Athens

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Athens day one.

Flew into Athens today, and no matter how well prepared you can be, it very quickly turns to shit. Athens was rioting again, and there was a public transport strike. Of course there was! So plan B catch the bus to the main square. Whoops can’t go to the main square as that is where the riots are. Plan C catch the bus as close as possible to the main square and start walking. First impression of Athens isn’t a good one. Dirty dirty dirty. It was very quiet too; everyone was obviously staying away cause of the riots. We did however make it safely to the accommodation after about half an hour of paranoid walking! We didn’t venture far that night for dinner and made sure we were home before dark!

Day two.

We did a walking tour today…Safety in Numbers! It took 6 hours but covered all the major historical sights of Athens. We visited the Agora (meeting place/market place/main square) of both the Greeks, and the Romans (who once upon a time conquered Athens), and to a marble platform which overlooks Athens, which is rumored to be where St. Peter first preached Christianity to the people, and later where trials were held from here we headed up to the acropolis. It is disappointing but amazing at the same time. Amazing because it’s the acropolis, but disappointing because it is still covered in scaffolding from like the 1970s! Visited the other ruins of the area. we then headed for lunch before finishing off the tour with a walk to the site of the first modern Olympics in 1896, it’s a huge stadium made completely out of marble and not used for anything except the start and end of marathons every now and again, the big botanic gardens, where it seems all the stray dogs go to swim when its stinking hot (lucky I found that out before I decided to swim!) and saw the changing of the guard at the presidential palace, the guards that wear skirts and pom poms on their shoes…and they walk like emus! Had a look through the markets before heading back to the hotel before dark to pack for our early start.

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