Athens Awaits

July 4

We did not make it to Mykonos yesterday, as we arrived to 40 mph winds with 60 mph wind gusts, making it dangerous to try to pull into port. This meant that our canoe excursion and beach day was cancelled. But today Lindsay, Jay, Carla, Sky and myself went ashore early to catch a Hop on- Hop off tour bus in Athens, Greece. The tour bus started in the port city of Pireaus, winding along the coastline. Our provided earbuds came in handy, as we learned more about the history of the area. I made several observations about the city as we meandered along. The beaches are very rocky— unusual for someone used to the Gulf of Mexico, as I am.  The shoreline is dotted  with yachts. Fruit trees line the city streets— oranges, limes, and something I cannot identify. The apartments have a decidedly un- Mediterranean appearance.  The buildings are very austere and utilitarian. We made our way to our first stop, the Acropolis. Some notes if you are going: go early, the lines are long. There are two lines: the ticket line and the entrance line. Buy your ticket at the kiosk. It’s easier. Bring your patience and (if you have all day or more than one day) purchase the combo ticket. The combo ticket gets you into six archaeological sites around Athens, including the Acropolis, and is good for a month. Nothing but water is allowed inside. This should go without saying but, don’t touch the marble. These structures are thousands of years old. Wear hiking shoes or sneakers- the terrain is incredibly slippery and rocky. We passed into the Acropolis through the Propylaia, which is the shrine of Athena Hygeia and Hygeia, then turned right to see the Temple of Athena Nike.

the Propylaia

the Temple of Athena Nike

Lindsay, Jay and I after passing into the Acropolis through the Propylaia

Climbing up the slippery marble to the Parthenon was worth it, and provided many majestic photographs. For those who don’t know, the Parthenon was built by the Athenians to honor Athena, the patron goddess of the city. We then followed the path to the Erechtheion and the old Temple of Athena.

the Parthenon

the Erechtheion

the old temple of Athena

I had a little time to wander up the Hill of the Muses, but I didn't get to really see anything. I definitely needed more time. We arrived at roughly 9:30 and by 11 we hopped back on the tour bus and got off to see the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. Lindsay’s astute observation of the Temple of Zeus is that “it’s on life support.” I honestly don’t know how they’re going to restore it, or even IF they are able to. We spent about thirty minutes there then hopped back onto the bus and got off at the Ancient Olympic stadium, which it turned out was NOT part of the combo ticket. Instead of paying the ten euros we just took some pictures from outside.

Hadrian's Arch

The Temple of Zeus

The first Olympic Stadium

This stadium was where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896.  It took us longer than it should have here because I unintentionally took us the wrong direction through a park. We also stopped at a little street sandwich shop and got some cold handcrafted drinks and water as it was very hot. Interestingly enough people are allowed to actually go inside the stadium and stand on the field, go into the bleachers, and take pictures on a medal stand. By the time we got back on the bus it was after 2 o’clock and we were hungry, tired, hot, and dusty. We took the bus to the interchange where we changed buses to head back to the port. After stopping to do some minor shopping in the port shops we came back to the ship and immediately went to find food. Final impressions of Athens are mixed. It’s cleaner than Rome, but not as visually appealing in the city center. It’s certainly not as pretty as Santorini. But this is a city that requires more than a one day visit. I needed more time to seek out other sites that I wanted to see that weren’t so close, like the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. There are buses that go there as well, and to the beaches further up the coast. I wish I had the time to go to the Parthenon museum. Aristotle’s Lyceum, the Roman Agora were other sites on my list that I didn’t get to go to. Maybe next time.