Athens Day 2

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This morning I was up early and walked up to the Acropolis. It opened its gates at 8:00 and I was one of the first to enter. I had heard about the huge crowds that occur as multiple tour groups converge there, especially on Monday, but it was not bad at that hour and I was able to move around freely. There are a number of ancient buildings still standing - more or less - but of course the most impressive one is the Parthenon. And I can tell you that it really IS impressive. (See pictures) Despite the ravages of time and the scaffolding of the ongoing renovation work, it is still awe-inspiring. I walked all around it and tried to picture where the Elgin marbles would be if they were still in place. I took quite a few pictures of the Parthenon, the other temples, and the views from way up there. When I left, I went down the other side of the hill and out through the ancient Agora where I was yesterday. I walked to the nearby Athens subway system and took it to Syntagma Square. Syntagma is where the Greek parliament building is and where the tomb of the unknown soldier is guarded by those guys in skirts with pom-poms on their shoes. (See picture) Syntagma Square is also the center of the recent protests against Greek austerity measures, but there were no demonstrations today. I followed Rick Steve's audioguide as I walked around more of the city. I had a gyro and a beer for lunch, then sat and sorted photos on my iPad while I waited for the rain to subside. I knew that rain was predicted, so I had already planned to go to the National Archaeology Museum this afternoon. The rain let up a little, so I got out my umbrella and found a taxi to take me to the museum. I enjoyed looking at the history of ancient Greek art from the primitive Minoans to the sophisticated Hellenistic sculpture and the influence of the Romans. (See picture of the Greek god with a physique very much like mine!) The rain had stopped by the time I was done, so I headed back to the hotel and then went out to dinner at the same place I ate last night. This time I had moussaka, a sort of Greek lasagna. Tomorrow is a mystery at this point. I have done nearly everything I wanted to do in Athens and I still have 1 1/2 days left. I'm not sure what I will do, but I will fill you in tomorrow!

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