After
Greek island hopping, and before venturing to the countryside to
visit the ancient cities of Corinth and Mycenae, my husband, James, and I had
one day to take in historic Athens.
Based
at the Hotel Central in the Plaka neighborhood, we made the most of our time
exploring all of the must-see attractions:
The
Acropolis. Perched on a hill overlooking the city, the Acropolis of Athens is
dedicated to the goddess Athena. First constructed in the 6th century BC the
area contains the ruins of the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the temple of
Athena Nike, the Erechtheion,
and provides breath-taking views of the modern city. Get there early to avoid
the crowds and beat the afternoon heat. Also of note, your 12 Euro ticket is
good for entry into several other ruins throughout the city.
Temple of Olympian Zeus. Taking more than 700
years to build, this temple is revered as one of the most significant in
Athens. Unfortunately, only 15 of the 104 Corinthian-style marble columns still
stand.
The Ancient Greek Agora. Long
before the word agora became associated with a Greek marketplace, it was the
site for orators to engage the public. The ancient Athens agora was the stage
for the likes of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates while being the heart of the
city. Today you can walk the line of moments paying homage to each of the
twelve mythological Greek gods on the way to visit the Temple of Hephaestus.
Also of note the Roman agora is minutes away and, while smaller, is home to Hadrian's Library.
Our next stop was the Panathenaic Stadium. One of the
most well-known sites in the country, the current stadium was built upon the
grounds of an
ancient Greek stadium which from 329 BC hosted games for centuries. The current
stadium, constructed in 1894, is responsible for reviving the games and hosting
the first International Olympic Games two years later. Fun fact: the term
marathon, which also happens to be an Olympic sport, stems back to city of
Marathon, Greece. Precisely 26.2 miles from Athens, it's where
sandal-clad solider Phiddipides began the run to Athens to announce the victory of
the Greek Army over the 50,000 Persian invaders in 490 BC.
For lunch we feasted on gyros
and moussaka before walking busy Ermou Street to peek into shops selling leather
sandals, Christian Orthodox relics and mink coats. We photographed
the 11th century church of Panagia Kapnikarea, near Syntagma Square, and while in the neighborhood visited the Hellenic Parliament. There, every hour the soldiers of the Presidential Guard
march in traditional uniform which includes funny-looking shoes with large wool pompons on the tip called tsarouhia.
The
National Archaeological Museum. Our final stop was the largest museum in Greece
which houses ancient
Greek Art and where you can follow Greek history from the 6th century BC through the
fall of the Roman Empire.
For dinner
we enjoyed traditional Greek cuisine at
The Old Tavern of Psaras in Plaka dining on
eggplant, octopus and mussels washed down with anise-flavored ouzo. At the restaurant our animated waiter informed us that Greece is the origin of everything novel in the world and that
the only word in the Greek language which isn't Greek is its name.
If you can weather the heat and mosquitoes, August
is an ideal month to visit the city as the locals flock to the countryside and
islands for holiday. We would not have been able to see as much of the city as
we did without enlisting the help of our friendly driver, Kostas, from
George's Taxi. Another handy tip is to download the free app:
Athens by GreekGuide.com for accommodation and
food recommendations as well as helpful information on getting around,
attractions and history.
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