Athens

We arrived in Athens around 7am and were immediately taken on a bus tour of the major local sites prior to being dropped off at our hotel. The big one was seeing the site of the original modern Olympic games in 1896. The stadium was not quite Homebush.

As we continued on past the House of Parliament and National Library and so on Ania, our guide explained that this was the good area of Athens. Further along she

told us this is the bad area of Athens and you don’t want to walk around here at night. You might like to guess where our bus stopped. Actually the hotel was not bad. The rooms were adequate but the best thing was a view of the Acropolis from the roof.

After a quick breakfast we were loaded into taxis and taken to the Acropolis. This was our lucky day. Two cruise ships had just berthed in the port and you know

where all the passengers went. The queue for tickets was quite long but Ania managed to short cut this while we sat in shade. The next queue was a different matter. A long snake in full sun to have our ticket checked so we could gain entry. Here I saw a marvellous t-shirt “ For Sale. My parents. Buy 1 get 1 free.”

Despite appearances to the contrary the queue moved quickly and we headed up towards the acropolis. Ania explained that “Acropolis” refers to the highest hill in the area, not the monuments whilst we stopped and looked at the Odeon theatre. She explained that it is still in use but you have to be special to be allowed.

The site was quite crowded and we were held at a gate for quite some time before being allowed to progress to the Parthenon. This was quite a dodgy climb up marble stairs. Ania explained the significance of the temples we passed to the best of her ability. The American voices often made her hard to hear.

The Parthenon is being refurbished. There was all sorts of heavy equipment and

quite a few stone masons plying their trade. We were not allowed to enter the ruin which was a tiny bit disappointing but in truth it was what I expected. We spent at least an hour gazing at it while Ania provided a detailed account of the site. She is a very knowledgeable guide but not one to use one word when ten can do the same job. Anna and I drifted off and looked around by ourselves.

The Acropolis is like a butte, being an isolated hill with amazingly steep sides. Looking over the edge quickly brought on ground rush. Looking out you can see all Athens. It looks treeless from here but in fact it is quite a leafy city when you drive through.

At the Temple of Rome, a smaller building beside the Parthenon we saw a parapet leading out over the edge. We had no idea what it was for at the time. Later we saw it was a lift for people in wheel chairs. You would need to be brave. The lift was a lot like the ones on construction sites.

We left the Acropolis and headed to a knoll overlooking the Agora, or old market place. Here we sat in full sun while Ania explain in exquisite detail the purpose of the Agora and the nature of ancient Greek marriage. She then led us into the Agora where we saw a restored museum, a vast amount of ruins consisting mainly of foundations and the rather stunning Temple of Hephaistos dating from 158 BC.

We left the Agora and continued to walk around the Plaka, visiting Hadrian’s Library and seeing another section of the Agora. We then had a delightful lunch where Anna and I enjoyed Greek salad. It only vaguely resembles the salad we buy in Canberra. The tomato is vine ripened, soft and juicy, the lettuce is crisp and fresh, and the feta cheese is out of this world. They typically provide a slab on top. It is not salty at all. A true feast.

After lunch we continued walking. I saw another wonderful t-shirt “I don’t need sex. The Government fucks me every day.” A little later I was confronted by a gypsy boy playing some sort of stringed instrument. He approached me and appeared about to deliberately bump into me. I kept him at arms’ length assuming this was part of a pick pocketing exercise. In due course we reached the museum of the Acropolis. It is very impressive but no photographs. The air conditioning was a treat after the heat outside.

On the way back to our hotel we took the metro to Parliament House to see the changing of the guard. It was 8pm by this stage and we pretty much had it to ourselves. We immediately saw where John Cleese got his inspiration for the Ministry of Silly Walks. I commend Anna’s video to you.Changing of the Guard

We finally returned to the hotel for dinner around 9.30pm. It was a long day.