Following a leisurely morning and a delicious breakfast at a local taverna, we were ready for our tour of the golden coast to Cape Sounion. Our tour guide, George, picked us up at noon and we began the 70 km drive southeast of Athens. George was so knowledgeable and was more than willing to share his love of Greek history and culture with us. We all enjoyed the drive along the coast and "oohed and awed" at the beauty of the seaside towns along the way. At our first stop, we had the opportunity to walk around at one of the beautiful beaches and dip our toes in the Mediterranean Sea. (photos 1 and 2) Our next stop was at the only sea turtle sanctuary in Greece. We saw several giant sea turtles who had been injured by fishing boats and nets and were being rehabilitated with the goal of being returned to the sea.

When we reached the southern most point of mainland Greece, known as Cape Sounion, we were able to walk near the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon. It stands on a cliff, 215 feet above the sea and was built in 444 BC, at the same time as the Parthenon. The temple was built to worship Poseidon, the Greek god of sea and water. Today, there are 16 of the remaining marble columns still standing. (Photos 3, 4 and 5)

George then took us to a Greek restaurant on the outskirts of Athens for a traditional Greek meal. He ordered all the food for us, which included Greek Salad, potatoes, several varieties of lamb, sausage and a giant hamburger patty - BBQ'd then drenched with lemon! All the food was unbelievably delicious, however, 8 hours later, we are all still full! (Photos 6, 7, 8 and 9)

Our final stop was at the airport, where we boarded our plane for Dubrovnik, Croatia. We arrived safely and are just enjoying a nightcap at our new digs! We are looking forward to exploring the city of Dubrovnik tomorrow!