I crawled out of bed with a certain sense of freedom. Our tour was over and now we were free to explore Athens on our own time and do whatever our whims dictated we do. My whim dictated that I shower. I lead a spontaneous and fascinating life. The shower was so tiny that if one would drop the soap, one would not be able to bend over to pick it up. I can proudly report to everyone that I did not drop the soap. Breakfast was self-serve on the mezzanine level. The victuals that the hotel provided ranged from good to bad: Good Greek cheese, tasty brown bread, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, yogurt, fake Tang-like orange juice, and instant coffee.
We decided that this would be our day for the Acropolis, so after breakfast we headed in that direction. First, we walked to the Plaka, then to the ancient agora and up the hill through the Propelaea, the 5th century BC entrance, and onto the hill. It is all still there as it was in 1980 when I had last been there, but even ancient ruins change. Most of the buildings are under repair, so there was a lot of construction material, and scaffolding covered many of the old buildings. Still it was good to see these ancient structures again: The Parthenon, the large temple dedicated to Athena; the Erechtheon, built as an honorary tomb to Erechtheus, legendary king of Athens, and containing the famed delicate Caryatids, columns in the female form (these are replicas—the real ones are in museums), and the temple to Athena Nike, the small temple to Athena built in 424 BC. Totally new to me was the Acropolis museum, which included some great recovered statuary. It also held all of the Caryatids from the Erechtheon that are in Greek possession. Another new thing I noticed here that I also noticed at the other archeological sites is restrooms. A very positive step! The Greeks used the British designations and have them all labeled as “WCs.” A rosebush grows by the ladies room door at the Acropolis. I noticed a woman holding one of the blooms gently to her nose and sniffing. Another woman came by and asked, “Is it fragrant?”
“Smells like a loo,” the woman replied.
From the Acropolis, we peered down into the Theater to Dionysus where an orchestra and operatic soprano were recording—never found out who they were. After we were done at the Acropolis, we found an outdoor café for more Greek Salad, and then visited more ruins.
Our post-lunch ruin was the vast ancient agora, the ancient original Athens marketplace at the foot of the Acropolis. In ancient times, the agora, the Acropolis, and the theatre of Dionysus made up the entirety of Athens. The sacred way ran through the agora and up to the Acropolis. The best-preserved ancient temple in all of Greece is located in the ancient agora: The Temple to Hephaestus. It never fell to ruin because it was in constant use through the centuries, first as a church then as a museum.
-Parthenon-
We also visited the old Roman agora. The Roman agora is just off the ancient agora and was constructed contiguous to the ancient agora beginning in the times of Julius Cesar. Much of the Plaka lies between the ancient and Roman agoras and probably covers innumerable undiscovered ruins. Archeologists want to start digging, but so far, the Plaka merchants have held them at bay. The most outstanding building within the Roman agora is the Tower of the Winds. It was originally built in the first century BC as a combination water-powered clock and giant sundial. Under the Turks in the 18th century, it was a Sufi center for whirling dervishes. Nearby, and within the Roman agora is an old mosque, one of the few signs of the 400 years of Turkish occupation.
After looking at the ruins, we did some souvenir shopping in the Plaka. Kathy bought some jewelry and I bought a lightweight white cotton shirt, some Greek Delight to bring to work, and a nice bronze Athena holding an owl and a spear.
We ate at Xani Taberna (XUNI) in the Plaka. It was great sitting at our little street-side table listening to the taberna’s guitarist and bouzouki player while I sipped my Mythos beer. I had another fine Greek salad: cucumbers, purple onion, green pepper, tomatoes, olives, a little olive oil, and a slab of feta sprinkled with oregano. I followed the salad with grilled octopus, something I maintained I would try when I was in Greece. I got a tentacle. It was a little weird eating the little suction cups, but it was good. It tasted like a mild fish, with a firmer texture. I had expected that it might be tough like calamari, but it wasn’t. With all the good food and relaxation, I had my cold on the run. Cold viruses don’t stand a chance in a happy body. We strolled back to the Achilleas and went to bed. Another fine day in Greece.
We decided that this would be our day for the Acropolis, so after breakfast we headed in that direction. First, we walked to the Plaka, then to the ancient agora and up the hill through the Propelaea, the 5th century BC entrance, and onto the hill. It is all still there as it was in 1980 when I had last been there, but even ancient ruins change. Most of the buildings are under repair, so there was a lot of construction material, and scaffolding covered many of the old buildings. Still it was good to see these ancient structures again: The Parthenon, the large temple dedicated to Athena; the Erechtheon, built as an honorary tomb to Erechtheus, legendary king of Athens, and containing the famed delicate Caryatids, columns in the female form (these are replicas—the real ones are in museums), and the temple to Athena Nike, the small temple to Athena built in 424 BC. Totally new to me was the Acropolis museum, which included some great recovered statuary. It also held all of the Caryatids from the Erechtheon that are in Greek possession. Another new thing I noticed here that I also noticed at the other archeological sites is restrooms. A very positive step! The Greeks used the British designations and have them all labeled as “WCs.” A rosebush grows by the ladies room door at the Acropolis. I noticed a woman holding one of the blooms gently to her nose and sniffing. Another woman came by and asked, “Is it fragrant?”
“Smells like a loo,” the woman replied.
From the Acropolis, we peered down into the Theater to Dionysus where an orchestra and operatic soprano were recording—never found out who they were. After we were done at the Acropolis, we found an outdoor café for more Greek Salad, and then visited more ruins.
Our post-lunch ruin was the vast ancient agora, the ancient original Athens marketplace at the foot of the Acropolis. In ancient times, the agora, the Acropolis, and the theatre of Dionysus made up the entirety of Athens. The sacred way ran through the agora and up to the Acropolis. The best-preserved ancient temple in all of Greece is located in the ancient agora: The Temple to Hephaestus. It never fell to ruin because it was in constant use through the centuries, first as a church then as a museum.
-Parthenon-
We also visited the old Roman agora. The Roman agora is just off the ancient agora and was constructed contiguous to the ancient agora beginning in the times of Julius Cesar. Much of the Plaka lies between the ancient and Roman agoras and probably covers innumerable undiscovered ruins. Archeologists want to start digging, but so far, the Plaka merchants have held them at bay. The most outstanding building within the Roman agora is the Tower of the Winds. It was originally built in the first century BC as a combination water-powered clock and giant sundial. Under the Turks in the 18th century, it was a Sufi center for whirling dervishes. Nearby, and within the Roman agora is an old mosque, one of the few signs of the 400 years of Turkish occupation.
After looking at the ruins, we did some souvenir shopping in the Plaka. Kathy bought some jewelry and I bought a lightweight white cotton shirt, some Greek Delight to bring to work, and a nice bronze Athena holding an owl and a spear.
We ate at Xani Taberna (XUNI) in the Plaka. It was great sitting at our little street-side table listening to the taberna’s guitarist and bouzouki player while I sipped my Mythos beer. I had another fine Greek salad: cucumbers, purple onion, green pepper, tomatoes, olives, a little olive oil, and a slab of feta sprinkled with oregano. I followed the salad with grilled octopus, something I maintained I would try when I was in Greece. I got a tentacle. It was a little weird eating the little suction cups, but it was good. It tasted like a mild fish, with a firmer texture. I had expected that it might be tough like calamari, but it wasn’t. With all the good food and relaxation, I had my cold on the run. Cold viruses don’t stand a chance in a happy body. We strolled back to the Achilleas and went to bed. Another fine day in Greece.
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