Tuesday April 16. Acropolis

Both Mike and I wide awake at 2:45 AM.
Thought we'd try to sleep just a few minutes more.
You know what happens.
Next thing I know, Mike's waking me up, Sara it's almost 11 AM!

Our aim is to acclimate to a later time structure. Not the normal 6:30AM up and at'em in Florida.

Well, evidently we have!

View from breakfast, our little personal balcony table, and an elevator shot.

Headed to the Acropolis right after breakfast. We were there, atop the Acropolis, for almost 3 hours. That's the way to see it.

This was what we both wanted to see most in Athens, so why wait? This is what everyone knows about Athens, right? For 2,500 years the Parthenon and fellow buildings atop the Acropolis have awed visitors. That's the purpose.

Reading Mary Beard's book The Parthenon, she writes that Winston Churchill wasn't impressed when he visited, 100 years ago. I can see why. He (England) had probably just lost that war w the Turks, and he was not in great physical shape, and I bet he wasn't wearing well-cushioned sneakers.

It is a hike uphill, very do-able. The marble pathway is rocky and slippery. So don't rush, enjoy the journey.

You start up a very un-pretentious path with olive trees around you and above you. Bright red poppies and white petite daisies as wildflowers along the path. A minimalist ticket booth, with 6 police men on motorbikes nearby. One water/snack stand. That's it.

Then up you walk. Past two large dogs, lying right on the marble path. These labs, mastiffs, german shepherds are tagged and well fed. Merchants, restaurants own them, they roam free, and protect their human providers. I am familiar with birds and even cats having the run of a city. Here, dogs too.




On the way up, a switchback path, you stop to peer over Odeon of Herodious. Nestled in the bottom of the Acropolis, it's being rennovated.











Enter through the Propylea. An entrance building.  The whole Acropolis is marble, looks like reddish marble. This Propylea is really steep steps up to a U-shaped building with columns. Sort of gets you ready for what lies beyond.

The north part of the Propylea becomes Hadrian's Column ( I think) which held a statue of the current ruler of Athens and whatever they were bragging about (war victory, Olympic games victory?)

 The south side also has the Temple of Athena Nike, which is Victorious Athena. Yes, these two parts of the Propylea told you right off as you ascended, Victory is here!

Okay, you go up and through. Just as Athenians did millenia ago in their parades. No hand rails.  Here's the view looking back towards the Propylea.  

Emerging out the back, the Parthenon. It is scaffolded on this near west side. The top of the Acropolis is quite large. I was surprised at the amount of land up there. Thousands of people could gather up there, I am certain. 

Walked (carefully) around the north side. Saw workers chiseling with electronic and by hand. They were etching an older marble piece to glue in a newer one. Quite the contrast of the new white marble with the aged, and atmosphere-afflicted older marble pieces. 

But it is impressive still. Mammoth. Just standing there, very confident. Overlooking, well, overlooking everything.

Majestic. Magnificent. If you didn't know it was an Important Building, you would still think it was.

And that's now, when it is half fallen down, and not painted. It was originally painted bright colors, and there of course were statues, friezes, those Elgin Marbles.

The view from the north west corner is my favorite. As you know, they used optical illusions to create the feeling of power and stability. The floors are slightly lower at each end. The columns are narrower at the top. The central columns are narrower all together than the end ones. Each column is 34 feet high, to give you perspective. And the rectangle, it's the golden mean. About 1 to 1.68 ratio.

The piedmont over the main east entrance showed the story of the birth of Athena. Zeus had a headache. He was at a banquet with all the main Greek Gods. To curve his headache, Hephaestos took his sword and and split Zeus's head open. Out sprang Athena. You do still see Dionysus, as a reclined figure to the left of the pediment. And a horse's head on the right.

I read that 1/3 of all Greeks live within view of the Acropolis. And that the 40 foot statue of Athena's bronze spear could be seen (2,500 years ago, they don't know where it is now) by ships entering the harbor. 

Really windy up there. 

The Karytids (you know that, the 6 columns that are women) are on a temple to Poseidon AND Athena. Showing the two live in harmony. 

An enormous, regal Greek flag. Nine stripes for the nine syllables in the Greek motto - Freedom or Death. 

Restoration is happening, slowly and carefully. Not alot of work happening at any given time. Hundreds of pieces of marble strewn on the ground. How do they ever decide what goes where?

Myceneans had a temple atop the Acropolis in 900 BC. You can see why. 

Descended, carefully. Mike climbed up Mars Hill, took a photo across back to the Acropolis. 

Greek grafiti.

Meandered back through Monastriki. Found a really good lunch spot, shaded and off the busy street. Will go there for dinner at least once. Hermion.

Had an Espresso Freddo, I was wanting one. Iced espresso. Mike had his Coke with no corn syrup. Delicious dessert of fig, honey and greek yogurt.

Dogs lying at foot of Syntagmy steps. 

On the way back to the hotel, stopped by a precious church. Elegance is everywhere, just when you least expect it.

It's been a good day in Athens. Heard about the Boston Marathon bombing. My heart aches. 

Kali sera!