We arrived at the Sponge docks a little before lunch time and decided to walk a while and see what shops and restaurant options there were to choose from. We decided on Hella’s Greek Restaurant. It had a very greek feel; with icons, idols and god and goddesses around, as well as bunches of grapes hanging from the walls and ceiling. I had a Gyro and shared it with Katie and Ethan. Katie had a Greek Salad. Both items were very good. The service was excellent as well.

We continued on our stroll along Dodacanese Blvd., poking our heads in a few shows, including Spiceman’s Kitchen, where our noses were immediately hit with a variety of amazing spices.

Across the street from Spiceman’s Kitchen is the Tarpon Springs Aquarium. Our visit there was well timed, as there was some heavy rain on its way.

We started our tour by short browse of the exhibits, then saw a presentation learning about snakes, where a 20 foot snake was brought out and people were allowed to pet it. It took two handlers to wrestle the snake into a nook where it could lay while the guests stroked its scales, careful to avoid getting near its head.

Our next presentation at the aquarium was the feeding of the eels. The first tank of eels appeared to have no more than 3 eels, until they smelled food. That number quickly doubled to at least 6 eels.

After a short rain delay, we watched a diver enter the tank and feed the fish and sharks. They creatures were all excited to see the diver. “Puffy” the puffer fish thinks he’s the star of the show. The diver also showed how the sharks are “bottom feeders” by feeding them against the glass. She also took a shark in her arms and held it upside down, putting it in a state of “tonic.”

The rain returned when we wanted to walk back to the car. But, after a brief stop for ice cream and shopping, it cleared up.

We checked into our hotel and unpacked. I asked at the desk where was a good place to eat and Ozona Blue was suggested. It turned out to be a little further than we expected, but not much. The food was only ok, but Ethan didn’t mind as he chowed down on his food and the little bits we shared with him from our plate. He was also getting into the live band; bobbing is whole body up and down with the music!

That concludes day one of our mini vacation. Make sure to check out the complete gallery of photos from the day.