Caroline had the foresight to arrange for a private driver to pick us up at the Athen airport upon our arrival and give us a driving tour of Athens. Our driver, George, was part chauffeur, part tour guide, part trivia master, and incredibly knowledgeable about Greek history, culture and business.

Driving away from the city, the landscape was a bit reminiscent of Arizona or New Mexico — brown hills dotted with small green shrubs. Unlike Arizona and New Mexico, we end up at the coast, where there are beautiful beaches with crystal clear blue water  dotted with islands. Palm trees, cacti, homes with terracotta roofs dot the landscape.

George takes us to the Temple of Poseidon, built around 400 BCE. Caroline and I hike up to a rock outcropping for a better view, which is breathtaking.

George then drives us back along the coast toward the city and takes us to Lake Vouliagmeni, a thermal lake with one of the world’s longest underground caves. It’s pretty spa-like, but we didn’t have time for a dip.

George then drove us through the city, showing us great non-touristy shops and restaurants, and more Greek history and culture.

George dropped us at our hotel, where we checked into our room with a crazy set of stairs to the second sleeping area (props to Caroline for electing that one so I didn’t have to!) after a quick shower, off we went in search of dinner. The place George had suggested wasn’t open, and they weren’t sure when they’d be open (“maybe 6:15, maybe 6:30?” with a shrug was the response we got when we asked). We found another cafe down the street, where the communication gap and our ignorance of local custom was a bit of a challenge, but we were fed. Then back to the hotel to buy water and sunscreen…we’re outside all day tomorrow!