Saturday, December 15
Yes, Americans have some odd names for a number of cities and countries. We usually refer to it as Athens but the Greeks call it Athena, after the Goddess of wisdom and war. Would it be so hard for us to call it Athena too?
We woke at the unholy hour of 4:00 am to catch a 6:30 am flight. As usual our first Uber cancelled on us but the second one whisked us away to Shönefeld Airport. At that hour there was no traffic. The trip lasted only about 25 minutes. Since we were traveling from one Schengen country to another we didn’t have to go through immigration, which saves time but means we didn’t get a stamp in our passports.
There is a fixed price for taxi rides from Athens International Airport into town so we just took the first cab we could find. Along the way our taxi driver questioned us about where we were going and what we wanted to see. He probably was hoping to engage us for some private tours. As we got closer to our apartment we came face-to-face with Kallimarmaro Stadium, the place where the modern Olympics began in 1896 and The Acropolis, which dominates the center of town. Yeah, getting up at 4:00 am was worth it!
After settling into our new apartment we went out for a quick orientation walk. We stumbled onto Hadrian’s Arch and the unfinished Temple of Zeus which we found just a few blocks away. We also found three (count them three) amazing bakeries all in a row just a stones throw from our front door. I pity our poor budget and our waistlines.
(Temple of Zeus)
The grocery store was just a block away. After a quick shop we headed back home to rest up for the next day’s adventures.
Distance walked: 4.9 miles
Sunday, December 16
My friend and longtime associate, Bill, arranged a meeting for us with someone he knew who lives in Athens. He said that she had shown him and his family the sights the last time he was here.
We met Christina at noon at one of those amazing bakeries and ordered coffee and some pastries. It turns out that she had been born in Greece but spent most of her life in New York. She returned recently to Greece when she retired. Amazingly, at one time we both worked for the same company back in New York – but we never met.
We had a great time drinking coffee and telling each other the stories of our lives. After a little while Christina offered to show us around the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. How could we refuse a private tour from a genuine Greek?
From street level the Acropolis looks quite daunting but the reality is that getting to the top was an easy climb via a gently sloping road. From below you can see the Parthenon and many of the other temples at the summit. The area below the hilltop is a public park with many monuments and ruins. Entry cost €10.00 per person (€20.00 in the summer time). Credit cards are accepted.
(The Parthenon)
Our minds were flooded with all kinds of emotions. Seeing the Acropolis had been a lifelong dream. We were walking the same paths as Socrates, Plato and many other famous people from history. We were savoring the experience.
There are several temples up there. Christina knew the hilltop well and pointed out each building. She displayed a great knowledge of Greek history and culture and took great pride in sharing it with us. We also looked down into the city where she pointed out a great many points of interest and places for us to visit. It was great to have such a knowledgable guide. We didn’t spend too much time at the top because we wanted to get to the Acropolis Museum before it closed. We plan to go back and spend an entire day soaking it all in.
Of course, as soon as we got to the top the camera lens decided to stop working once again. It had magically fixed itself when we got to Berlin but that was short-lived. This time it was stuck in such a way as to make it virtually useless. I took a bunch of pictures using my phone but was not too happy about it. Of all places for the camera to stop working this was probably the worst.
The museum was opened in 2009 and contains over 4,000 relics in an area of 14,000 square meters. Many of the artifacts that were found on the acropolis are on display. One of the most interesting was the life-sized recreation of the Parthenon. It extended around the entire second floor. Many pieces of the original freezes and decorations were present as well as recreations of missing artifacts. A large number of missing artifacts are known to be at the British Museum. Greece wants them back.
We had a lovely dinner at the restaurant in the museum. It has a fabulous view of the Acropolis and by the time we were done the sun had gone down and the hill was all lit up. It was a magical sight.
(The Parthenon)
Distance walked: 5.8 miles