Sunday, November 26, 2017

Friday November 24th 2017

Athens - day two!

The hotel has its breakfast on the rooftop and it has a lovely view of Acropolis. A very nice backdrop for your morning tea! :)

Today is the day to go and see Acropolis. This hill has been the focal point of Athens for thousands of years. So many things has happened here.


In this place (Theater of Dionysos, built several hundereds of years BC) is apperently the place where the first greek tragedies were set up.

And this place below (Odeion of Herodes Atticus) was build in 161 AD, but has since been renovated and are now used as a place where many people has performed (like Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Jean Michel Jarre, Diana Ross, Ennio Morricone, and Foo Fighters).
I would have loved to see a concert here!

Finally coming to the top of the hill; I entered (like everyone else) through the Propylaea:

Up here, there is a lot of... stones. Some ruins (standing up mostly due to restoration projects that has been going on for decades), but still a lot of stone and marble laying around from former buildings.

The buildings that stood up, were incredible, but I think I expected a few more.

The most famous of course; the Partheon! Despite the little that is left of it (and the cranes), it's still magnificent!

To the right in the below picture is the Erechtheion. Other than that it is pretty empty up here. But just think how impressive this place must have been two thousand years ago!


The view from up here is also very nice. Below is a picture of Lycabettus Hill, where I plan to go tomorrow.


After this is was time to move on. One more item checked off the travel bucket list! Woohoo!

On my way to the Acient Agora (aka Athenian Agora), I went into the Roman Agora. Not supermuch to see here, but it is facinating to know that this gate (called The Gate of Athena Archegetis) was constructed in 11 BC by donations from the roman emperors Julius Caesar and Augustus.

Then into the Acient Agora.
Just like up on the hill; there is a lot of "used to be buildings here" - stones everywhere, but in the old days; what a sight it must have been.

One of the few building that is actually still standing is the Temple of Hephaestus:

A view over the Acient Agora with the Acropolis in the distance.


Then is was time to leave the ruins for today and I heading into the town.

I came to Syntagma Square and the Parlament.

Here we have the gurds outside the Parlament. They don't walk like regular people.

I stayed and watched the changing of the guards. They walk almost in slowmotion - and wierd. But very disciplined!

Then a slight detour into the National Garden and back to the hotel for a well deserved rest.

In the evening I went to a restaurant (Ta Giouvetsakia) for some dinner. I had a beef stew with a greek Beer (Alfa).
The stew was great, the beer was horribly tasteless.

1 comment:

Henke said...

Not much luck with the beers it seems like...

But that breakfast tea with a view looked fantastic! :-)