Wouldn't surprise me. I remember the classic Chinese tea scam that's been a long-running thread here. I was not looking to make new "friends" in Athens.
Chinese "tea ceremony" scam, "see my art" and other scams - (consolidated)

Tom homeward bound starting at the Dublin Airport

Your trip reports are always so interesting that I start planning a trip to the same area. Looks like Athens will be a destination soon.

I took a photo of the same Madigan's in Dublin for a friend of mine who shares that last name.

Agree that the Maldron franchise is a good bargain. We stayed at one two different times while driving around Ireland in May 2014.

Thanks to you, I have become a big fan of Natalie and always cheer for her.

Happy travels!

One thing that surprised me about Athens was how full the trains were, no matter what the time of day. 1pm on a weekday would not seem like a peak time to me, yet there I was standing on another train. Now, it wasn't like that every trip, but just something to be aware of. Very clearly the locals use their Metro system and that might make it an opportunity for pickpockets.

I'm back in Dublin next month for St. Patrick's Day. Maldron on Parnell Square wanted $250 a night. I'm not staying there. Dublin stays are split among three different hotels over two visits.

Tom safely home after hitting a Bay Bridge backup at 8pm

Day 9

Pretty leisurely day around Dublin popping into shops and walking around people-watching. Didn't take any new photos. Grabbed my bag from the hotel just before 3pm and got the airport bus from in front of the GPO and about 40 mins to get out there. Holiday Inn Express shuttle showed up a few mins after arrival and I was checked in at 4pm.

At 6 I walked 20 mins down the road to a shopping center that used to have an Asian buffet. It's gone now, replaced with a large Starbucks. There was a cafe and a sandwich shop inside the mall, but they closed at 6, as did most of the mall with the exception of a Tesco market and fast-food options that faced the exterior. Ended up getting a double burger, fries and drink at Burger King for 5.5 euros (about $6.25) and walked back to the hotel in gusty winds.

Day 10

Was up at 4:15am and checked out at 4:50. Caught the 5am shuttle bus to the airport and checked in with British Airways for my 7:10 flight to London Heathrow. There were a couple hundred people in the security line (Ryanair is in the older terminal with BA - most probably bound for their gates), but they run a very efficient operation with multiple screening belts and only took about 15 mins to get through. The airport offered free wi-fi while I waited. Had an empty seat next to me to London.

Transited from T5 to T3 and popped into the Flagship Lounge for about 20 mins before heading to the gate. The aircraft for the JFK flight is the 777-300, the same plane I've flown before in business to Hong Kong and from LAX to London with very comfortable lay-flat seats and a decent entertainment system. I watched an episode of Wallender and half a movie before I was bored and turned it off. Slept a couple hours and listened to some CDs.

Seat photo from when I flew LAX-LHR:



My lunch was parmesan crusted roasted cod with mushroom risotto, grilled vegetables, and a tomato basil cream sauce:



Passed on the sundae for dessert and had a cannoli instead:



Arrived at our gate at JFK 40 mins late due to ATC slowing us down on the way in and then some equipment blocking our way to the gate. Plenty of snow on the ground but tarmac and runways were clear. AA provided me with an orange envelope to expedite my transit. That gave me access to a special passport line with only one passenger ahead of me, but it did nothing for the 20 minutes or more it took bags to appear. As I had a British Airways segment, carry-on was not an option. Made it to my seat about 15 mins before they closed the door for our 1530 departure.

The aircraft on JFK-SFO is also new- an A321. Too late to get any new seat photos here but it also has flat seats, though, unlike the 777-300, every passenger does not have aisle access. I had someone sitting next to me. Here's some photos I took in January:





Dinner on this flight started with seasonal greens with red quinoa and tabbouleh (definitely something I don't have at home):



And my entree was filet of beef:



Could have had a sundae for dessert but opted for plain vanilla ice cream.

Flight time was just over 6 hours and I slept 2-3 hours after dinner. Hit Bay Bridge traffic just after 8pm on the way home turning a 45 min drive into 75 minutes. Don't know where all these folks were going at this time of day on a weeknight, but freeways were busy.

Safely home now until next weekend's New York City trip.

tom911 - Delighted to read another of your trip reports. I never would have thought there was no EI - A3 baggage agreement. Live and learn.