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Published: October 28th 2007
Once again we had our bags ready packed before going to work, we went into the office did our 4 hours work for the day and went to Gatwick airport for our next trip, the sound of rattling luggage bags on cobblestones is music to our ears and one we will miss- this time the destination was Greece for six days and a much anticipated trip. First stop Athens.
The flight to Athens was 3.5 hours from London and we arrived late Friday night (9.45pm) and by the time we arrived at our hotel it was close to midnight!!! In an effort to make the most of everyday we went straight out to a typical Greek(s) restaurant and were having our dinner at 1am, needless to say we were the only people in the restaurant receiving some rather filthy looks from a team of 4 waiters wanting to go home. We made sure we took our time and savoured every morsel.
It was very hard to get up the next morning with half a lamb in my stomach and Greek salad- nonetheless it was a day I have been looking forward to for a very long time. We were
Walk through Plaka
You can see the buildings beyondheading to the Acropolis!!!!
Athens seems to be one of those places that you feel like you know in advance because of all the photos and study one does on the country at school, at uni and in general conversation however nothing prepares you for the traffic congestion, the stray dogs and the distinctly ‘latin’ temperament of the people. A concoction of elements that makes things all the more interesting and provides a unique quality to modern day Athens.
We decided to make our way towards the entry of the Acropolis through the small, labyrinth like, car less streets of Plaka the oldest suburb in Athens located at the foot of the Acropolis- Plaka has some beautiful small houses, cafeterias bombarding the streets with the aroma of coffee and beautiful gardens- with the Acropolis over looking Athens this route allows you to capture glimpses of the Erechtheum from different angles as you climb the streets. The experience was very interesting and powerful because there were no cars, not many tourists and it was very quiet allowing you to appreciate what historical Athens may have been like.
We finally made the entry point after stopping numerous times to
look at the city behind us and catch our breath! Once there it became apparent that the Acropolis is more than just the Parthenon and the Erechtheum- it is a vast complex of structures on large grounds. We were still at the entry point at the foot of the Acropolis mountain when we ran into our first remnant of the Aglaureion dating to 300 BC. We continued to walk up the steep slopes reaching the entry point of the Acropolis- The Propylaea constructed in 432BC consists of a massive set of steps and colonnade leading into the grounds of the acropolis. The entry is so grand and indicates the significance of what was an incredibly significant site! By this stage we had our quiet walk interrupted by groups of tourist buses making their way into the acropolis for their half hour slot!
Once inside the Acropolis you are overlooking Athens which gives you a good sense of just how much the modern day Athens has spread out over the landscape- the city is almost a mindless sprawl and infront of you is The Parthenon and the Erechtheum neatly laid out. This is in a nutshell the juxtaposition that modern
Athens seems to be in. A hugely significant past which gives the city its identity and a modern day Athens trying to establish its own identity and not quite achieving this result as effectively as previous generations.
The Parthenon and the Erechtheum are neatly laid out infront of you dating to 450 BC and you are able to appreciate both at the same time as soon as you enter the grounds. It is a remarkable sight made all the more over powering when you consider that it is precisely at this location that the likes of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras and Hippocrates walked these grounds virtually at the same time!!! Combined with this the concepts of mathematics, politics, democracy, philosophy, olympics, religion, astronomy, mythology, theatre and architecture were all born here and you start to feel the weight and significance of the place and understand why modern Greece may struggle to create its own identity….
We slowly walked around the precinct trying to avoid the hoardes of tourists and find some quiet respite to take all this in- we managed to achieve this and in a quiet corner I think I may have shed a tear or it
might have been raining- It is the Mecca or holy grail for any architect to see the Parthenon in all its glory- with or without the loud American tourist asking me what this ‘place’ was called!
As impressive as the Parthenon is, I think I preferred the the Erechtheum with the six ladies supporting the roof of the temple and tall slender columns and stairways made it a little more interesting……..I think- am still deciding!
After three hours of just meandering, observing and just looking around and seeing the other smaller structures/ temples like Athena Nike and the two main theatres, theatre of Dionysos Eleuthereus( could sit 17000! 342 BC) and Odeion of Herrodes Atticus, we decided to head to the Ancient Agora.
We descended from the heights of the Acropolis to the small valley where the Ancient Agora sits. I realized that we were walking along the famous Panathenaic Way. I started feeling awed that I was walking on the same path that Socrates, Plato, and St. Paul had walked. I love it when I get the opportunity to intersect with history. However, it is not usually as intense as that which I felt in Athens.
I suppose that being part of a few thousand years of history will do that to a person.
The Ancient Agora, the ancient town, is another one of those typical places in Athens that has many layers of history- began in the 600 BC totally detroyed and rebuilt by the persians in 480 BC, detroyed and rebuilt by the romans in 86BC, the Herulii in 267 AD and yada yada yada and in essence found at the end of the 19th Century under Athens city! Not to be disparaging its just that this particular place changed owners more than 7 times which I know by heart but which would bore you all to tears!
Unfortunately the Ancient Agora is ruined in many areas however with a really good map provided by the tourist office and an even better imagination you can be easily as impressed as the Acropolis- It is in this area that the famous The Temple of Hephaistos dating to 500 BC. It dominates the plane but is also in full view from the Acropolis. There is also remnants of theatres, churches like the Church of the Holy Apostles (11th Century), monuments, temples and fountains dating
to 500 BC!!!! It’s the whole BC part that gets me!
After the Agora we had a mush of numbers, columns, famous people and BC’s in our head and decided to call it a day and have a strong drink at a Plaka bar followed by dinner and a walk in the markets. We had a scrumptious dinner looking at a beautifully lit up Acropolis- I had lamb (this occurred for all six nights!) They are experts at lamb- highly recommended!
Next day we decided to leave our hotel very early so we could be at the entry point of the Acropolis by 8am- opening time! We entered and it was us and six or so stray dogs walking around the Acropolis- Cris thought they were spirits guarding the place- she even chose a derelict looking dog to be Socrates!! I must say it was a very different experience with no people. We were able to enjoy the early sun and the precinct without any people for about 2 hours!
At about 10am we continued to Filopappos Hill where there is a monument that the Persians erected after winning a battle, Dionysos Church and what is supposedly
the prison that Socrates was held! The main point is actually a view platform towards the Acropolis which is breathtaking!
We then headed to the Temple of Olympic Zeus which is only a ruin and has 16 surviving Corinthian columns of the 104 that were originally built. This temple was the largest of Ancient Athens with columns measuring 17m high- they were absolutely massive! The temple was constructed over a period of 700 years begun in 6th Century BC and finished in 131 AD by Hadrian! It took so long because it was stopped and started numerous times over this period. The temple must have been very impressive!
After gawking at this remnant of a huge temple we walked 10 minutes to the Roman Stadium which hosted the first Olympic games of modern times in 1896- originally bult in 4th century BC as a venue for the Panathenaic athletic contests.
During our three days we had absolutley fabulous weather ranging from 25 to 30 degrees celcius a very welcome change to cold London weather which we left ranging from 8 to 14 degrees celcius. This was very welcome.
The fine weather also assisted in painting a
positive picture of Athens where ancient city and modern city crash creating a very interesting mix of situations such as a train line 5m away from a building of 5th century BC, where a whole is defined by a period 2500 years old and yet they struggle to create their own identity, a lively place, an enjoyable and happening place and a place where fine food (lamb) is in abundance-
Off to bed- Next stop Santorini Island!
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Cristina
non-member comment
Emocionante!!!!
I think that for a person like you , that admire and work with buildings it may be very exciting to be in a place like this. I am very glad that you enjoy the full 6 days because is going to be in your mind forever and I am sure that when you get old, very old , those days will be very clear in your memory..... Would you like lamb for Christmas? ja, ja....