Mallows Bay

Saturday was 80 degrees and beautiful, so I asked a friend if he wanted to go (take me) to Mallows Bay to go canoeing among World War I wooden-shipwrecks in a shallow area of the Potomac River across from Quantico.  We noticed that we were going to pass Fort Washington on the way, so we decided to stop off and waste some time before low tide.

Fort Washington Interior

Fort Washington Light

The fort you see today was finished October 2, 1824, and you can climb all over the place - exploring creepy dark tunnels, climbing up for great views over the old cannon mounts and then down to the shore to see the lighthouse.  The park is huge, we only explored the main fort on the river, there are batteries and old building scattered for acres.  This is the park service page: http://www.nps.gov/fowa/historyculture/index.htm.

Fort Washington Gate

The views from the walls are impressive, we couldn't agree exactly on everything you can see, but it was pretty clear and the view was nice. There is also a cute Visitor House with rocking chairs, real bathrooms and a water fountain, which was convenient before hitting the road again.



The road to Mallow's Bay isn't marked, you will need to plug the address into GPS or map it before you go.  The site has a big parking lot, some informational signs and a kayak and regular boat launch. There were a few cars in the parking lot, but we only saw a few kayaks the whole time we were there.  You can see the wrecks from the dock, we were so excited. 

Mallows Bay Boat Launch with S.S. Accomac Car Ferry Visible

The largest and closest ship is a more recent wreck of a car ferry that was abandoned here in the 1960s.  It is a rusted hull with half broken off and sunk.  We decided to poke around the wooden hulls from WWI and they scatter across the bay poking up everywhere. 

 You are paddling over the wrecks, since it was low tide we actually scraped the canoe several times.  There are a few prominent hulls that you can see an outline for, but metal spike bundles are all that remain usually.  Once ship was run on top of another and enough dirt was landed in the remains to allow vegetation to grow. These wrecks have been here since the 1920s and I found a couple interesting websites with more history and old photos: http://sometimes-interesting.com/2013/04/18/the-ghost-fleet-of-mallows-bay/ & http://www.dnr.state.md.us/naturalresource/winter2001/ghostship.html .

 I will not lie, when you get out in front of the wrecks on the Potomac side the waves and wind were rocking the canoe pretty good.  We never dumped the canoe, but the thought crossed my mind several times.

SS Accomac Car Ferry in Mallows Bay

We paddled back by the Accomac on our way back to the dock and I was talked into landing and exploring the old wreck.  Ironically, there is a great rusted deck almost perfect for landing a canoe - just really slippery at times. 

 The interior of the ship is completely rusted, with water in the inside and bird nest on top.  My friend was brave enough to climb a half rusted away staircase and explore the top deck, while I stayed with the canoe.  I loved these old gears that are still on the ship.

My friend has a plane, so he suggested we head to the air and check out the view of the bay from the sky.  It is still funny to think these wrecks are just about 30 miles from Washington, DC, and so few people have heard of them. 

Aerial View of Mallows Bay

Since Mallows Bay is so close to Reagan National Airfield and Quantico, you can only fly near it, not over, so this is the best shot we got.  Funny to think we were just down there a couple hours before this shot was taken.  We had heard there is a Naval target ship near Smith's Island, so we headed there next. 

American Mariner Target Ship in Potomac

 I googled the story (http://bearboat.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/targetship-may08_sndgs_sb.pdf) and American Mariner is the second target ship in about the same location, Hannibal used to be here until the Navy finally destroyed it.  This target ship has been proudly serving since 1966, and it shows, it is full of holes; however, the water here is only about 20 feet deep and it is resting on the bottom so it will be a sitting duck for a while longer. 

American Mariner Close Up

 Tangier Island is nearby, so we flew and landed just as the sun was setting.  Tangier Island is tiny, and the Potomac appears to be reclaiming even more.  Golf carts are the primary source of transportation on the island, but we walked 2 blocks to the main street to grab some dinner.  Fisherman's Corner was closing, but they were nice enough to make us some clam strips to go.  We finished up with a stop at Spanky's Place - a fun 50's themed ice-cream parlor. 

Tangier Island at Sunset

The flight back was mainly after sunset, so we tried picking out the lights of known landmarks and Washington, DC monuments.  The highways are easy to find - lots of red taillights stretching forever.  I was exhausted by the time I got home, but this was a really unique day.

Leaving Athens

Pottery in National Archaeological Museum

Today we slept in late again and enjoyed brunch at the hotel.  We rode one of the trolleys instead of the metro today, to see the city more.  We visited the National Archaeological Museum today, for hours.  The museum seems like just acres and acres of pottery, statues and jewelry.  There is even a small Egyptian section.  It was interesting to see the finds that have been recovered from shipwrecks.  

We tried to find a supermarket or grocery store to buy Greek candy and treats, but the only one nearby was closed.  We have to get up so early for our flight tomorrow, ugh, but at least it appears we aren't impacted by the Air France strike, whew.

Bronze Zeus

The best website I found for Athens museums and monuments was http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/eh10.jsp and ironically the best map for Athens we got in Rhodes!

Best Athens Map

Athens Day 3

Temple of Hephaistos

Today we got a late start before hopping on the Metro to the oldest section of Athens, Plaka.  We started in the Ancient Agora.  There is only knee-high rubble left through most of the site and the map is a joke.  The highlight is The Temple of Hephaistos, really pretty columns still intact with intricate reliefs.  There was also a nice small church, Church of the Holy Apostles, which had many restored frescoes.  The Ancient Agora Museum is also on site, not much new after everything else we have seen, but cool break from the heat.

Temple of Hephaistos

Next we tried to find the Tower of the Winds, only to discover that it is under covers being restored for the next two years, oh well.  Then we accidentally found Hadrians's Library trying to find some ancient churches.  There is a flea market area of Athens called Monastiraki that we meandered into next (honestly half the city has taken on this flea market model).  We found some cute earrings and I picked up some olive oil soap.  Then we went looking for churches again.  The National Cathedral is really pretty inside, but the outside is covered for renovations.  There is a really pretty small church, the Kapnikarea that was covered in golden frescoes, really impressive despite its tiny size.

We were near a Starbucks, so of course I had to stop in and get a mug.  I went with the Athens vs Greece mug, because it was prettier.  Then we grabbed the Metro back to the hotel to cool off in the pool - Hilton has a nice pool. I found a place nearby recommended by Trip Advisor for dinner and it was a winner. Maloka is a pretty small restaurant down a dark alley, but it was soooo good and not pricey at all.  We walked through Syntagma Square after dinner.  The fountains change colors and dance after dark.  There was a flash mob, or protest or rally going on - we decided not to hang out.  When we got back to our hotel we went up to the rooftop bar to get pictures of the Acropolis and Athens at night.

Acropolis!

Acropolis

Today we headed for the Acropolis, high on a hill in the center of Athens.  Not going to lie, it is a hot, steep walk without much shade - totally worth it.  There is not much left and restoration is on going everywhere.  The tourists are packed on the hill and employees have whistles they blow whenever one gets too close or tries to touch something, gets funny after a while.  The marble and uneven surfaces are surprisingly slippery, not sure I'd like to try this after a rain.  The Parthenon was my favorite building.

Parthenon and Me

There were great views of all of Athens from the site.  Then we had to walk down, ugh.  On the way down you come to Areopagus (Mars) Hill, where ancients gave speeches.  Then on to the Acropolis Museum, where all the good stuff is kept (statues on Acropolis are replicas, real ones are in museums to protect against further damage).  The museum was a nice break, air conditioned, real bathrooms and interesting. The museum is on an archaeological site itself, there are plexiglass floors everywhere letting you look into the excavation below.  You cannot take pictures in most of the museum.  My favorite exhibit was the Caryatids, maiden sculptures from the Erechtheion.  

The Porch of the Caryatids, Erechtheion

Pastitsio

A completely random internet search led us to a good little restaurant nearby.  I was tired of gyros and kabobs, so I decided to try a Greek dish - Pastitsio - which was really good, but not the best choice on a hot day with more walking to do....still good.

Then we walked to Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.  It was a really pretty site and it wasn't very crowded - strange since it is free with your Acropolis ticket. I loved the one collapsed column they left on the ground, showing how many marble blocks made up each column.  We saw the Zappeion Building and wandered through the National Gardens (not very nice).  The gardens ended at the Parliament Building.  We happened to catch the changing of the guard at the Greek tomb of the unknown soldier, the outfits and ballet-like high steps involved have to be seen (and pitied, a lot).  I am up to 545 pictures taken so far on this trip.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Athens

We had a lazy morning.  We slept in, had breakfast, then packed.  We took a few last pictures and then headed to the airport for Athens.  The Santorini airport is tiny and filled to the limit with tourists, nothing is on time, but everything works out.  We took a train into Athens and it was about a block and a half walk to the Hilton.  I am not impressed with the room, it is so tiny compared to the awesome rooms we have had so far.  The bathroom is nice and the beds seem really comfy, so there is that.  Our balcony looks at Mount Lycabettus.

We headed out to the Byzantine Museum, then grabbed dinner at a street cafe before finishing the day with the Benaki Museum.  Half of the pictures I took at the museums will mean nothing to me tomorrow, but there is so much history and art here.  The intricate jewelry pieces from ancient times were amazing.   My feet are so swollen from walking, but my blister has healed enough not to hurt, yeah.

Day 2 Santorini

Today we started with a much smaller, but still good breakfast at our hotel after both passing out last night.  We caught a bus to the Akrotiri ruins, which are the remains of several towns built on top of each other then buried by a volcano.  The site is nice and it is all encompassed by a roof that keeps it cooler, but after visiting Pompeii it is not even close. We walked down to the shore from the site and caught a water taxi to Akrotiri's Red Beach, White Beach and finally Black Beach - the beaches get their names from the colors of the cliffs and volcanic sand that literally make the beaches white, red and black (very hot). The boat ride was nice, cheap and offered amazing views.  Sorry, didn't take my tablet to the beaches.  

We caught a bus back to Fira to grab some lunch and hang out by the pool. The hotel owner informed us that she had to change our room, but now we have a villa with a full kitchen and a walk in shower, so I'm not complaining.  We spent the afternoon at the pool, I am sunburned on my neck and chest, still ghostly white everywhere else, ugh.  I also learned that the beautiful Santorini blue that the bottom of the pool was painted with rubs off - I had blue feet, legs and arms from leaning on the sides until I took a shower.  

 Church of Panagia of Platsani

Before sunset we caught a bus to Oia to watch another beautiful sunset.  Oia is a really cute town, full of churches and more art studios and high end stores than Fira.  A few hundred tourists tried to pack onto the ledge at the end of the island to catch the sunset, it was insane.  We wandered around a little before heading back to the hotel.  The streets were still narrow and winding, but smooth stone versus the cobblestone streets of Fira - so much easier on my sore feet.

Street in Oia

We picked up dinner from a local bakery and got amazing pictures of a red moon coming up over a church.  We stopped in to let the hotel staff know when we needed a ride to the airport and ended up hanging out on the patio.  The owner's husband served us his homemade sheep's milk cheese and sweet Santorini dessert wine.  We just had our dinner there and chatted with the family, they were so nice (and the cheese was really good).

First Day in Santorini

Fira, Santorini

I started this post in a hammock by the pool, but the breeze here on Santorini is a little chilly after the moon comes up.  We flew to Santorini today and the hotel had a driver to pick us up, so no worries about getting lost in the tiny, winding streets.  Our room wasn't ready so we went wandering and found a great gyro place, seemed like a Greek version of Chipotle, really good. When we got back our room was ready and it is nice.  Dream Island Hotel is older, but you meet the whole family running it and we have a suite again, score! Most water on the island comes from a desalination plant, so we picked up some bottled water at the owner's suggestion.

View from balcony at Dream Island Hotel

We explored Fira today, checking out old churches and tourist shops.  The picture here is at the top of where the cable car and donkeys offload the passengers from the cruise ships down in the caldera.  It looks like a wild ride to the city either way.  You have to be careful walking around, drivers here are "creative" and anyone can rent a four-wheeler or scooter and join the madness. 

Wine Flight at Santos Winery

Santorini is known for its wines, so we hopped on a bus to the nearest one, Santos Winery.  We had a 12 wine tasting with bread, cheese, olives and local Santorini tomato paste.  It was so good and the view over the caldera and back toward Fira was amazing.  We picked out some gifts and souvenirs, then tried to find our way home.  The bus stop was not marked and we found some others wandering around too.  I was about to try flagging down a car when the bus came by, whew.  We went down by the pool when we got back to the hotel, but moved to the balcony of our room with hot tea as it got chilly.  I definitely have at least one blister that is throbbing, treating it and hoping it improves.