Fantasy Wedding Location for Goddess! (Aegina)

Member Name: flutel

Product:	Aegina
Date:	02/07/09 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The Temple of Aphaias and The Parthenon on your package holiday doorstep

Disadvantages: Dossing in a hotel lobby whilst waiting for the flight

I must admit, it is a few years since I went to Aegina - but there are a few things about our holiday there that are hugely memorable - and for that reason, a review is very worthwhile.

My daughter was about five years old when we went to Aegina. I had never heard of the place and wanted to visit the Acropolis in Athens. My mum and nan had been there many years earlier and I had felt hugely envious as a child when I looked at their photos of them in front of the Parthenon. Aegina emerged as an ideal location - having all the charms of a Greek Island with the very near proximity of the interesting but polluted Athens.


A Tiny Bit About Aegina
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Aegina is 32 sq miles with the first settlements there dating from 3000 BC. The main claim to fame of the island is the Temple of Aphaia which is reputed to be the best preserved of all island temples. There are also two other temples - The Temple of Apollo (in contrast to Aphaias it has only none column) and the Temple of Hellanion (a staircase and two terraces)


Pistachios are grown on the island and sold everywhere. Canvas sheets are spread beneath the trees in late August and the nuts knocked on to them. After hulling, the nuts are soaked in sea water and left to dry non the flat roofs and terraces in the area. Despite being grown there, I don't remember the pistachios being very cheap.

Getting There and Back
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This was the major problem of staying in Aegina - especially if you have a young child. We arrived at the airport and were taken to the port where there was a wait for the ferry. The real problem was in getting home. We had a 'wee-small-hours' flight and left on a late (night) ferry and were taken to a hotel where we were expected to doss on the floor of the lobby or eat in their sub-standard snack bar and sit around for hours. This was hell with a young child. We tried to get her to have a little sleep on some beach towels laid on the hard marble floor but this was impossible with the loud chat everywhere and people SMOKING all around. I vowed then and there to never do plane/ferry trips with a child again.


You can travel by ferry or hydrofoil between Aegina and Athens. They are not too lengthy. The ferry takes just over an hour and the hydrofoil around 45 mins. They go to both Aghia Marina and Aegina Town.


Aghia Marina
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We stayed in the smallish tourist resort of Aghia Marina which was a lovely place to stay - a bit mad at times with the scooters - but all Greek Island resorts seem like that to me anyway. Our self catering accommodation was up a hill (hard with child and numerous associated items!) and was quite nice. We enjoyed staying in this place as it had enough little shops, a chemist, tavernas etc to make it easy with a small child. There was a little sandy beach that had shallow sea water for her to play in. She made a friend of a little Greek boy called Dimitri and played with him there.

Getting Around
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Car hire was brilliant here as the island is small enough to zip around in a car. We hired one for a couple of days and really enjoyed seeing the whole island. Otherwise, we took buses (a mixed bag) and ferry.

The Temple of Aphaias
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This was the high pint of the visit for me. Aphaia is a local name for a goddess worshipped almost exclusively on Aegina (there are also some finds from this temple in the Archeological Museum in Aegina Town).

We went early morning to visit this so that our young child would not bake to a crisp. The great surprise was that there was no one there but us. Entrance fee was nominal and we wandered around fairly freely. The temple was very beautiful and having it to ourselves made it special. The original temple had 32 Doric columns and 25 of them are still standing. It is situated high up in some pine woods overlooking the sea (Saronic Gulf) which is a deep blue with little boats sailing on it. I decided then and there that if I ever was going to get married (which I do not want to) then this would be the place and friends would flit about in togas and eat fresh fruit and drink wine and party in Bacchanalian fashion. Of course, this would not be possible and it is all a fantasy anyway but it cemented the temple in my mind and I think very fondly of Aegina for it!
The Monastry of Ayios Nektarios
This is a big monastery which is situated in the centre of the island. The church itself we found to be big and splendid but lacking in the quaint charm of smaller Greek churches. You will be given a well-used sarong to cover your legs and arms if you arrive in shorts and strap top like a hussy (I did). The place is worth a visit on your trip around the island in a car.

Aegina Town
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This was quite a nice place. There was a good children's playground, a port' a museum and buses going to other places but we preferred to be in Aghia Marina.

The Parthenon
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This was another high point. We set off early morning on a ferry and reached Pireaus. At this point, we were a little worried about how to make our way to the Acropolis and there were many taxi drivers offering to take us on a tour for a chunk of cash. This is not my style. I like to have an adventure and do things cheaply - so we found the train station (not far) and bought a ticket to the stop nearest (not too hard). From there, we walked to the Parthenon (not hard because you can see it clearly and there are bars and restaurants on the way to quench thirst and have a sit down. We paid to go in (again - not terrible) and I was there at last. When I went, there was scaffolding which although was not lovely, did not dampen my joy and I loved walking around and taking pictures, finding virtually the exact spot I had seen my mum and nan pictured in years earlier. The photos I have are very lovely.

To Conclude
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This was a wonderful holiday, spoiled only by the night flight travelling which necessitated that bit of 'dossing' in an uncomfortable lobby. I loved being there for a week and would go back in a heartbeat.

Summary: A holiday which left a big impression!