National Garden

Last day in Greece. I have my breakfast and relax for a bit before going out. I head out in the afternoon to the National Gardens which are by the Parliament Buildings. They are a few city blocks in size and have paths wandering through. The towering trees offer plenty of shade from the heat. Today is hot with sun (seems the norm here). There are plaques on the trees but they are all Greek to me. (I had to throw that one in.) They have built little nooks and crannies here and there with benches for people to have their lunch, a coffee or just sit and relax. There are not many flowers here or I have the wrong time of year. It seems to be mostly very tall, very old trees. The trees do a good job of drowning out the noise from the traffic and makes it quite enjoyable in the middle of a metropolis. I head over to the zoo (I’m a sucker for animals) but it is closed! I wander a bit farther and come up to a turtle pond. Well, there animals at least.

Next to the gardens is an area of the city called Plaka. It is a subdivision that has many shops and restaurants. I head over to there for some dinner. I find a place called Saita Taverna. It has your typical outdoor seating and is busy. Perfect combination for good food. I find a seat and order a Greek salad with a lamb casserole that comes with French fries and a glass of wine. I don’t have lamb very often since it is quite fatty but man is it good. This one is with carrots and gravy and is nice and tender, it just falls off the bone. The salad is nice and crisp and the atmosphere pleasant.
After dinner I walk back to my place to start the packing process.

On the way home I stop at a wine store. I walk in to put up some wine for my last night here. I explain that I would like a dry white. The lady asks me how much I want, I’m a little taken a back. Apparently, they sell wine out of the barrel in 1-, 1.5- or 2-liter bottles. You also get to ‘taste test’ prior to buying. This is for local wines. They also have bottles if you prefer a different wine from a different area. How cool is that?? I can walk in and get a liter of wine for 3 Euros poured directly from the barrel! Yeah, I like Greece. I walk a little further and pick up a dessert that is absolutely delicious. Yes, pictures are included!Read more