Athens - Day Two

 Monday, August 17, 2026

It's 4:30 in the afternoon and I've just gotten back from our morning's adventure!  But let me go back to the early morning.  Our alarms go off at 5:00 because I wasn't sure I'd be able to hear Jan's. I was still so beat that I couldn't figure out how to turn it off for the longest time!  Jan goes down to the fitness room to do her morning workout and I do my morning yoga here in the room..  We go down to breakfast (taking the stairs.  Thanks, Jan) and wind up in the lobby because it doesn't matter that I said breakfast was on the mezzanine because Jan thought that was the same as the lobby.

There is a separate flight of stairs from the lobby to the mezzanine!  And at the top a waiter asks how many in our party an assigns us a table!  Not like yesterday!  Of course, we're a couple of hours earlier today!  I go off for yogurt and toppings, including sour cherry sauce with whole cherries, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and a crunch oat cereal concoction.  At the table there are two glasses of OJ! Hmmm, I guess our waiter thought we wanted that?  I'm a sour cherry girl, since that's available, and cappucino! When the yogurt is gone I have scrambled eggs, mushrooms, and a pain au chocolate since it's small.

Back to the room for a potty break and we go downstairs for our eight o'clock pick up.  Our guide is Christina and she's perfect!  She blends the facts with rumor, gossip, and funny stories.  And she's totally self-effacing, although I'm sure she is as well educated as any of us!

We finally get everyone assembled and fitted out with our over-the-ear listening devices and head for the Acropolis. The weather is much cooler than at home and the walk is flat.  So far, so good. This might be a good time to mention that by the end of the day we had walked 13,000 steps!  And it's not all flat! Anyway, Christina is our guide and she is funny and adept at mixing actual facts with amusing anecdotes and at keeping us all together.  She wends through the crowds with ease and she says that's because she used to be a waitress!

                                           Small break before we begin the exploration

                                                                          Entrance

         The gods are above; here you can see two of them.  The frieze below is of the warriors and nobles.

These are better preserved because they are protected from the elements.  There is constant restoration ongoing.  You can tell the restored parts because they are white and contrast with the natural marble. (Everything in this photo is original, as is almost everything else we see.)

She is taking us via a bit longer route because that way we can use stairs for the most part instead of scrabbling up the slippery marble!  There are quite a few steps but they are at intervals where we can stop and listen to more of the history of this ancient World Heritage Site.  As with most accredited guides around the world, she has her country's history down pat.  I won't be able to do that for you;  but I remember some parts.  There were two wars with the Persians.  The first was won by the Athenians all by themselves and the second was also won by the Athenians but in conjunction with the surrounding city-states.  

Many cities have an acropolis with the word meaning "acro" for highest or edge and "polis" meaning city, so the acropolis is at the edge of the city.  It is the hill, while the parthenon is the main temple devoted to the goddess Athena.  There are other temples on the acropolis but they are all gifts to the gods and no one may enter them except the priests or priestesses.  The statue of Athena which was inside the parthenon was forty feet tall and covered in ivory for her skin and gold for her garments!  It has been lost in antiquity.

One of the maidens was stolen by Lord Elgin.  He would have taken all six but the workers said that they            could hear the five others weeping for their lost sister!  And they were heavy as all get out!

                          Eventually all these pieces will be fitted back into this giant puzzle.

The Erechtheion is another temple near the parthenon.  It marks the place where Athena earned the right to be the city's guardian.  The story goes that the mayor of the city needed a god and both Athena and Poseidon wanted the job.  Each gave the city a gift.  Poseidon caused a spring to burst forth, but the water was salty.  Athena caused an olive tree to rise from the earth.  The mayor obviously found the olive tree to be much more useful, hence "Athens".

There is also a story that Zeus hurled a lightening bolt through the hole in the roof and killed...who is supposedly buried under the temple.  The six caryatids, sculpted female figures, are facing outward, mourning his death.  One of the figures, which all actually served as support columns, as taken by Lord Elgin to Britian, as were the Elgin Marbles, part of the decorations of the parthenon!

The temple of Athena Nike is a smaller, elegant building, which commemorates Athen's victories against the Persians and in the Peloponnesian War, and gives rise to Athena's being also named Nike, which means victory.  This version of the goddess is winged and when viewed sideways, you can see the swoosh logo of the shoe company. There is a story that her wings were cut off so that she couldn't leave Athens and they would continue to be victorious!

Anyway...We explore the outside of the parthenon and learn that there were two sections inside.  One was the treasury and the other was where the priests and priestessess worshiped the goddess.  Once a year, at the end of a multi-day festival, the doors to that section were opened and people could see the statue inside.

The friezes on the pediment (the triangle at the top of the temple) depicted the gods.  The friezes that encircle the temple depict the priests and the highest ranking citizens. And the common people are at the very lowest level and can only be seen by stooping over and looking up.

Another interesting architectural feature is the the foundation of the temple isn't exactly flat, it has a slight curve, rising in the middle.  This gives the appearance of being flat!  Also, the columns are wider at the bottom than the top, keeping the building from feeling top heavy!

This is the oldest temple in Greece and the area in front of it was the agora, or market place.  Everyone used to come here to shop and to meet with friends.

After carefully climbing back down, and not sliping on the marble beneath our feet, we go to the Acropolis Museum.  This is where many of the actual artifacts are displayed, while replicas are outside being exposed to the elements.  Perhaps the most fascinating part of the museum is the third floor which is exactly the same dimensions as the parthenon, letting you feel what is was like with the columns in place and the friezes encircling the walls!

The museum, and so many other parts of the city, is built atop more ancient sites!  This is part of what we                                                           saw as we crossed to the entrance.

This  depicts the wedding ritual in which the groom takes the bride's hand.  They didn't have wedding rings, so this is the symbol of their union.  On the left is the servant who raises the bride's veil.  That's the first time the groom sees his new wife!

Theatre was born in Greece.  The gentleman shown has furry legs, representing a satyr.  The original "plays" were religious and centered on Pan and the satyrs.  They were called "goat songs" which eventually became the word "tragedy".

                 This was an offering to the gods to thank them for the return of a woman's vision.

The central piece is part of the original frieze around the parthenon.  The white ones are reproductions that the British Museum made from the stolen Elgin marbles.  The originals are twice as thick because Lord Elgin chopped them off the much thicker slabs of marble.

This is how it would have felt to walk around the parthenon.  The building is exactly the same size and the columns are exactly where they are in the real thing. (Well, except for it being indoors!)

But the most fun part is the Lego reproduction of the acropolis!  Not just the buildings but interesting people (real or fictional) who have visited there.  Elton John is performing in the theatre, the first of it's kind!  Gandalf the Gray is seen arriving!  There is a tragedy being staged in the smaller theater.  You can see that one of the characters is lying on the stage in his own blood!

The entrance to the acropolis

                                                                     Hologram of Athena

                                                                        Timing is everything!

                                                                         It's a beautiful museum!
                                                      

                       Not all the ancient site is covered.  Here the exit from the museum shows more ruins.

After having drinks in the cafe and visiting the museum shop we split up.  I go off with Jan, Kathy, and Sharon and Kathy finds us a spectacular little taverna where we share four appetizers that are scrumptious! And the waiter brings us each s piece of honey semolina cake and a tiny glass of mastiha, a sweet liqueur.  It's what is in our goodie box from Greek Insiders!

You have to look up to see amazing things on rooftops!  But you also have to look down to keep from tripping!  And the sidewalks are marble in many places! And it can be slippery.

                  Cute little bouzoukis, like the one a man was playing as we exited the parthenon.

The primary religion is Greek Orthodox and there are many stores selling religious objects.  Kathy says          that during a wedding ceremony crowns like this are held over the heads of the bride and groom.

We manage to make our way home and we are all communicating via WhatsApp, so we know that we're reconvening in the lobby at seven.  My room is pitch black!  Jan has come back right after the museum and is out cold!  I wake her at six so she has time to shower for dinner.  I tried to blog but couldn't keep my eyes open, so I got a little half hour nap, too.

In the lobby Dave tells us that he's found a place that sounds perfect, Cherchez La Femme!  But it's really a Greek mezze restaurant!  We hike to it and share all the little plates, rather like tapas, and each dish is better than the last! We even share desserts the same way! 

                                                                She has her own museum!

          Unique way to keep the chilled air around the white wine.  It's the same one we had a lunch!

                                                     We cleaned everything plate and platter!

Back home by about nine thirty and I can write this but, sorry, no pictures tonight!  Well - maybe a couple!