Michael S. LibermanItaly and Greece Day 18: Athens
July 19, 2024
From the rooftop bar of the Polis Grand Hotel in Athens …
After an early breakfast we disembark from the Celestyal Discovery at 7:30a following the overnight sail from Santorini to the port of Lavrion.
An hour bus ride gets us back to Athens to drop our bags at the Polis Grand Hotel. Check in isn’t until later this afternoon, so we’ve got some free time in Athens. Some members of the group are heading to the Acropolis, but Michelle and I are off on an adventure to Mount Lycabettus. Reached by funicular it’s the highest point in Athens and home to the 19th century Chapel of St. George. The views of the city from here are outstanding …
It’s incredibly windy, but we enjoy the view for a couple of hours before returning to the hotel for lunch.
An Englishmen and an American meet for coffee in Athens to chat about sourdough bread baking. Sounds like a pitch for a spy novel!
But we’re meeting Phil, my sourdough bread baking guide. Phil is from Cambridge and lives with his family in Greece. He’s been a professional chef and is a bread baking phenom. I found his Culinary Exploration YouTube channel when I started baking sourdough and joined his Sourdough Unchained baking community to improve my baking skills. We talk sourdough baking, international travel, and get a local perspective on living in Athens.
It’s our last night in Greece, so Sophie, Michelle, and I toast the end of the trip at the rooftop bar of the Polis Grand Hotel. The view is amazing!
Time to head home and get my starter back in to shape!
We fly back to Boston tomorrow.
