Linda, across the aisle Monday was the most extravagant day of the trip. In the morning we had a 9:30 flight to Athens with ITA Airlines. Allowing for the cost of adding luggage to a base fare, I had decided to go ahead and pay extra to fly business class on this two hour flight. After checking in at the counter and going through security, we visited ITA's Piazza di Spagna Lounge where we enjoyed a nice breakfast buffet and being out of the bustle of the main areas. The gate assignments at Rome Fiumicino Airport are not announced until shortly before boarding begins. We were pleased to find that our flight was on a new aircraft which had an updated Business Class area (unlike the return flight a week later), and we had a luxurious flight. Greece is one time zone father east, so we were now 8 hours earlier than home. In Athens, we stayed at the Athens Ivy Suites, a 12 suite boutique hotel where we had the 5th floor suite with a view of the Acropolis. We loved the view from our balcony!
We spent the balance of the afternoon exploring nearby. Although there were many restaurants open nearby, this was the day after Orthodox Easter and most stores were closed, so much of the time was visiting some of the nearby churches. There were many street performers nearby and food carts. This day we sampled only the kalamboki - grilled corn on the cob. It had been sitting too long and was OK but not really a treat.
While researching hotels, one of the nearby ones turned out to have a Michelin Star restaurant on the roof. I am more of a gourmand than a gourmet and have only been to a restaurant with a Michelin Star once before, in 2010 when I proposed to Linda at the Jules Verne Restaurant in the Eiffel tower, but this seemed like the trip to do one again. There were 12 to choose from in Athens and more in Rome and Tuscany, but The Zillers Rooftop Gastronomy seemed to best suit us and we had a 7:30 PM Reservation just a block from our hotel. Although it was on a lower floor than our suite, there were no tall buildings in the foreground and the view of the Acropolis was even more impressive. The restaurant has fewer than 12 tables and we had several servers caring for us. They offered the choice of just two meals, Synrcdoche 10 course tasting menu or Synthesis 13 course tasting menu. We went with the Synrcdoche, paired with 5 wines. Each course was served to both of us simultaneously by two servers and the details explained at the same time. The sommelier brought each wine and explained the intricacies why it had been selected for the specific dish. My favorite dishes were "What the Corals Know" with Simian Shrimps, Sea Urchin, Bottarga & Mussels, and "The myth of Meleagros" with Squab, Wild Mushrooms, Fig Petsili & Fresh Truffle. Our favorite wine was the 2024 Domaine Zafeirakis Limniona Rosé. It was a lovely 2 1/2 hour meal.
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