This was a fascinating city and I did get a chance to get around a bit. I, of course, had to visit the Acropolis first and was rewarded as I expected. An associate said everywhere in Athens there are just knocked down buildings and anywhere you plant a shovel you probably will start a new archaeological dig, but I found it a bit awe inspiring to look at 2000 year old architecture that I only half studied in high school. I found also that I want to learn more, now.
The top of the Acropolis is breathtaking ... figuratively and literally (I am out of shape!). Even with all of the scaffolding for the reconstruction and repair work, the various temples and buildings leave you speechless.
The Parthenon is actually the second site you migrate towards. The first was the "Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a well restored and currently used amphitheater. It is just a short climb from there to the gates of the Acropolis and the first glimpse of the Parthenon.
There are lots of stone pieces all over the ground and, upon close inspection, you can see that they are all numbered and ready to be some part of the reconstruction. The building also has some very, very small reflectors on it that must be used for laser sighting and is probably related to building stabilization or the like. I was particularly interested in the construction of the columns and, not surprisingly, found that they are stacked in much the same way as "legos".
My other favorite building was the "Erechtheum". I particularly liked the statues on one side that, though reproductions, really add to the beauty of the building (the originals were stolen, broken, or placed in protection in a museum in Athens).
From the top of the Acropolis, you can see the Roman Agora, something of a meeting place in old times. I made my way down there and walked for awhile among many, many old ruins. One building has been fully restored (it is now a museum), but looks really out of place with the ruins. The paths are nice with lots of trees and resting places. It is a pleasant walk up to the "Temple of Hephaestus".
I liked it because all of the walls are intact and it looks as if it could actually be used today.
I stayed near the "Temple of the Olympian Zeus" and it was a pleasant walk for lunch and dinner each day to the Plaka, an old neighborhood at the base of the Acropolis that is a good place for food and shopping (and lots of tourists ... thank goodness it is the off season). The meals were very good and reasonably priced. I really enjoyed the mixed grilled vegetables in olive oil. The local oil really has a nice flavor. Lamb meatballs and calamari ... and real Gyros. It was refreshing. The shopping was good too, especially if you like to haggle over price. Reminds me a bit of Tijuana, Mexico, the way they spot tourists.
There was a guy named George that stopped me and asked for the time. He struck up a conversation and, after "figuring out" that I was an American, told me about his job in Houston as a chemical engineer. He liked my name ... "Jimmy, a good Greek name" and wanted to sit for a beer and talk. I let him know my name is actually Hebrew. Turns out he was a front man for a consort bar, trying to lure "customers" to a legitimate bar only to be joined by ladies for companionship. I never made it the bar as I was suspicious and said that we should have a beer at the nearest taverna. He went on his way. I found out his real mission from my associate who also got the same line, but went to the bar before figuring anything out.
At night, after jet lag and an afternoon of sightseeing, it was back to my hotel room that had the really nice view below:
2 comments:
That sounds like it was a nice trip. It isn't too often you get to go to a place like Greece, right? The vegetables in olive oil sound really good. I understand that olive oil can often be like wine and sake, there are so many varieties and so much to choose from. My coworkers get to go on trips like that all of the time, places like Barcelona or Shanghai or Vancouver. It must be nice to get out of the office from time to time and get a change in scenery.
Regarding "George", i was reading an article the other day somewhere about how Greece and China were similar. I understand this scam is also popular in China too.
It was a nice, but hectic trip. I was obliged to give a talk at a conference on a topic that our management has decided to no longer support. Since we signed up a year ago, we could not back out. Both this trip to Greece and last year to Spain were to support this topic.
I think you know most of my travel is Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and the US. It was nice to see something really different, even if it was only for about 5 hours on the day I arrived with only 3 hours sleep.
In my case, yes, it is a nice change of pace from the office, but, at the same time, it is tiring and the travel part itself, getting there and back, is taxing.
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