Blogs from Attica, Greece, Europe - page 18

I didn’t know what to expect when we landed, nor did I have any considerations for what I really wanted to accomplish while in the capital city Athens felt similar to a tropical desert, but with many instances of brightly foliaged trees, bushes, and very active birds. It smelled tropical, likely due to the sea which you can see if you’re high enough in the city. Trees with wisteria-like purple blooms, bright pinks, magentas, reds, and then brown grass and sand and red stone. Trees ranged from large-trunked palms, to scrub (the common plant along the mountains), to some conifers along mountain basins. While riding the metro it was nice to see the European-style graffiti: brightly coloured with many intricate designs. I was always a fan of the graffiti in Italy, and had forgotten my affinity ... read more

Today we packed in as many sites in Athens as possible. We started off with the Acropolis. They're just about finished cleaning the Parthenon, and - wow! - it is just gleaming. Then downhill to the Agora, the old civic centre. Here there is one of the best-preserved temples in Greece, the Hephaistion. Fortunately for us temple-lovers it was turned into a Christian church early on, and so remained intact. Then a pair of museums: the Acropolis Museum, which contains all the sculpture found on the Acropolis (except for the tasty bits "borrowed" by Lord Elgin and others), then to the National Archaeological Museum which contains every other Classical masterpiece found in Greece (or so it seems). I kept running into marvellous works I've encountered before in books or lectures. We rushed through both museums; I'll ... read more

For once the mammoth wasn’t up first and by the time he had tied his scarf and pretended to wash behind his ears Zoe and I were waiting at the door for him. Woolly says – Well I do like to look my best and having rubbed a sock behind my ears and removed some excess jam I hurried to catch up with the girls. A quick pit stop for breakfast and we set off to Syntagma Square for the truly unique changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. The Evzones is the name given to several of the historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army, now days it refers to the members of the Presidential Guard. Prospective Evzones are initially identified at the Infantry Recru... read more

Saturday: We slept in … until 7:00 AM when we realized we had to be packed and have our bags out in front of our door for pickup at 9:00. We made the time and then checked out of the hotel and wandered the streets, homeless and alone! Actuyally we visited a replica of one of the temples – the colors were beautiful, vibrant and alive – and went to one of the biggest stores in Athens (Attica) and looked at everything we didn’t need. We did stop for a coffee at a nice street café and had a quick bite at a café on the main square. It was a little quiet as the transportation strike was still underway. Everyone who is responsible for driving or handling public transport was on holiday. We had no ... read more

Woolly says – Up early I stood tapping my paw impatiently waiting for the women to sort themselves out, I had a great plan for the day and it was imperative that we got moving quickly, so many places and so little time! Having finally got everyone out of the room instead of heading in the direction I had planned we turned in the opposite direction.....STOP I shouted but having raced to catch them up it appeared that breakfast was going to be the first port of call.....well they should have said! It was only a brief stop but worthwhile and with tummies appeased Zoe and I happily followed our enthusiastic guide towards the Archaeological Museum. Woolly says – the building was impressive so goodness knows how wonderful it would be inside, I scurried up the ... read more