Panathinaikon Stadium (Kallimarmaro)
When we left the Acropolis area, I pushed my way through the gawking crowds moseying their way off the hill. It was brutal. I'm not sure why the line was so slow in trying to exit but it seemed to take forever. I hurried back to the parking lot concerned about Cassie and her friends. Sure enough, they were sitting around on a stone wall oblivious to the anxiety they caused us. We hopped back on the bus to finish our tour of the city. The next stop was one of the 2004 Summer Olypmic venues called "Panathinaikon Stadium". This was the site of the archery competition and the finish of the marathon. It was actually the only Olympic site that was actually used during the Ancient Olympic games. It is still used for special events such as honoring the 2004 Greek soccer team that won the European Championships.
Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In Worl... ... read more 
