Socrates and the art of the rhetorical question?

To view the Parthenon spectacularly lit up at night is to bear witness to the glory of Ancient Greece, and the timeless temple perched atop the Acropolis is the best sight I've experienced in my life. I'm aware of course that Socrates could quickly change my mind with brilliantly constructed rhetorical questions, inevitably leading to a contradiction of my original premise. But hey, this is a democracy brother and I'm sticking to my guns! Athens in fact is the birthplace of democracy, where the ultimate gift was bestowed on mankind by the ancient citizens of this famous city. That is a very special gift for any country to lay claim to, and on behalf of you, dear reader, I send my heartfelt thanks to the inhabitants of the Greek capital ... both past and present!

It's thrilling to be back in Europe after flying into Athens following a fascinating one-day stopover in Singapore. There is something magical about the Greek philosophy on life, and the local people have been brilliant from the moment I went through customs at the airport. Greeks are renowned for taking life at their own pace but they always get there in the end. It was great to see that the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens proved to be such a success despite all the criticism and threats made to the organisers in the lead up to the event. You’re behind schedule, we’re going to take the games off you etc. The criticism mounted but the Greeks ended up hosting a very successful world event just as the people of Athens did during the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. After all, ancient Greece is also the birthplace of the Olympics but for one reason or another they had a little break for 1,500 years. The initiative by the organisers to give the Olympic village over to public housing after the games has been copied by the Chinese at the conclusion of the Beijing Olympics last year.

There was a huge amount of money spent on the games that has left an enduring legacy for the people of Athens, and also for her lucky visitors. The infrastructure included an overdue metro system and a lot of beautification within the city. The metro also proved to be the greatest archaeological dig undertaken in this historic city. The metro to the airport is closed for six months, so I had to make my way to Metro Acropoli with three changes, and a metro map that was all Greek to me. Trying to make sense of the Greek characters was a bit much for an English speaker but at least I can count, which ensured my arrival at an excellent backpackers right by the Acropolis with no worries at all. The ladies on the trains were tres chic, and I could easily have been taking a ride in super fashionable Paris or Rome.

The staff and guests at the hostel were brilliant and I had a very enjoyable four-day stay. Everyone is so amazingly open and friendly when you stay at hostels and the first few days of an overseas trip always manages to take me a bit by surprise, but very soon it becomes the most natural thing in the world. I highly recommend the walking tour organised through the hostel, our guide was a brilliant and animated Greek girl who made the ancient stories from Greek mythology really come to life. We learnt of the rivalry between the gods Poseidon and Athena for naming rights to the city, and in the end the pitch by Athena was perfectly suited to the Greek psyche to win the day. Peace, prosperity and plentiful olive trees seems to be a sure fire winner for the Athenians!

She also gave an animated description of the recent riots that were triggered when the police shot dead a 15-year-old boy in the streets of Athens. Although it sounds like a contradiction in terms, the anarchists in Athens are extremely well organised and really gave the police a lot of trouble, but thankfully the situation is under control and peace has been restored in this wonderful city. We went around the base of the Acropolis, to the ancient markets of the Agora, visited museums and Syntagma square to view the Parliament building, visited the Panathinaiko stadium which hosted the 1896 Olympic Games, and we finished a very entertaining walking tour at the temple of Olympian Deus and Hadrian’s Arch.

Of course we all took the opportunity to climb up the Acropolis and view the mighty Parthenon separate to the tour. This magnificent temple to Athena dominates the skyline of Athens and the beautiful city branches out in all directions with stunning views on display from the summit. A 12-euro ticket gives four days to explore the various ancient sites, and there are a dozen tabs on the ticket. By all the Gods on Mount Olympus I reckon this ticket is excellent value for money, and includes entrance fees to several museums that house archaeological finds from as far back as 10,000 BC. Athens is a truly astonishing travel destination and I have had a brilliant time in the birthplace of democracy. It’s time to get moving though, and tonight I’m jumping on a ferry to the historic island of Rhodes and very excited by the prospect of exploring the glorious old town in a temperate Mediterranean climate. An introduction to the Greek way of life leads to the inevitable conclusion,…………. basically all of you should be here now!

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber." Plato

Top 3 Hotels/Restaurants
Athens Backpackers - Athens, Greece
Balraktaris Souvlaki restaurant - Athens, Greece
Damigos taverna - Athens, Greece

Top 3 Sights/Activities
The Acropolis - Athens, Greece
The Agora - Athens, Greece
Athens walking tour - Athens Backpackers, Greece

As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now

Tom

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