Athens

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We met our tour group near the Syntagma Square (the central square of the city). Becausee 4 cruise ships just came into port & it was going to be hot, our guide decided to start with the Acropolis - hoping to beat the crowds. Big mistake! There we so many people on the Acropolis that they closed the entrance 10 minutes after we got our tickets! It was UNBELIEVABLY HOT & CROWDED! I think I lost 10 lbs. just by sweating! Despite the heat, the ruins of the Acropolis & Parthenon are impressive & the view is spectacular! Then we saw the Temple of Zeus & the Panthenian Stadium (the site of the 1st Modern Olympic Games in 1896. It is not a big as I expected. We learned that it holds more people than you expect - everyone just smushes together on the benches! We ended the tour at the recently built New Acropolis Museum. After lunch the scavenger hunt resumed and we FINALLY found the Areopagus! It was only steps away! We dined on the terrace of our hotel this evening. As the sun set, we watched lights lit up the Acropolis. A beautiful end to the day!

Joyce

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