Athens — Rome | FindPenguins

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February 27, 2025
Athens — Rome
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Day 2
Friday, February 28, 2025 at 8:35 AM
☀️ 48 °F
Altitude: 981 ft
United States Harmon Park 41.544422, -93.65367141°32’40” N 93°39’13” W
Take off
February 28 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F
With a little help from ChatGPT I was the responsible one and created a full itinerary. Dinner dates booked, tickets secured, hotels and flights arranged. Next stop, Athens.
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Day 3
Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM
☀️ 63 °F
Altitude: 328 ft
Greece Pallas Theater 37.976414, 23.73477737°58’35” N 23°44’5” E
Touchdown and Day 1
March 1 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
Arrived in Athens. Our taxi was ripping at 140kph to the hotel. We are staying at the NJV right on Syntagma Square, the central plaza of Athens. Caught the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier in front of the parliament building. The fried feta with honey and sesame seeds was the highlight of dinner. Couldn’t convince Courtney to get the Oreo coke.Read more
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Day 4
Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 11:23 AM
☁️ 59 °F
Altitude: 246 ft
Greece Acropolis Museum 37.96875, 23.72821237°58’8” N 23°43’42” E
Acropolis Museum
March 2 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
Started off with the best Hotel breakfast we’ve ever had. Walked to the Acropolis to realize I booked tickets for the next day, maybe I’m not too good at this. Ended up spending the morning at the Museum and exploring Plaka.Read more
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Day 4
Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 3:57 PM
☁️ 59 °F
Altitude: 827 ft
Greece Lykabettus 37.981842, 23.74315137°58’55” N 23°44’35” E
Mount Lycabettus & Panathinaiko Stadium
March 2 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
Took the cable car to the top of the best overlook in the city. Enjoyed some drinks and marched our way down even though we paid for a return ticket. The stadium was a highlight, walked the tunnels the gladiators and athletes entered through, sat in the King and Queens thrones.

“The Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. A stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos c. 400 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD it had a capacity of 50,000 seats.”

Finished with dinner at Greco with live music and gelato at Le Greche.Read more
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Day 5
Monday, March 3, 2025 at 9:31 AM
☁️ 54 °F
Altitude: 266 ft
Greece Theatre of Dionysos 37.9702, 23.7279737°58’13” N 23°43’41” E
Acropolis
March 3 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
So the Acropolis is the citadel and the Parthenon is the temple. I kept getting that mixed up.

We started on the south slope and first stop was the Theater of Dionysus, where ancient theater was born. From there we passed by the temple of Themis and made it up to the Odeion of Herodes Artricus. A Roman theater in much better shape than the first. We entered through the Propylae, a Doric style ceremonial gate leading to the Acropolis.

We fought our way to get good Parthenon photos and then checked out the overlook, temple of Athena Nike, Temple of Rome and Augustus, and the Pandroseion.

From there we left through the Beulé Gate, built by the Roman’s with repurposed stone from another monument.Read more
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Day 5
Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:01 AM
☁️ 55 °F
Altitude: 223 ft
Greece Roman Agora 37.9738, 23.72598337°58’26” N 23°43’34” E
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Ancient Agoras/Temple of Hephaestus
March 3 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Second half of the morning. Stopped at the Roman Agora, Agora’s were public spaces used for assembles and markets. From there we went to the Ancient Agora of Athens. The missal there is rebuilt like the original which is cool. In the same place was the Temple of Hephaestus. It’s Greek and mostly standing due to its varied use throughout the years.

We then walked back to the hotel passing through Monastiraki square and past the Panaghia Kanikarea Church.Read more
Traveler What an iconic pic
3/3/25Reply
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Day 5
Monday, March 3, 2025 at 4:31 PM
☁️ 54 °F
Altitude: 285 ft
Greece Prison of Socrates 37.969406, 23.72236137°58’10” N 23°43’20” E
Dinner with a view
March 3 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
Took a walk through the Plaka neighborhood and found Bretto’s bar. The oldest distillery in Athens. From there we went to Dionysos Zonar’s and had some amazing food with a matching view. I had the sea bass and Courtney got the shrimp linguine. It had the biggest shrimp I’ve ever seen. Topped it off with some dessert and walked it off on the way home.Read more
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Day 6
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 7:24 AM
☀️ 46 °F
Altitude: 302 ft
Greece Syntagma square 37.97588, 23.73377837°58’33” N 23°44’2” E
Flight to Rome
March 4 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F
Courtney really wanted McDonalds for breakfast but they don’t start brekky until 8am! She was devastated and I had to settle with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with hash browns at the hotel. First time taking a bus to a plan and they let us board from the front and back at the same time. It was chaotic. This driver also had the need for speed and had us up to 90mph at one point. Hotel is amazing and walking distance to the Vatican.Read more
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Day 6
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 2:46 PM
☀️ 63 °F
Altitude: 82 ft
Italy Borgo 41.899395, 12.46247841°53’58” N 12°27’45” E
A stroll through Trastevere
March 4 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
Can’t kick a rock without hitting a historic building or a church around here. Had our first authentic pizza and ate it with a fork as you do. Took a walk through the Trastevere neighborhood and our first stop was the Basilica of Santa Maria, one of the oldest churches in Rome. Checked out an ancient city gate, Porta Portese.

We then walked to Largo di Torre Argentina. It is an ancient square where historians believe Roman senators assassinated Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. What draws the interest of visitors, though, are the half dozen or so cats lounging in the nooks and crannies of the old stone walls.

Stopped at a couple vintage stores, and grabbed snacks for the walk back along the Trevere river.Read more
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Day 7
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 7:48 AM
☀️ 43 °F
Altitude: 171 ft
Vatican City Atrio della Quattro Cancelli 41.906162, 12.45396141°54’22” N 12°27’14” E
Vatican City
March 5 in Vatican City ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F
So much art. Luckily we had a tour booked so we got to skip all the lines and go straight in. We didn’t realize the size of the Vatican Museums collection. Highlights were some of the statues, Raphael Rooms, the pope mobile collection, and of course the Sistine Chapel. No photos in the Sistine but it was pretty amazing. Grabbed lunch after and walked through Prati and past Emperor Augustus’ tomb. Did some shopping by the Spanish steps and walked the river home.

Our tour guide told us there would be a test and called Courtney out. He didn’t think she would pass. But at the end he said even the blonde girl from the US passed.Read more
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Day 8
Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 8:06 AM
☀️ 45 °F
Altitude: 125 ft
Italy Colosse 41.89156, 12.4907241°53’30” N 12°29’27” E
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The Roman Forum & Colosseum
March 6 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Toured the Colosseum, including the tunnel the gladiators traveled through from the training building that they lived in to the arena. Fun fact: it’s called arena because that means sand. The floor was covered in sand to soak up the blood. We were the first group to enter the underground for the day so it wasn’t too busy but it sure was cold. It’s amazing the engineering it took to build the roof system, the arena floor, elevators, drainage system, let alone the colosseum.

Palatine hill is filled with too many places to list them all. The city was founded on this hill by Romulus and also where he murdered his brother. The rich originally lived in this hill before the empire started. They made huge palaces and eventually expanded the hill. At the base were many government buildings including the senate house.Read more
Traveler Tired Courtney
3/6/25Reply
TravelerShe thought the old rocks were sooooo interesting.
3/8/25Reply
Traveler Nice one!
3/11/25Reply
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Day 8
Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 12:10 PM
☀️ 64 °F
Altitude: 102 ft
Italy Pantheon 41.898514, 12.47666341°53’55” N 12°28’36” E
Afternoon amble
March 6 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
1. Trevi Fountain
- Drink stop
2. Spanish Steps
- Courtney got her McDonalds
3. Pantheon
- Starbucks
4. Piazza Novona

Shopping, walking, seeing, and snacking
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Day 9
Friday, March 7, 2025 at 10:17 AM
☀️ 55 °F
Altitude: 171 ft
Italy Ponte 41.896645, 12.46161741°53’48” N 12°27’42” E
Last Full Day
March 7 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
Hiked up Janiculum hill to see the view. From there we went to the WeGil and checked out the Warhol/Banksy exhibit. Took a break at the CircusMaximus, the oldest and largest arena in Rome. Later the events became more specialized after they built the coliseum and this was mainly used for chariot racing. Grabbed lunch and checked out St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican one last time. Stocked up on snacks and began packing up before dinner.Read more
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Day 10
Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 7:14 AM
☁️ 50 °F
Altitude: 141 ft
Italy Borgo 41.898697, 12.46107841°53’55” N 12°27’40” E
Travel Day
March 8 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F
Happy international women’s day! They celebrate by giving yellow flowers to ladies. Courtney got some at breakfast. I could get used to being chauffeured around in Mercedes.

Watched Gladiator 1 and 2 on the plane to catch up on my Roman history.Read more
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Trip end
March 8, 2025