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| Parthenon @Acropolis |
Hubby and I did a LOT of research before our trip to Greece.
We were not planning on getting a guided tour (except for a walking tour) and
so we wanted to refresh our memories on high school ancient and world history
and as well learn other things to ground us in what we were about to see.
As we had done in our past travels, we joined a walking tour
on the same day we arrived. This has always helped us navigate our way, learn a few
things, and get a few tips and suggestions. Am proud to say that we knew 70% of
what our guide, George, relayed to us in terms of the Greek gods, the
philosophers (from Socrates to Aristotle), the Acropolis and other structures,
and architecture. We would easily pass any elementary quiz he might have given on the
Greco-Persian wars!
Anyway, the next day, we embarked on a power tour of the archeological
sites that was part of our combo ticket. We got the Eur30 combo ticket which
includes 7 sites within 5 days vs the Eur20 Acropolis-only admission. We went
to 5 (and saw the 6th from the outside) out of 7. In less than two
days. Not bad, eh? And we didn’t really rush so I did not feel like we just breezed
through everything.
I will not go over the facts and other info for each site.
History books and other internet sources will cover that well, and much better
than me. I will just share what can be done in less than 2 days in terms of the
archeological sites.
Day 1– first thing in the morning we went to the Acropolis
and then straight to the Parthenon. I pre-purchased the tickets online via the
official site. There were already a lot of people but not as much as when we
were leaving, which was about an hour after. While there was construction going
on, I was glad that there ARE restoration efforts happening. The Temple of
Athena Nike and the Erechtheion (with the replica caryatids), while not as
grand as the Parthenon, were also glorious. To be there among the structures
that had been up for centuries was quite surreal.
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| Erechtheion @Acropolis |
As we headed down the slopes,
we also saw Odeon of Herodes Atticus where they hold evening performances. Unfortunately,
we were not keen on the shows they had during the time we were there so we did
not get to see this in all its glory. I can totally imagine the beautiful
ambience during performances.
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| Odeon
of Herodes Atticus |
After a couple of hours in the Acropolis and slopes, we
headed to Areopagus Hill or Mars Hill where the Apostle Paul preached. We got a
bit lost looking for this bare marble hill, but it was just next to the Acropolis.
The climb wasn’t too difficult with steel steps to get you to the top. The
views were simply beautiful.
We had a quick lunch of Bougatsa at the Psyri district then
continued on to Keramikos.
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| @Psyri district |
The Keramikos area was originally where potters and artisans
lived. Later it became the cemetery of Athens. There was a small museum as well
which hosts several artefacts.
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| Keramikos |
By this time, we needed a pick-me-up and something to cool
us down so we had freddo espresso and frappe at the Plaka neighborhood.
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| Coffee @Plaka neighborhood |
Feeling
refreshed, we headed to the Ancient Agora. The Ancient Agora is a large space
full of ancient ruins including many temples, a Byzantine church and a
museum. We imagined people going about
their businesses at the Stoa as I attempted to take dramatic photos along the long
line of columns. Notice I said, “attempted?” While there were less people here
in the afternoon than the Acropolis in the morning, it was hard to get a shot
with no one else in the background. Anyway, the museum by the stoa was
fascinating and there were many interesting artifacts that allowed us to learn
more about the Ancient Greeks.
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| Stoa @Ancient Agora |
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| Ancient Agora |
Close by is Hadrian’s library so we headed there before they
closed at 7pm. While it was not the biggest nor most memorable site (and one
that you can see from the outside), as it was included in the combo ticket, we went
inside. Roman emperor Hadrian financed the construction of this library which
was later transformed into a church.
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| Hadrian's Library |
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| Hadrian's Library |
By this time we already hit 4 attractions and we were ready
to call it a night after our dinner of hubby’s favourite souvlaki.
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| Souvlaki and Baklava @Savvas |
Day 2 –we went straight to the Olympieion (Temple of Zeus)
after breakfast. We passed by Hadrian’s arch before making it to the entrance. The
arch was made of solid marble and in Greek, we learned the inscription said: on
the Acropolis side: 'This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus'; and on the
other: 'This is the city of Hadrian, and not of Theseus'. Just to make it clear
😉. In the Olympieion, only 16 out of the
original 104 columns remain but they are majestic. We overheard someone
complaining this was not worth the admission (they obviously did not get the
combo ticket), but in my mind, the admission should fund the preservation and
restoration of these monuments. It didn’t take long to explore as there was not
really much more to see. At this point, to be honest (and surely to the horror
of history and architecture buffs), the columns and pediments were kinda
blurring in my mind. Anyway, we decided not to go to the Roman Agora anymore as
we already saw this from the outside on our walking tour the first day.
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| Hadrian's Arch |
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| Olympieion |
The last site included in the combo ticket was Aristotle's
School [Lyceum], which was much further away. And as we saw Plato’s Academy
(also on our walking tour), which was also a school really 😊,
we decided we would skip this and go shopping at the Monastiraki flea market
instead.
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Plato's Academy
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So, if you had only two days in Athens, it is totally doable
to see many sites. Going to museums (we were told there were over 80!) or
shopping will be the dilemma on how to spend your remaining time. Either way,
it will involve a whole lot of walking.
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| Changing of the Guards @Syntagma Square |
We went on to Mykonos and Santorini after Athens, but Hubby
and I agree that Athens was our favourite. And, if we had to just pick one
place to see in the whole of Greece, including the islands, the choice would be
simple.
