Hot Summer in the City

Our arrival in Athens was quite a shock to the system after our relaxing and tranquil times on the Grecian islands. We rode on the relatively new metro (built of the Olympics in 2004) from the port into the center of town. According to both our guide books, Athens is known for its dirt and grime. In 1990 it was the most polluted city in all of Europe, mostly because of its uncontrollable urban growth over the past 150 years. I was surprised to learn that a short time ago Athens was a quaint town of a few thousand and has now exploded to a bustling population of 4 million!

Acropolis at night

Yesterday afternoon we attempted to squeeze in a visit at the National Archaeological Museum, but alas, we arrived after hours. Instead we wandered around the Plaka and Monastiraki neighborhoods and admired the beautifully lit acropolis from afar. We also swung by the edge of Parliament and Syntagma Square to see all the protestors camped out and chanting with signs to demand governmental change. While not violent by any means, the tension was as thick as the humidity in the air.

Parliament with all its protestors

Protest signs showing police brutality

Today, we tried to get an early start to beat the heat and the tourist crowds. We started with a tour of Ancient Agora, the original town center of Athens. Then we hiked up the hill to the giant plateau that towers over Athens to take in the incredible and inspiring Parthenon, Propylaea, Mars Hill, Theater of Herodes Atticus, Temple of Athena Nike, among others. Covered in sweat, dust and a little tired of all the tour groups, we made our way back to our hotel to take a shower and process everything from all the ancient ruins.

The Parthenon

Theater of Herodes still hosts performances

We spent the afternoon at the National Archaeological Museum, taking in the amazing artifacts dating back to prehistoric times through the roman era. It was amazing to see how intricate the art work; especially the sculptures were, even thousands of years before the birth of Christ. We were especially impressed with the Mycenaean mask of Agamemnon (not really, but that's how they refer to it) and the beautiful frescos recovered from the Minoan village of Akrotiri on Santorini.

my best mask of Agamemnon impression

Jon with Zeus or Poseidon, he's either about the throw a trident or thunderbolt (found in a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea)

 

children boxing from Akrotiri

Overall impressions of Athens have left us inspired at some moments and uncomfortable at others. Tomorrow we have a crazy day of travel, we fly to Berlin, hop on a bus to Prague, and then check out our rental car to head to Kroměříž for the wedding!