20 – 26 September 2013 – Athens, Greece

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece.  It’s one of the world’s oldest cities with its recorded history spanning around 3,400 years.  No wonder then that staying in Athens is like staying in an open-air museum.

The Byzantine church of Kapnikarea

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Hadrian’s Arch – on one side the inscription reads “This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus”, on the other the inscription reads “This is the city of Hadrian, not of Theseus”.

The Tower of the Winds, Roman Agora

The Anifiotika quarter at the edge of of the Acropolis – a maze of picturesque whitewashed houses with blue doors built by the stonemasons from the island of Anafi.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, south-western slope of the Acropolis

Porch of the Caryatids, Acropolis

The Parthenon, Acropolis

View from the Acropolis

The Temple of Hephaestus, Ancient Agora

Athens Academy

Marble floor from a Cairo mansion, Benakis Museum of Islamic Art

Persian tile, Benakis Museum of Islamic Art

Monastiraki Square with the Acropolis in the background

For sale at the lively meat market near our hotel

A number of buildings in Athens have been defaced with graffiti

Sunday, 23 September 2013 – Changing of the Presidential Guard, Athens, Greece

This morning we went to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The Presidential Guard or Evzones, are a ceremonial unit, and they guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier round the clock.  Generally, the changing of the guard takes place every hour on the hour, and involves the two incoming and two outgoing guards, and a supervisor.

The Evzones are required to remain totally still at all times.

Evzone on guard during the week


Essential footwear


Their march is a very slow exaggerated goose step, striking the ground with their metal soled shoes.

Weekday changing of the guard



On Sunday mornings, there is a Grand Change involving the whole Guard with its officers and a military band.

Full ceremonial dress for the Grand Change on Sunday

14 – 18 September 2013 – Mumbai, India

With a population of nearly 17 million, Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is India’s largest city and financial capital.  Mumbai is a city of contrasts – modern buildings juxtaposed with colonial heritage sites, and the wealthy staying in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel with the destitute beggars and rag pickers living on the pavements outside.

The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911.

The Taj Mahal Palace – one of the world’s iconic hotels

Cricket is India’s number one sport.  Space is at a premium in Mumbai so there were several games being played on this inner-city maidan (oval) behind the High Court and Mumbai University.

Chhatrapati Shivaji (Victoria) Terminus – headquarters of the Central Railway and Asia’s busiest railway station

Marine Drive

Girgaum Chowpatty – favourite hangout beach for “Mumbaikers” and tourists

The beautifully maintained interiors of the Dr Bhau Daji Lad museum

The Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat – probably the world’s biggest human powered laundry. The male dhobis (washers) painstakingly pound the dirt by hand from thousands of pieces of laundry every day against the flogging stone in each stall.

Banganga Tank – hidden behind a couple of apartment blocks and surrounded by Hindu shrines, dharamsalas (pilgrims’ rest houses) and ramshackle slums this is an ancient freshwater reservoir which sprung from the River Ganga when Lord Rama fired an arrow marking the centre of the earth (apparently).

The Haji Ali Dargah Mosque – built on top of a small islet connected to the mainland by a long narrow causeway.

The Maheshmurti panel, Elephanta Island, showing the three incarnations of Lord Shiva (the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the universe)

Prince of Wales Museum

Nothing goes to waste in Mumbai!

We were lucky to be in Mumbai for the final day of the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival.  After 10 days of festivities, a funeral is held for Ganesh and he is taken and dumped in the river amidst much loud drumming, singing and dancing.

10 – 12 September 2013 – Konkan Coast, Maharashtra State, India

The Konkan Coast is a scenic section of the western coastline of India stretching from Goa to Mumbai.  We took a few days to travel from Goa to Mumbai along the coastal road.

On Day 1, we caught the train from Old Goa to Ratnagiri.

View from the train

Horse drawn buggy on the beach at Ratnagiri

On Day 2, we caught a bus to Ganpatipule and then a series of tuks tuks and ferries to Dapoli.

The beachside Ganesh temple, Ganpatipule

Konkan fishing fleet in the estuary

Typical cliff top coastline

On Day 3 we hired a car and driver to take us to Murud.

Deserted beaches

Washing drying by the roadside

Mughal era ruins

We stayed at Murud because it was home to the magnificent island fort of Janjira, built in the 12th century by Arab traders.

A friendly tuk tuk driver drove us to Rajpuri Port to catch a sailboat to the island fort

Janjira Fort

To get to Mumbai, we had to catch two buses to the Mandwa Jetty where we climbed aboard a ferry for the short journey to Mumbai Harbour and the Gateway to India. It was a spectacular way to arrive in Mumbai and we got to see the iconic basalt Gateway to India arch just as it was meant to be seen – from the water!

The Gateway of India with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on the left