The Birthplace of Western Civilization
Athens had been on my “go to” list for some time, and it did not disappoint. While Eastern Europe had been filled with history and monuments, the past month of islands had me ready for more historical sites.
Athens and the acropolis.
When we told people we were headed to Athens we got one of two responses – people either hated it, or thought it got a bad rap. Most of the travelers we met along the way had liked the city, so it’s a little unclear whether the city’s cleanup for the Olympics is the reason for the differing opinions. Jami and I liked it, although I liked it far more than her.
Streets of Athens
Goofing with the Pesidential Guard
The only recycling bins that have made me smile enough to take a picture (at a frozen yogurt place).
Our hostel was in a great location in the center of the tourist district, the Plaka. While filled with tourist shops, we loved the atmosphere of walking through the streets, and the numerous outdoor restaurants. We even found a rooftop movie theater nearby, and were able to watch De Niro’s latest in the shadow of the Parthenon. Amazing.
At the movies.
Athens was filled with so many important and/or spectacular historical sites that at times it was hard not to take for granted the priceless object in front of us, simply because it was less spectacular than the one before. We saw the gigantic Temple of Zeus, the original Olympic Stadium, Hadrian’s Library, the Roman Agora, the rock from where St. John preached, and the original Agora. The most surprising site for me was the original Agora, which had great exhibits on Athenian life and really enabled one to see how Athenians lived and how Athens developed over the centuries.
The Temple of Zeus
Hadrian’s Arch
The stadium used for the first modern Olympics
The Roman Agora
A reconstructed theater
And of course we waited in line with everyone else to walk up to the Acropolis. The crowds couldn’t take away from the awe of seeing the sights up close, including the Parthenon and several other temples. After growing up seeing the image of the Parthenon in textbooks, movies, and posters, it was great to finally take it in, in person. Our only problem, once we reached the top, was a park ranger who took offense to Jami and my jumping picture. As we have throughout our trip we took a series of jumping pictures in front of the Parthenon. One ranger thought it was insensitive to the site (notwithstanding the number of other tourists taking pictures in ridiculous poses) and demanded that we delete the pictures. I flatly refused, and as she went off to grab the cops, we snuck away. We spent a while more on the Acropolis and never saw her again; I assume a police officer told her how ridiculous she was being.
The line to get to the Acropolis
Finally on top!
The Parthenon
The original Agora with modern Athens behind it.
The crew
Between the sites and museums we attempted to cool off in the local restaurants, and we were surprised to find a number of interesting bars and restaurants in the city, including hip rooftop bars, a really good vegan restaurant, and a number of hidden places on the side streets – if only those streets weren’t clogged with motorcycles!
For me the most disappointing aspect was the short amount of time we had budgeted, which meant no time to see the sights just outside of the city, such as Delphi, Olympus, and the Pelappnesian Peninsula. Oh well – we’ll have to come back!
Athens was our last stop in Europe before heading back to the US for our “wedding break.” It was bittersweet to leave after two months of fun and exploring, with lots of memories of the amazing sites we saw and the fun people we met and partied with along the way. But we were both looking forward to seeing our friends, beds, and showers, and excited for our next leg: Africa!