt and pastries. Our driver came at 12:30. He was the same driver we had from the airport. The port was only about ten minutes away so we were at the check-in line at the terminal by 12:45. We'd be boarding the Sun Princess for the next part of this adventure. This is the "M" in SPAM since we'll be cruising the Mediterranean and also visiting a new country!! Montenegro will be our first port. This happened to be the same terminal where we boarded the Celebrity Apex in September 2021 We were on the ship by 1:35 PM. We headed straight to our room to get our laundry sorted. Princess.offers self service machines and we needed to use them! While waiting for the washer to finish,, we took a tour around some of the decks. This ship is the first in a new class for Princess and has a very different setup and layout that any other ship in their fleet. It will take a couple.of days to get oriented. Good thing we're on for two weeks.  

The washer has finished and while the laundry was in the dryer we got some lunch. The International Cafe is a staple on all Princess ships (except Island Princess). It's a 24/7 option and also where you can get specialty coffees. I had a very good egg salad sandwich on a flaky roll. Almost rivalled Lawson's in Japan!! And they also had pizza bites which were cheesey and tasty with savory pepperoni. With the laundry being finished, we finished unpacking and are planning the evening. This new class of ship has a few different lounges for shows.