Athens Here I Come!!!!

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:57:47 GMT

Hiya good luck with your neutering next month...I really enjoyed it but go with an open mind as I did....its long day and hard work but worth all your efforts I have met some lovely people and hope you return soon.....Athens is lovely but we only stayed in tyhe city a few nights and did the sight seeing as I was in Oropos near the coast working which was lovely....the city is VERY VERY busy!!!!!!!

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

PHA86 — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:50:46 GMT

Ah brilliant, I hope you have fun! It looks like I'll be going to do something very similar in Athens next month, I'm not sure what the name of the charity is but there's talk of bitch spays, so probably not the same one as you!

Let me know how it goes.

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:44:26 GMT

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:41:28 GMT

Yeh having a great time though the weather could be a bit better!!! Went to see the sea turtle rescue centre yesterday it was amazing......glad we went.......the turtles are sooooo lovely and everyone there is doing such a great job..........

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Celine — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 20:15:02 GMT

Ah great, been wondering about you!

Am headed "home" myself in two weeks, cannot wait...

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:02:49 GMT

Having a great time......we have finished the neutering cat programme managed to do 110 cats mainly females!!!! Now enjoying chilling out and discovering Athens

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:21:49 GMT

Not long to go now till my big trip!!!! Getting excited its 25 degrees over there at the moment!!!!!

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:53:19 GMT

Thats great thanks soooooo much for your info...defo wanna do the sea turtle rescue centre!!!!! I've printed off your info cheers really appreciate it

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Celine — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:27:21 GMT

I've spent a LOT of time in Athens in the last few years, working in our sea turtle rescue centre.

if you are going to the Acropolis then go as early as possible in the morning, altho most of the tourists will be gone by this time of the season. You MUST go for a walk in Plaka / monastiraki around 8 or 9pm and see the parthenon lit up - absolutely beautiful. Also you must try rakomelo.... hot raki with honey, cinnamon and cloves... like hot, honeyed rocket-fuel... make sure you have a tag around your neck with the name of your hotel

If you have hired a car then go out to Cape Sounion. Its a temple like the parthenon at the Acropolis but it is high on a bit of land jutting out over the sea. Much less crowded and especially at sunset absolutely spectacular. There is also a bus from the centre of town to Sounion (?)twice? daily. Nice tavernas on the road back to town to try proper greek food at too - don't eat "greek" in inner Athens, last time I tried that the waiter didnt speak greek or know what the greek names for any of the dishes were...

Avoid taxis where possible - the drivers can be a nightmare if they know you are a tourist, and i usually wait until they try to rip me off before telling them off in greek. The metro is actually remarkably easy to use and straightforward. Also the tram system is good if thats the direction you are headed.

If you're looking for something to do may I suggest ARCHELON's sea turtle rescue centre at Glyfada! Take the tram and it stops just outside the marina, the centre is composed of old railway wagons. Open to the public on weekends only, after 11am. Free entry and someone should be available to show you around the main tanks, our turtles have injuries or ingested fishing hooks and are rehabilitated here before being released.

http://www.archelon.gr/eng/pedio_rescue.php?row=row5

Have a great time! It's not a city that everyone loves but it's one of my favourite places on earth. Please make an effort to learn a couple of greek phrases - although everyone in Athens speaks english, out in the villages it is really appreciated if you can at least greet people with a "kali-mera" (good morning). From my experience working on the beaches with nesting turtles, locals will regard you with suspicion and confusion to start with, as you'll be another crazy foreigner doing something odd with the local animals - i'm afraid environmentalism and animal welfare projects are still seen as a bit of a pointless, hippy thing to do by the older people, so always be polite and sober in public - you have to be whiter than white to ensure a good reputation for your organisation. My volunteers (who were getting up at 5am every day to walk 10km and dig in sand for 5 hours) were allegedly having wild orgies and parties on the beach... I wish!! having said that once you have proved yourself not to be a drunken, 18-30 type, then locals can be overwhelmingly hospitable and welcoming, and I absolutely love them.

Oh dear i seem to have climbed upon my favourite soapbox...Have a wonderful time!

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:49:24 GMT

Great thanks for the advice

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Jeniflower — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 22:43:11 GMT

yeh, they really are all gorgeous cross breeds- not a pedigree in sight! They just chill out anywhere and wait to cross the road with everyone else!
I really regret not getting any pics.

If you go to the acropolis and pay ... think its about 12euros to get in, they give you a book of tickets for various other attractions too. So its worth getting up there early in the week to give you chance to visit the other sights.

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:44:33 GMT

Thanks guys for your replies really looking forward to it now.......oh god stray dogs!!! Knowing me I'll want to bring them home with me!!! Just be a great feeling to help all the puddy cats

Got a week of touring round looking at the sights so really looking forward to it now

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Jeniflower — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 00:49:56 GMT

Oh,

So exciting, I've just come back from there! Plenty of beautiful cats and even more gorgeous stray dogs about.

Take your camera and try to get to the acropolis!

Have an amazing time!

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Dippy — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:18:20 GMT

[quote user="zookeeper"] I have recventyly come back from Paphos in Cyprus amd i saw loads of stray Male cats everywhere. Some of them with horrific injuries [/quote]

Zookeeper - I'm sure you've probably read my various previous threads but if you are interested in doing anything to help the ferals, injured and abused animals of the Paphos region, I am the UK fundraiser for Peyia Animal Rescue out there (I've raised over 7k for Cyprus animals in the past 18mths or so) so feel free to visit their website...

www.parc-cyprus.org

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

Susan Taylor RVN — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:00:37 GMT

Wow! Good for u! Thats what I hope to do once I'm qualified. After my recent trip to Kos I was soooo upset to see all the strays! Got far too attached to the kittens by our appartment and spent the journey home v upset!!

Re: Athens Here I Come!!!!

zookeeper — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 21:42:46 GMT

Good luck!

I think its fantastic what you are going to be doing. It always upsets me when I go abroad and see all the stray cats.

You never really see the females as they are all off hidden having babies! I have recventyly come back from Paphos in Cyprus amd i saw loads of stray Male cats everywhere. Some of them with horrific injuries

Good luck xx