Monday, 10 April 1978

Up at 5.30 – breakfast in snack room at 6.15. Started to get the porter to hail a taxi at 6.45. Many of the taxi’s were off the road and not so many about. Took about 25 minutes before we got one. Just as well we were up for an early start.

Plane was delayed one hour by a technical fault and we just sat in the plane. Sat next to a fellow from Bulgaria.

Arrived London 11.45 am. Captain had said earlier there was some sleet in London and the air temperature was 2^oC. The plane circled to come in to land through broken cloud and quite a lot of sunshine. We could see the Thames [River] below and the Tower Bridge. It was COLD with some sleet.

Heathrow Airport is HUGE with three large terminals. We had to transfer by a free bus to another terminal to catch a coach into London (£1 each). This was about 25 minutes through a lot of open fields with brown brick houses in the villages every so often.

Taxi from Victoria Station to Hotel. All taxis are black, the same shape, all Austins and noisy diesels. The houses are a grander version of our terrace houses. Our room is quite large with a terrace in front that overlooks a large garden area.

We put on our winter woollies and ventured out into the crisp (very crisp almost frozen) air. Walked to South Kensington and then the tube to Victoria Station and took a two-hour London discovery bus that goes right around and past the important places of London. Traffic seemed light. Most interesting. Sunny with occasional sleet falling.

As we walked back from South Kensington it started to snow heavily. By the time we arrived back Elsie’s coat was carrying quite a few flakes.

By about 7.30pm the ground and trees were covered with snow. Overall about 2½-3 inches fell.

Sunday, 9 April 1978

Sunny all day

Guards outside Greek parliament house

Late start after the taverna night. Walked up to see the ceremonial changing of the guard which was for 10.30 but we had the wrong time.

Accompanied by a large band the two guard groups dressed in the Greek ceremonial dress – frock, coat, fez and tassle, stocking pants and hard shoes marched into the square in front of Parliament House. At one stage the two new guards run up a couple of steps. One fellow lost his footing and almost dived over head-first.

We walked around past the Museum of War. Elsie was delighted to see some scouts and gave the salute through the window to them. The scouts had come by bus from Corinth. The leader understood and spoke some English.

Slowly we walked up all the steps to the funicular railway that goes to the top of the Lycabettus Hill. A cable type car (30 passengers) goes up through a tunnel that has been dug through the inside of the hill. A wonderful vantage point to see the whole of Athens – 360^o view.

Had dinner in the restaurant at the top. Came back down through narrow streets and large blocks of units.

Took train from Omonia to Kifissia (13 stops). Trains quiet and quick. Kifissia is an outlying residential suburb about 25 minutes out [from Athens city]. Lots of people just seemed to be walking. There were some horse drawn open carriages. Elsie wanted to go for a ride but I reneged.

Back to the hotel about 4.30 and had a couple of hours sleep.

Saturday, 8 April 1978

Fine high cloud, some sun

Walked around the market area. Lots of small fruit stalls selling direct to the public. Large meat halls with many individual holders. Meat out in the open. Men cutting up the meat. Somebody had bought a sheep and it was cut up, put in plastic bags and dumped near the gutter side of the footpath. Large boxes filled with live snails, the size of our snails.

Open air meat!!

Snails!

Had a shoe shine (15Dr). Elsie was photographed by a tourist with a movie camera.

Purchased a small purse 50Dr for Bruce, a blouse 200Dr, a shawl 300Dr and another shawl 280Dr. Also bought a cheese pie – a square flaked pastry with a cheese mix inside.

Left hotel 7.30 pm – Sound & Light Show on the Pynx Hill looking towards the Acropolis. A special recorded production given to Greece by France tells the story of Athens as music is played and parts of the Acropolis are lit up. Music and story were heavy but lighting up of Acropolis was very good.

At 10 pm went to a Greek Taverna. Music loud, lights low and flickering colours – tables crowded together and the prices high. Reasonable floor show but spoilt by the lights and noise. Meal served. Not our cup of tea.

We heard that the taxis will be out on strike on Monday, the day we leave for London. The trolley buses have been out for the last 4/5 days. There may be fun getting to the airport!

Friday, 7 April 1978

Warm, very cloudy, some light showers at Delphi

Another 7.00 am pick up. Visit to Delphi – 156 km –  about 3 hour drive. A large amount of climbing. Through some large plain areas that are very well cultivated and heavily cropped. Much of the area is irrigated. As we reached higher up into the mountains areas we drove through quite a number of villages where the houses are built right to the road. The bus driver’s do well to get the buses through the streets.

Some very mountainous areas just before Delphi and a lot of reconstruction work is taking place to shorten and re-route some of the climbs.

Types of columns used at Delphi

Rebuilt columns at Delphi

The rebuilt Treasury at Delphi

Visited the ruins of the Temple of Appollo and a large amphitheatre. Immense columns. Many treasury areas where people would leave gifts as they came to visit the Oracle at Delphi. Dates back to 4th-5th century BC.

Museum – statue of the charioteer, a bronze casting in excellent order. Fine detail of face, hands and feet. Only the lower hind legs, tail and some parts of the forefeet [of the horses] were found.

Fine detail on all the friezes that decorated the temple buildings.

Back to town at 7.00 pm. Elsie has been looking at leather coats. Found a small shop in the arcade where a fellow makes his own coats. After much taking on and off, Elsie decided on a coat. As it was floating at the back hem they said they would take it in at the seams – time 7.45 pm – would be done by 8.15 pm! Couldn’t get that done in Australia. Had to wait about 10 minutes when we got back. Now a coat – less 4500 dr (about $112.50).

The young fellow managed English very well. He had been to Canada and brought back his patterns from there. Had taught Greek in a Greek community school. He had a dictionary handy and used it to find “hesitate” which he needed to express a particular thought.

Amstel Beer 28 dr – Elsie needed a gassy drink so we had a small bottle. Very light – like a hip beer used to be.

Thursday 6 April 1978

Fine, cloudy, some sun

Picked up 7.00 am for a 3-island day cruise.

Down to Phaleron, a part of the port of Piraeus. Saronic Star, 1000 tons, 20 knots. Full boat load of 4-500 people.

Piraeus Harbour

One hour to Aegina. Boat anchored in the bay and all the passengers were ferried about 300 yards to the wharf. Small ships loaded to catch the tourist’s money.

Transport on the island – some donkey rides available.

Lunch served on board. A mixture of Greek foods – Very Good.

One hour to Poros. Berthed at quay which is on a narrow channel separating the two islands. Warm to hot.

Island of Poros – donkeys used for transport

One hour to Hydra. Situated on a small inlet and the houses built right down to the sea. Very narrow walk-streets between buildings. Donkeys used to transport gear from the wharf – bricks, sand etc. A place right out of this world. The people were unhurried. You would want to be fit as the hills rise steeply from the wharf area.

A narrow street on the island of Hydra

Wednesday 5 April 1978

Fine, cloudless, warm

Picked up at hotel at 7.00 am. We had peaches, bread roll and tea (boiled the billy) in the room as the dining room does not start to serve breakfast until 7.

Visit to Argolis and the Corinth Canal – Huge rock excavation joining Gulf of Corinth & Aegeon.

Corinth Canal

Corinth

Excavating at Corinth

Old town of Corinth – rebuilt in Roman times – photos of temple, ruins, present day excavations.

Mycenau

The Lion Gate at Mycenau

Mycenae – ruins back to 15th century BC. Imposing entrance gate – Lion Gate – facade on heavy stone lintel above the gate. Triangle used to take the weight off the lintel. Huge rocks used to make the wall.

Lunch at Nafplio in hotel on hill overlooking the Aegean.

Amphitheatre at Epidaurus

Ancient theatre of Epidaurus. Vast amphitheatre that seats 5000. If a coin is dropped on centre stage it can be heard quite clearly up at the top row. The stone on the seats channelled so that the seat is up about 1” to 1½” above the rest. Very impressive sight.

Late tea – 331dr ($8.25)

Tuesday, 4 April 1978

Cloudy, cool, some showers

Morning tour – picked up by bus.

Drove past Houses of Parliament – Tomb of Unknown Soldier (2 ceremonial guards) to the Acropolis (highest hill in a city), Propylaea (entrance building) and Temple of Wingless Victory.

Soldiers on guard outside Parliament House

View from the Acropolis

Tourist buses parked at the Acropolis

[Travelled] on to the Parthenon. The size of the Parthenon is staggering. Some restoration work going on. Marble brought from the hills some distance away.

Elsie (centre, front) at the Parthenon

The Parthenon

Afternoon walked to Flea Market area. A maze of small lanes, small shops stacked with all types of goods. One fellow had a downstairs shop. He had been in Victoria 20 years – married a girl from Albury [New South Wales]. Came back here to live 18 months ago. His father wanted him to come back to run his business. He said wages very low and conditions not so good. No place like Australia. He was a true salesman. Elsie bought a blouse.

Visited a Greek Orthodox Church just before 6 pm and service started. Elsie told she was not permitted to sit with her knees crossed.

Monday, 3 April 1978

Cool to cold – heavy, overcast

George Stergiopoulos (Sunny Way Tours) arranged the vouchers for our trips. Had checked the hotel to find out where we were as he had a different arrival date. Very obliging.

Afternoon tour of city. Bus picked us up at the hotel and we toured around to other hotels making pickups. The driver was expert in the heavy traffic and narrow streets. Most of the streets are one way.

Jim (centre) – Temple of Poseidon

Elsie – Temple of Poseidon

Afternoon tour to Cape Sounion. Drive along the coast road past summer houses. Athen’s temperature 35^o to 48^o in summer so some people have a house by the sea. All styles of houses the same. No painting, no gardens, dirty looking.

Visited the Temple of Poseidon. Windy and cold.

Sunday, 2 April 1978

Taxi [from airport] to Athens – 120 drachma. Battered Mercedes. Cloudy and cold – 15^oC.

Walked to [National] Gardens as room not yet ready. All the men in dark suits. No women about. Traffic very noisy. Had roast chestnuts. Wit [Elsie] received hot change. Walked through Gardens area, Exhibition Hall, ruins of Temple of [Olympian] Zeus.

Titania Hotel, Athens

Back to Titania Hotel about 12. Excellent room in front overlooking the main street. Looked for a restaurant. Went to Floka’s. Swordfish shish kebab, Greek salad and tea [350dr]. Crepe Suzette [200dr]. Grossly overpriced.

Porter had lived in Bristol Road, Hurstville 2 years ago.

Elsie flaked out about 4.15 (and slept til next morning). I had a couple of hours sleep.

Walked around Omonia Square and subway. Lots of eating snack places. Men everywhere, no women. In the underground, men standing in groups with one person dominating the loud conversation. The place was a hive of activity. Men with small wheeled carts selling books, nuts, tapes, drinks. I tried a plate of chips, minced hamburger steak and frankfurt.

View from hotel toward Omonia Square

Another view from hotel to Omonia Square, Athens

In 1978 one of our uncles, Jim, was eligible to take accrued long service leave and on Saturday, 1 April 1978, Jim and his wife Elsie took off on what would become their overseas trip of a lifetime.

Jim kept a diary of the holiday and wrote that the flight was: Very smooth all the way. Arrived in Athens 7.45 am (2.45 Sydney time) – Elapsed time 22 hours.

Leaving Sydney Airport at 4.45 pm – in a Qantas DC10 – they travelled seven hours to Singapore (hot, humid, a hive of activity – 28^oC – snack and dinner [provided on the flight]), followed by seven hours to Bahrain (snack and breakfast), and then four hours to Athens (breakfast).

We lost Jim in 1988. We lost Elsie in 2017.

As a tribute to their memory I thought it would be nice to reproduce – day-by-day –Jim’s diary and photos of their holiday over the coming weeks. Starting tomorrow you can follow their arrival in Athens and travel along with them as they explore Greece, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, France, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Scotland, Wales and England.

Make sure you check back each day to follow their journey and click on hyperlinked words for fascinating descriptions of the places they visited.