Greece was the next stop on our trip, and by the time we reached Athens we had been travelling for about three weeks, setting foot on three different continents, and everyone needed a rest. We had planned for Greece to be our recuperation stop prior to starting our travels home, but you never know quite what you’re going to get. Luckily for us our hope that Greece would be relaxing and reinvigorating turned out to be just that.
We caught a cab from the airport to our hotel near the Acropolis. To picture our cab driver, you will have needed to watch the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, and think of the family patriarch who was always expounding on the greatness of the Greek culture, and all of the things the Greeks have given to the world through the ages….that was our cab driver, I am not kidding. He went on and on, even going so far as to quiz us on our knowledge of Greek culture. We even received an email from him upon our return home asking us to support his petition to have his writings on Greek culture included in a future space launch. It was crazy, the twenty minute cab ride felt like four hours, and of course yours truly was left to carry the conversation while my family feigned tiredness in the back seat.
Eventually, we made it to our hotel, which was a very chic boutique apartment right in the heart of Athens; by far the nicest place we had stayed on our trip. I think we were still getting over our culture shock of being in Egypt because the laid back vibe of Athens melted over us. We stocked up on some groceries, found some wine and beer, and had the first of many unbelievable meals we would enjoy during our stay.
We chose to stay in the Koukaki neighbourhood because of it’s proximity to everything we wanted to see. You could spend months exploring Greece, but we had already decided we weren’t going to push ourselves at this stage of the trip, so we chose to stay in Athens, and take in sites that were within walking distance. Our first stop was to explore the Acropolis which is an ancient citadel perched on top of a rocky outcrop overlooking the city of Athens. It is the location of many important archeological sites, most notably the Parthenon, which was built in the 5th century BCE; although it is believed that people lived on this site as far back as the Neolithic Era. The parks and gardens surrounding the base of the Acropolis are amazing, and we spend hours walking through the trails and exploring everything it had to offer. Once you get into the Acropolis there is lots to see, but be prepared for the crowds. It’s one of the most visited sites in Greece, but it’s also a must-see destination if you’re in the city. The temples, buildings and ruins are remarkable, and a testament to a great civilization.
Walking around the Acropolis you’ll run into all sorts of interesting places like the Prison of Socrates, or the Theater of Dionysus, and we were pleasantly surprised that we were free to explore without ever being bothered by buskers, or aggressive salesmen like you typically find in tourist areas. I had the feeling that Greece would be a great place to spend time in anonymity, with no pressure or expectations, just enjoyment of life.
The following day we went to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Construction on this temple originally began in the 6th century BCE, but wasn’t completed for another 638 years. At one time it held the largest cult statue in the ancient world. The remaining marble columns are unbelievably impressive, and once the temple was fully constructed it must have been an amazing sight. The grounds are beautiful, and I found myself really appreciating how the modern growth of Athens has respected and preserved the ancient antiquities. It’s truly a beautiful city to explore.
From the temple we walked a few blocks over the visit the Panathenaic Stadium. The site was originally built as a racecourse in the 6th century BCE, and has been updated and modernized over the centuries. It is now the largest marble stadium in the world, and continues to play host to international sporting events. You can explore the tunnels under the stadium where the athletes would enter onto the field, and see an exhibit of the different torches from past Olympics.
If we had gone to Greece earlier in our trip I would have spend a lot more time exploring the country and focusing on museums and historical sites, but the real purpose of our stay was to recuperate from our long journey before starting the travel home. We did a lot of walking around and ended up making our way to Monastiraki Sqaure. There is a lot of little shops and cafes all around the area, and you’ll walk through some beautiful old neighbourhoods to get there. The sidewalks are lined with orange trees, that are often referred to as the bouquet of Athens for the sweet perfumed smell they emit; and the views around the city are just simply spectacular. Just south of Monastiraki Square is an outdoor flea market that extends for several blocks. It was incredible to see so many people selling anything and everything from small storage bays, trunks of cars, and the backs of trucks. It’s a very gritty part of town, but a really cool area to witness daily life for a brief moment in time.
During one of our walks we happened upon the Tower of the Winds. It’s a unique, octagonal structure, that is believed to be the worlds first meteorological station. Thought to have been build in 50 BCE, it contains sundials, a water clock and a wind vane, which was pretty advanced technology at the time. I found it really amazing how you can walk through the neighbourhoods and randomly come across some historical site or monument. I think the casual mix of the modern and ancient is what really appealed to me, and why I found this such a cool city to explore.
It’s very easy for me to see why Greece is such a popular place to visit. The weather, food, culture and history make this a wonderful place to spend time. I know I need to come back to explore some of the islands and further up the coast, but our time in Athens was pure relaxation. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
As a final footnote, I have to say that I found Greece to be a surprisingly economical country to visit. Food, transportation and accommodations were all very affordable, but that was about to change with our final destination on our month long trip. Next stop, London!