Independence day brings Athens business to a halt.  When you've come all the way from Ithaki and the shops are closed, what is there to do? Sit in an apartment and sightsee the neighbours?  No way.  It's in the car for a drive to Sounio and beyond...well, not really beyond. You can't go further than Sounio south of Athens, but you can continue around the coast to the other side. Another grey day starts the activities. Will we ever see sunshine again? Poseidon Street is the 'highway to hell' or in this case the highway to Poseidons temple at Sounio. Cars speed along this road as if it's a freeway with no stop signs.  That there aren't more accidents is a miracle and just plain lucky. Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch! Wow! That was close.

It was nice to get out of the city, and the drive to Sounio is quite pleasant. The road takes you all the way along the coast through some picturesque areas, and you wouldn't believe that you're merely an hour out of town. From Vouliagmeni the drive is easy and relaxed.  People on their way to Sounio seem to be quite happy to go the speed limit or under.  It's a leisure pace to this temple ruin which is famous for watching the sun go down. There are wildflowers everywhere. The landscape is mixed with lush vegetation and barren rocks.  Despite every tourist route ending up here, it's quite peaceful and other worldly...until the buses rev up. The café restaurant could have done with a little more imagination in the design.

The views around the Temple of Poseidon are beautiful, and a walk around the area can be very rewarding spiritually, if you are spiritually inclined. I've been spiritual here before so this time I was looking for something else. Is it here? Nope.

What you can't see in the picture above is the couple making out behind the bushes. Now, that's spiritual.