The last few days have been spent in Athens. We arrived on Friday and anchored outside the A. Kosma marina, where they held the Olympic sailing events in 2004. The weather wasn't great so we didn't leave the boat at all. On Monday we went into the marina and arranged to have our batteries collected for testing. Unfortunately the only place they had for us in the marina didn't have power that we could use so we had to resort to oil lamps and collecting water from the tap outside (our water is all dependent on electric pump). The batteries were collected in the morning so we decided to take advantage of the fact that there were no strikes and head into the city centre on the tram.

The tram was very easy, straight to Syntagma Square, from where we walked to the National Archeological Museum. We passed some beautiful buildings, the most notable were the Public Library, Science Academy and University of Athens admin offices. The Museum was a half hour walk away and, although it was cold (yes cold!), it was good to get our feet on terra firma and stretch our legs. We spent a couple of hours in the museum before we were 'sculptured out' and then headed through the city to the Acropolis. We had planned to go back to the city the next day but weren't sure of any strikes so tried to see as much as was possible in the one day. We walked around the bottom of the Acropolis and managed to get some good pics of the Parthenon. Then, after taking a wrong turning, we walked around Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. From almost everywhere we could see the Acropolis, there were also lots of ruins (mostly Roman) scattered around the city, protected from the weather but open to view on the side of the road.

On our way back to Syntagma Square to catch the tram home we passed the Panathenaion Theatre, a rebuilt theatre which hosts the finish of the Athens Marathon. The Port Police and Fire Brigade were there, out in force, protesting against the austerity measures currently affecting Greeks. There was lots of shouting and the occasional policeman or soldier with riot shields but everything seemed fairly peaceful. When we got back to Syntagma we had a coffee and watched the guard at Parliament doing his goose-step marching - the inspiration for the 'Ministry of Funny Walks'!

After walking around so much of Athens on our first day we decided that we wouldn't go back into the city the next day and spent the day catching up with chores: fixing the dinghy; making bread and soup; washing the boat down etc etc. We went for a walk in the marina - how the other half live! It was full of massive motor boats, ships really! 150 of them were registered in the same office in London (a tax dodge). When we were in Ramsgate we were one of the biggest boats there, in this marina we were undoubtedly the smallest! We were also the only ones not sitting at a desk earning the money to keep the boat!

Our batteries were delivered this morning and are now reinstalled and fully charged. We left the marina at lunch time and are now on our way to Sounion to anchor for the night before we head over to Kea and the rest of the Cyclades.