After a no-sleep night and all the hassle we felt we deserved a little lie in so we indulged ourselves and didn't set an alarm. Allow me a short semantic diversion, I never associated the word odyssey that I have chosen to be part of the title of this series of blogs with Odysseus. Forgive me Homer for sixty years of ignorance and it only took Odysseus ten years to sort himself out and come home.
Back to Athens and the present day. I always recommend using the hop on hop off bus when first visiting a new city. Ride the full circuit and listen to the commentary, this way you get your orientation and learn what's worth going back to when your time budget is limited.
The name comes from the Bazantium monastery, the remains of which you can still see in this picture. Above you can see the Acropolis with the Erechtheum facing us and the Parthenon behind.
The photos above and below are part of a series of late C19 classical revival buildings to house the institutions of state. These are part of the University of Athens, though no students to be seen.
Below is the National Library, but I think Bookmark in Spalding might be a bit busier.
This is of course the stadium constructed for the first modern Olympic games in 1896. It is a fairly faithful reproduction of the original Panathenaic Stadium constructed in C4 BCE. At Hadrian's inauguration in 120 CE 1000 wild animals were sacrificed in the area.
Hadrian's Arch, a Greek inspired structure built in Rome and copied in Greece. The Temple of Zeus lies in the space beyond the arch.
The building is a star in its own right, but the context is unsurpassable.
Photography was not permitted inside the museum but hey ho.
Back to Athens and the present day. I always recommend using the hop on hop off bus when first visiting a new city. Ride the full circuit and listen to the commentary, this way you get your orientation and learn what's worth going back to when your time budget is limited.
So here is Helen riding the bus. At this moment we're in Syntagma square which is the central point of the city with the Parliament building dominating one side of it. Ancient Athens surrounds the square and is relatively easily accessed on foot.
We got off the bus at Monastiraki which gave us access to the flea market area, some gorgeous fruit stalls and a chance for lunch. The views were pretty good too.
The name comes from the Bazantium monastery, the remains of which you can still see in this picture. Above you can see the Acropolis with the Erechtheum facing us and the Parthenon behind.
This is looking in the same direction but just a little away from the madding crowd.
The photos above and below are part of a series of late C19 classical revival buildings to house the institutions of state. These are part of the University of Athens, though no students to be seen.
Below is the National Library, but I think Bookmark in Spalding might be a bit busier.
This is a massive and impressive statue of a figure seemingly constructed from slate. Its outline alters as you move around it. Perhaps more at home in Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales.
This is of course the stadium constructed for the first modern Olympic games in 1896. It is a fairly faithful reproduction of the original Panathenaic Stadium constructed in C4 BCE. At Hadrian's inauguration in 120 CE 1000 wild animals were sacrificed in the area.
Hadrian's Arch, a Greek inspired structure built in Rome and copied in Greece. The Temple of Zeus lies in the space beyond the arch.
That more or less completed the day except for the Acropolis museum. This was opened in 2005 and is stunning. It is sited against the south slope of the Acropolis aligned exactly with the Parthenon and sits above the exposed and featured archeology of ancient Athens. It contains the surviving treasures from the buildings of the Acropolis and represents the apotheosis of Greek artistic achievement. (If you want to see a few more check out the British museum where they shouldn't be).
The building is a star in its own right, but the context is unsurpassable.
Photography was not permitted inside the museum but hey ho.
And it's not everyday you come face to face with Alexander the Great.
The third floor was devoted entirely to an interpretation of the Parthenon. There was a life size representation of the building with comprehensive explanation of every aspect of it. I cannot recommend this museum highly enough.
So back to our apartment to freshen up before going out to the restaurant that Kostas suggested. Tomorrow, Athens on foot and the Parthenon in the flesh as it were.
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