Although it has been perennially given a
bad rap by many of its thousands of annual visitors for being hot, crowded,
polluted, chaotic, and a shadow of its former glorious self - the historical
and cultural significance of Athens is undeniable, making the Greek capital
city a great place to spend a couple of days. Moreover, many of the
aforementioned problems have been greatly reduced due to many ambitious
renovations the city has undertaken in the last decade, especially within the
historic city center. Gentrification brought on by preparations for the 2004
Olympics, newly acquired Euro dollars, and a new law banning automobiles from
the historic city center area - have all helped transform Athens into a
pleasant, albeit more expensive place to visit.
Despite being one of
Europe's 10 largest cities, Athens main sites are located very conveniently
within the compact city center surrounding the Acropolis. The indomitable
Acropolis, perhaps the most important historic monument in the western world
-sits majestically atop the sacred rock and dominates Athens skyline. It is
equally impressive when illuminated at night.
I only spent two nights
in Athens, at the Student & Travellers Inn Youth Hostel, and absorbed as
much as I could in my three full days there. My first day was spent wandering
around Plaka and its surrounding environs - checking out the National Gardens,
Kallimarmaro Stadium (where the first modern Olympics was held), and Hadrian's
Arch before climbing atop Lykavitos Hill to catch a glimpse of the sun going
down behind the Acropolis. My second day was spent visiting the Acropolis and
the surrounding Ancient Agora gardens. My third full day, I took the side trip
to the ruins of Delphi, at the foot of Mount Parnassus to consult the oracle of
Apollo. The clairvoyant told me to bask in Athens vibrant nightlife, while
sipping ouzo and eating gyros. This I most certainly did.... before taking off
to Crete, and then
Santorini. |
Above:
not sure which Greek god this statue was meant to represent... but he
was omnipresent at the top of Filopappou Hill, where excellent
photos of Athens
can be taken at both day and night. |
 |
 |
Huge
corinthian columns at the never
finished Temple of Olympian Zeus
project |
Deepti, whom I met at the youth
hostel living living it up in Plaka |
The Herodes Atticus theatre sits at
the south side of the Acropolis rock |
 |
Left: The Porch of Maidens statues
alongside the Erehteum Temple to the side of the Acropolis.
Above:
View of the Acropolis from the Ancient Agora Gardens
Right: An aerial
view of the sacred temple of Delphi on a rainy day. |
|
 |
Ancient Greek Siamese twins? |
Red-nosed after an umpteenth class of
ouzo |
The view from Lykavittos
Hill |
The Acropolis from Lykavittos
Hill |
Delphi: the theatre, and the Temple
of Apollo behind it |
The oracle of Delphi contemplates his next
adventure |
Lykavittos Hill from the
Acropolis |
Kallimarmaro stadium, the Temple of
Zeus, and Hadrian's Arch |
Temple of
Zeus |
Kallimamarmaron Stadium (aka; Panathinaiko
Stadium),
where the first modern olympics were held in 1896 |
Even the bravest Spartan warriors can feel the
effects of ouzo |
Above: Temple of Hephaestus at Agora
Ancient Agora |
Above: From the museum at Delphi (above), and the
Acropolis (below)
E-mail:
glennaldo_sf@hotmail.com |
