TRANSFER TO ROME AIRPORT (FCO)

Our final leg to the Zuiderdam began in Civitavecchia, Italy, when we departed from the Viking Mars around 8:30 am. There wasn’t any immigration or customs since we had already been cleared into the Schengen Area when we arrived in Barcelona a week ago. Viking offered a transfer to Rome Airport (FCO), 40 miles away, for $79 per person (approximately 70 Euros). Cruise Ship shuttles will sometimes only make one stop at the Airport, often leaving you some distance from your desired terminal. We chose a private transfer using Rome Cabs  for 100 Euros per person. Our flight departed from Terminal 2 at FCO, whereas most International departures to the USA originate from Terminal 1.  Driving to the Rome airport took about an hour without any traffic.

FCO CHECK-IN

Checking in at FCO was a breeze, and security was fast. Their X-ray machines are modern and don’t require anyone to remove shoes or laptops. We were flying on ITA Airways to Athens, a member of Delta’s SkyTeam alliance, so our Delta Perks benefits carried over to ITA. (free checked bag, etc). The only downside was using a bus to get from the gate to the plane, which required us to climb up the stairs from the tarmac to the aircraft with our carry-on bags.

ATHENS AIRPORT TO HOTEL

Our two-hour flight left on time, and we arrived in Athens at around 6:30 pm. We used Athens Transfer Services  from the Airport to the Hotel Grande Bretagne in central Athens, which cost 55 euros for a large van. We always use transfer companies that are locally based as opposed to services like Blacklane and others with International footprints, who will contract for local drivers. Sometimes, a transfer company will call you an Uber rather than use its team of dedicated and known drivers.

The Hotel Grande Bretagne is expensive, costing around $450 per night, but it is very nice. Incredible service and quality everywhere.

ATHENS FOOD TOUR

The next day, April 17, we booked “The Ten Tastings of Athens” using With Locals – more HERE (135 euros per person -discounts for more than 2 people)

Food tours are a great way to explore a city with a guide in a small group while enjoying many restaurants you would probably never find on your own. Our Tour guide, Voula, met us outside the Athens Tiare Hotel at 1:40 pm, and we headed out on our 3-mile walk over level ground, visiting eight shops, stalls, and restaurants. We also walked through the central market and observed the crowds purchasing food for the upcoming Easter holiday.

Here is a list of our stops with what we sampled – see the MAP below for their location.

Δωδώνη

– Bougatsa Thessalonikis with spinach & feta

This was our first stop where we bought some Bougatsa Thessalonikis.

Bougatsa Thessalonikis,with spinach & feta, is a Greek pastry, specifically a type of bougatsa, that combines thin, flaky phyllo dough with a filling of spinach and feta cheese. It’s a savory variation, distinct from the traditional sweet bougatsa filled with custard. Bougatsa Thessalonikis is a popular breakfast or snack item in Greece.

Terra Fresh

– Caramelized peanuts with sesame, Koilarati pistachios from Aegina, Raisins from Crete,  Halva, Turkish Delight

Terra Fresh is a small shop featuring wines, olive oils and local snacks. We bought a jar of Honey and Cocoa “Spread Energy”

Caramelized peanuts with sesame, Pistachios, Raisins, Turkish Delight and Halva from Terra Fresh.

Visit Central Market

Full Lambs for Easter

Full lambs on sale for the Easter holiday. They are very popular to roast on a spit.

Sample Olives

As we walked along the streets, we encountered several stands selling a wide variety of fresh produce.   We stopped by one to learn more about olives and sample several different varieties.

Getting ready to sample some olives

Here is the wide selection of olives – we sampled about 6 different varieties. We learned that the color of the olive indicates the olive’s ripeness

Tns OsaTpOU TO ETÉK

The name of the restaurant translates to “The Haunt of the Theatre” We sat down here for about 45 minutes

Here is the spread of food we sampled here

Calamari

Zucchini Frites with Zatziti Sauce

Giant Beans

Favs Beans

Choriatito Sausage

Braised Beef

MELIRA Honey

Melira sells a variety of honey, olive oil and sesame bars

We sampled a variety of delicious honey at Melira. We bought a jar of Organic Oak Honey

Loukoumadaki

Loukou Madaki sells a variety of donut like pastries

Glazed in honey and delicious

HOOCUT

We had some wonderful Gyros here at Hoocut

One pork and one lamb gyro

Click on a pin to see more details, along with a photo of the stop