Rating of the day: 10/10
Official programs planned for today:
- Disembarkation
- Discover Athens, the adventure begins
Finally, it was possible to book a program for this day. I did this on 2025.05.29. The description of the program known in advance was this:
Join one of the original and most iconic walking tours of Athens! This immersive experience takes the participants straight into the heart of ancient Athens, where history and mythology come to life.
Additional Information:
- Date: June 14
- Starting times: 10:00, 18:00
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Meeting point: In front of the bronze statue of Theseus, across the street from the Thissio Metro Station at 10:00 / 18:00 sharp.
- Price: Tips-based. Please note that this walking tour is tips-based. There is no fixed ticket price – just contribute what you feel the experience was worth at the end of the tour.
In the end, I didn’t go to this program that day. Especially since it was/is “tomorrow”. The last day didn’t start too early. I tried to wake my roommate up, but it didn’t work. The toilet broke down in the evening, so morning hunger and natural needs led me to the restaurant. I liked that I could eat as much as I wanted at every buffet meal. Many people complained that the food wasn’t the best on this ship. Well, this is where what I wrote in my post “The Gastronomic Revolution Was Left Out of Me” definitely worked to my advantage. I woke up with good feelings at every meal.
I packed my big backpack at night, around 0:45, because we had to put it out in front of the door by 1:00 to pick it up. So there wasn’t much left to pack in the morning, except my laptop. When I finished packing this, my roommate and I decided to stay on the boat until 2:00 PM. So, we stocked up on mojitos and looked for a sunbed in the shade. I slept well, had a couple of cocktails, and talked. Then we went to lunch and had our last drinks. Then we left the boat around 2:00 PM. The port exit was in a part of the city that I knew well. I had been to Athens twice last year, and the memories of that immediately came flooding back.
We took a taxi home, so we walked together for a while, and then I continued on foot. I got to the room I had rented just in time, I had received all the instructions, so I was able to get into my little apartment right away. I showered, rested a bit, and headed back to the city.
My ex-roommate and I walked around the city. Today was a big discovery. I don’t drink alcohol very often, but when I do, I usually drink beer and Jäger. I almost only drank cocktails on the ship, and mostly Mojitos. This week I drank quite a lot. But this drink didn’t bother me at all all week. We started with beer today, we also drank a few during the day, and I realized that beer is a heavy drink. This is quite a discovery at 49 years old. I mean, I have to say that beer is not the best alcoholic drink for me. I may only drink Mojitos for the rest of my life. Let’s just say, I have a hard time imagining the moment when I ask for a Mojito in any of the rarely visited pubs in Hungary…
We had dinner with the guy, and then everyone went home to rest their fatigue.
Today I felt like my feelings were overflowing. I have had so many good experiences, so much positive feedback, and confirmations these past few days that I felt like a full glass. Even with so much happiness, it is sometimes difficult to cope… I felt that way after Milan.
Today I went after an old symbol. Last year I bought a ring for a woman who ultimately did not love me enough to accept the meaning of this ring, and did not become my wife. I wore rings when I was young, even before my marriage, but I did not know the reason at the time, if there was a reason at all. Yesterday I understood the meaning of the ring. And I bought one for myself. The self-identity I have lived with, the acceptance and love of myself, deserves a symbol. I have engaged myself to my own life and I am sure that I will not be disappointed in this relationship. The ring will remind me that I love myself, even when there may be moments when I do not feel that way.