Blogs from Attica, Greece, Europe - page 16

After a week in Athens we decided it was finally time to visit the Acropolis. Unfortunately, so did EIGHT cruise ships. Ugh. The conga line to the top was unbelievable. Luckily the ticket person let us go up the exit, though the exit line was equally formidable. Though the Parthenon and all the other temples at the top are covered in various stages of scaffolding, the site is still quite impressive. The entry gate must have been SO impressive to the ancients since it is still quite imposing today. The visit to the Acropolis museum prior to visiting the site itself was very helpful. It helped us to understand exactly what we should be looking for and what the various pieces were. Some of the carvings are still intact on site, while others are in the ... read more

Our travel day to Athens showed that we have finally gotten the hang of traveling with a wee toddler. We didn't spend multiple hours waiting at the airport nor did we have to do the mad dash to make our flight. Much, much better traveling. The 3 hour flight was perfectly timed for D's nap. Unfortunately they had sat another toddler right behind us and he was hell bent on making D look like a traveling angel. Eventually D managed to fall asleep despite the constant screaming. She was complemented in multiple languages on her flying prowess. The warmth of Athens was a welcome relief from the chilly days in Brussels (since we both only brought one pair of jeans and a fleece). We found our apartment without any problems. We are in the Neapoli area ... read more

Breakfast in Barcelona, lunch in Munich, afternoon snack over Slovenia (according to the pilot) and dinner in Athens. Will, Marika and I took the Germany detour to Athens thanks to booking through points, while Kim flew straight to Athens and hung out with a very close family member, Despina Meimaroglou - first cousin of Kim's father and Despina flew to Ottawa to come to Kim's and my wedding in 1999. (Despina is an artist of international reknown - lots of multimedia stuff - I have spent some time experiencing her work online over the past months and highly recommend it.... (http://www.meimaroglou.com/ ). So the guy beside me in the airport in Munich asked Marika where she was from. I then asked where he was from - Chicago - we talked about Chicago since I was there ... read more

Day 2 Rise and shine! Our body clocks are officially off with the time change. At 4:30 a.m. our eyes pop open thinking that is should be 2 p.m. We watch t.v. until 6 a.m. when the executive lounge opens for coffee and breakfast. The food here is proving to be very good. After breakfast we take showers and ready ourselves for the day. The guide books recommend getting an early start to avoid the crowds. Our plan is to head to the Acropolis on the top of the hill. Getting an early start will also prevent hiking up the hill in the 80 degree mid-afternoon heat. We take the hotel shuttle to downtown and get dropped off a few blocks away for the Acropolis. At the base of the Acropolis we purchase our entry ticket ... read more

We decide to trek to the Acropolis to see the ancient temples and buildings today. Our Esteemed Leader finds us an English speaking guide so the children might actually learn something about Greek history. First stop is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. An odeon is basically a closed ceiling theater and this one (minus its ceiling) is located just below the Acropolis; it is still used for cultural performances. Herodes Atticus was a famed orator, high priest of the imperial cult at Athens, friend of the Emperor Hadrian and all around good guy philanthropist. Our second stop is the Propylaea or entrance to the Acropolis. Its main architect was Mnesicles, a colleague of Phidias, the sculptor. It was completed in 432 BC just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian wars. Next up, is the tiny temple ... read more