Can we stop the bus, please? I need to go snorkeling...

Today began in a rather lazy fashion...I went to bed pretty late last night trying to get up all my Meteora pics as well as catch a glimpse of the Acropolis at night!

So pretty!!

When I did finally get to bed I basically stayed there until 9 this morning when I the sun was bothering me too much. lol! Luckily the only other girl in my hostel room - I think her name is Valerie but she's French and had a very thick accent! - was sleeping in as well, so I didn't feel too, too lazy! 

After we both got up we chatted a bit and I found out this is her last day in Athens but she's been traveling all over and has been studying in Paris for a while - she actually is originally from a French-owned island and thus looks more like a native island gal - but she was very friendly and sweet!

Eventually though, I bid her adieu and walked over to the metro to get to the bus station that would take me to Cape Sounio! Unfortunately I had a bit of trouble finding the bus station and had to ask numerous people all of whom pointed me back and forth until I felt a bit like a pinball. But finally a little old Greek woman overheard me and immediately said, "come wit me, come wit me".......how could I refuse?

She literally came up to my bellybutton, but boy could she book it! In no time she brought me right where I needed to be! She even told me how beautiful Sounio was and gave me a smile before hustling me on my way!

Unfortunately the bus signs were kind of confusing and I couldn't quite find exactly which bus to grab, but finally I saw some other people gathering and found out that indeed the bus would be there "shortly".

Shortly my foot! .....we waited more than an hour for it!

Although, when it did arrive, it was nice and air-conditioned and I even met a couple behind me from Wisconsin! The drive too was just like the old lady said - gorgeous!!

I literally got goosebumps as we began to near the coast...the azure-blue waters of the Aegean were glittering and SO clear that I wanted to jump out of the bus, run for the beach, and dive right in!!

But my main destination was worth the denial... 

The Temple of Poseidon sat like a beacon on the green tip of the Attica peninsula, surrounded by the waves on three sides and I immediately felt like I was stepping into another world where the Greek gods did exist and mythology was reality....

...the temple was built around the 5th century BC and is actually mentioned in a few important Greek myths. Sounio is where the king Aegeus threw himself from the cliffs and into the waves below (hence the sea's name) after he saw the black sail of the ship bringing his son, Theseus, home from the battle with the Minotaur - signaling the young prince's death. However, Theseus was not dead, he had just fallen asleep and had forgotten to raise a white sail instead.....oops.

Sounio is also mentioned in the Odyssey and in other tales of sea-travelers since it is indeed the place where Poseidon is most honored. And remember that bronze statue from my trip to the Archaeological Museum? Although some believe it to be Zeus, it was actually found in a shipwreck off of the coastline and is thus thought to perhaps have originated from this place of worship....

...there were also all of these names carved into the sides and columns - either dating from around the era when young men would take their Grand Tour of Europe as an educational 'coming of age', so to speak, or from sailors throughout the years, making sure Poseidon heard their pleas for safe travel...

Also, although I couldn't find it, Lord Byron is to have carved his own name into one of the pillars during his Grand Tour and there is even a little poem I have that he wrote about the Cape...

Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,

Where nothing, save the waves and I,

May hear our mutual murmurs sweep..

....couldn't agree more, sir, couldn't agree more.

...*sigh*...

I sat up there for what seemed like forever, just soaking up the sun, the Mediterranean breezes (ok, more like gusts...it was super windy!), and most of all the mystery of the white-washed ruins....

When I did have to climb back down to the real world, I grabbed some ice cream and walked around a little more to glance at some of the vacation homes and sailboats along the coast.

Then, my bus came to pick me up and we were on our way back to Athens! Again, I marveled at the gorgeous coastline we passed by and suddenly I became very, very excited for when I get to bust out of the city and head for the islands!!
But first things first, tomorrow I have another daytrip, this time to the ruins of Mycenae and Epidaurus!
...guess those blue waters will just have to wait a little longer....