Early start again; up at 04:30, airport at 05:30, flight at 06:30, landed at 07:30. Popped over the road to the airport hotel to see how much it would cost to stay there for the day but it was pricey and we couldn’t check in till 12:00 so took the train to the city.
We were feeling pretty hungry so found a nice cafe and ordered a big breakfast. We were there for quite a while, so ordered an extra coffee so as not to feel guilty. Especially since we found a power point and recharged our phones. I just about managed to resist taking off my boots and putting on my slippers. We were there for about 2 and a half hours, so left a decent tip and posted a glowing review on Tripadvisor.
The place was busy, all the cafes full and lots of people. Carrying on through the crowds we found a small church in the middle of the main shopping street, with lots of people going in and out, so had a look. All the walls and ceiling were painted with frescoes, so took a few photos.
We stumbled upon the Athens Flea Market, and despite not needing any went in. There were lots of bric-a-brac stalls selling old typewriters, vinyl records and old books etc. There were also several army surplus shops. I asked one guy if he had any camouflage jackets. He said yes, but he couldn’t find them. Boom tish.
Pushing through the throngs of people, past full cafes and restaurants, and being clobbered by shopping bags, I wondered how the economy was in such a bad way. Like Spain last year, there were lots of tourists and it was very busy.
We came across Hadrian’s Library, but didn’t go in. I’d borrowed a book in 132AD and forgot to return it and the fine would be massive.
Having worked up an appetite we stopped at what seemed to be the most popular bakery in Greece, but managed to secure a table. Song had an egg and bacon roll and I had a custard croissant. Gourmet fare indeed.
Suitably stuffed, we got the train back to the airport and the plane to Bucharest. The flight wasn’t full so we could stretch out and it only took a couple of hours. Hopped on the bus to the city and asked where the ticket machine was. “The airport” said a girl. By this time we were hurtling down the freeway so hoped there were no ticket inspectors.
Completing our free bus ride, we took the metro to the hotel, got off at the right stop and dragged the cases down some dodgy looking streets.
Tomorrow we’re looking around Bucharest and have booked a hotel in a town called Brasov, but not sure if we’ll go there because it’s a 3 hour train trip.
