October 3 - Athens

So here we are in Athens, the capital of Greece.  Athens lies sprawled across the central plain of Attica.  It has been  continuously inhabited for at least 7000 years.  By 1400 BC the settlement had become an important center of the Mycenaean civilization and a major fortress was built on the Acropolis, the feature which is most associated with Athens.  Remnants of that fortress are still visible there.  By around 500 BC after periods of unrest and war, a democracy was established.  After the Athenians,  along with Sparta, led a coalition of Greek states to defeat the Persians at Marathon and Salamis, a golden age of Athenian democracy began.  It was during that era that many of the Greek playwrights, historians and philosophers lived and worked.  Also during this period the Parthenon was built on the summit of the Acropolis in only a little over 40 years.

Enough history.  We woke to a beautiful day.  I can see that October is a good time to visit Greece because there was a nice breeze and comfortable temperature.  Our hotel has an amazing roof garden restaurant which is where the included breakfast buffet is served.  From the restaurant there is a view of the Acropolis, the Parliament Building,  and the Olympic Stadium from the first modern Olympics. 

View from the Rooftop Garden

Since we’d been to the Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum last time we were here we decided to see something different.  Originally we’d planned to go to the National Archaelogy Museum but then we heard that within walking distance of our hotel was the Byzantine and Early Christian Museum.  After breakfast we headed out.  Our first stop was just across the street at the Parliament Building where they were having as we arrived the changing of the guard. The building and adjacent Tomb of the Unknown are guarded 24/7 and the  ritual is done every hour.  The guards were dressed in traditional Greek attire with odd shoes with puff balls at the end.  The precision was very impressive!

Sorry about the shadow but hope you can see how precise these guys were

From there we walked through the National Gardens which are an oasis of calm in the midst of the Athenian frenzy. It was a pleasant walk with shaded paths and lots of little springs burbling through it.  A couple of blocks away was the Museum.  From outside it doesn’t look like much because all of it was built underground.  The permanent collection includes many pieces of stone, pottery, jewelry, glassware, books and icons from both the early Christian era and the Byzantine period.  It was worth the walk and the price of admission.

We were in need of sustenance and a place to sit so we ambled down past Syntagma Square (adjacent to our hotel) and into the shopping district.  Near the entrance to the Plaka we found a nice café with tables outdoors and decided it was the place for us.  Watching the Athenians walk by as we ate a light lunch and had a local beer was interesting.  We thought on the whole they didn’t seem quite as stylish as Italians or Spaniards.  The last time we were here was 2 years ago right at the height of their economic crisis. It does appear more prosperous than then.  Regardless, the people are friendly, welcoming and incredibly helpful. 

From nearly every street corner in the old part of the city one can see the Acropolis, just so you remember where you are!

After  lunch we did a little shopping in the Plaka area  to help the local economy.  Among other things we bought some postcards and asked about stamps.  We were directed to the local branch of the Hellenic Post.  By comparison, our post office runs like a well-oiled machine!  We had to take a number and then we sat and waited and waited and…  There were 2 clerks working and one of them literally went postal with a customer.  We don’t know what he did to set her off. It was all Greek to us (ha,ha!).  But the woman was berating him loudly and for a long time.  Even after he concluded his business she continued and she went somewhere in the back out of sight and we could still hear her. It was worth the wait for the entertainment value!

Having walked quite a lot we decided it was time to head home.  A word of caution to anyone coming here.  Pedestrian streets aren’t really that. Scooters whiz past along with the occasional car for good measure.  You need to keep your wits about you.  Another tip – being in a crosswalk when the light is green for pedestrians is also meaningless.  Cars and scooters go anyway and you cross at your own peril.

We ended our day in the same place we began, the Rooftop Garden.  We had a splendid meal, but even more impressive was the night view of the city.  The lights on the Acropolis and Parthenon make for a beautiful sight.  We had a lovely Greek white wine and toasted a great day here.