Spring in Athens isn’t the best time to visit as the weather can be a little unpredictable. The forecast was for rain, wind and snow but to our surprise, the Athenian gods decided otherwise. Yes, the first day was a brass monkey day, but on the followings days, the sun shone on us with a warm 20 degrees C, except for the last day which just sprinkled enough to blot out the chance of sun.
Fabian just loves history and me too, so we headed off to the ruins of the Roman empire and the birth of Democracy. Anotherdaymeandering adventures in three different ways, house and pet assignments, caravan camping and road trips with the caravan in storage. This little trip was the latter, a road trip to Athens to see the famous Acropolis and the ancient city of Agora.
We rented a furnished apartment in Marni Street, just a short walk to the city centre for a reasonable fifty euros a night. The apartment was just opposite the Ministry of health so we were entertained by a number of Covid demonstrations most evenings. The Greek government’s Covid restrictions were extremely limiting for local businesses. We were fully vaccinated but didn’t have the booster yet so were refused entry to some establishments, luckily not all.
Acropolis
The Acropolis is an ancient citadel on top of a rocky hill within the city of Athens. We got a little lost on the way there and after a few turns and helpful advice we found It, really couldn’t miss it. Cost to enter, ten euros each (doubles to 20 in the tourist season). Looking up at such a historic site with those high walls made us think about how the hell could anyone get up there to attack them. Just to show you how powerful the Roman empire was back then let’s look at a map courtesy of Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire).
Propylaea (Acropolis of Athens)
The Propylaea is the gateway or entrance to the Acropolis. it was constructed in white and grey marble which no one is allowed to touch. Gentle reminders from the attendants “don’t touch the marble”. It’s a bit of a climb up to the Propylaea and lots of steps but what a great view over the city.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is the largest and most imposing building. It was built in the fifth century BC by Pericles, a Greek politician and general, during the golden age as a temple to the Goddess Athena the Goddess of reason, wisdom, intelligence, skill, peace, warfare, battle strategy, and handicrafts. What a mouth full. According to most traditions, she was born from Zeus’s forehead, fully formed and armoured. Just love Greek myths.
For a time it became a treasury and then in the 6th century AD, would you believe it, a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. As the site moved from Greek to Roman to Ottoman control it changed again to a Mosque in the mid-1400. In the late 1400s, it became an ammunitions dump and was badly damaged by the Venetian bombardment during the siege of Acropolis. The building is presently under reconstruction. Spot the crane inside.
The Old Temple of Athena
Yes, pre-Pantheon, this old temple was built 525-500 BC. This can be confusing. Prior to the present-day Pantheon, shown above, there was an older one built inside it. So this goddess Athena was well worshipped to have so many temples named after her. The temple below is said to have been rebuilt again by Pericles… busy man. Yes, I’m confused too… but regardless of which came first or after or whatever they are such beautiful structures from a bygone age and I’m amazed at the engineering and precision and and and…
Temple of Athena Nike
This temple is dedicated to the Goddess Athena and Nike. Athena, we know about. So as the myth goes Nike (no not the sportspeople) was the goddess who personified victory in any field including art, music, war, and athletics. She is often portrayed in Greek art as a Winged Victory in the motion of flight, however, she can also appear without wings as a “Wingless Victory”.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
This building was completed in AD 161 and then renovated in 1950. It was built by guess who? Yes, Herodes Atticus and dedicated to his wife Aspasia Annia Regilla. After the building was restored many famous singers and musicians played here including Frank Sinatra, Sting, Elton John to name a few. Famous opera tenors such as Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti also performed here. Would have been quite a show.
Athens Central Markets
Always been interested in the markets and these Athens markets go way back to 1886. If you want to find out what the locals eat then this is the place to visit. Yes, you have all the ancient monuments but the food is always a highlight of your trip, right! Central Market, known to locals as Varvakios (or Varvakeios) or Dimotiki Agora, is located on Athinas street, right between Monastiraki and Omonoia squares. Our apartment was very central and only a ten minute walk from there. Check how they display the fish standing up.
So we got hungry and decide to try the local restaurant and rest a while. Did you know that we walked an average of some six hours a day, eighteen hours over our three days in Athens? Take an average walking speed of 4kms/hr that’s 54kms, amazing eh!. Mind you when busy with History and food time just flies. So back to the food, the restaurant was inside the markets and we were told by our waiter that all the seafood is freshly bought each day and served up.
Monastiraki
From the Acropolis walk down on the northern side to the district of Monastiraki where you can pick up the metro if required or simply tour the flea markets or feed your face with the biggest juiciest strawberries. Old ancient sites are scattered everywhere in this area where we also found the remains of Hadrian’s Library& cultural complex, constructed in 132 CE by the emperor Hadrian.
https://www.thisisathens.org/neighbourhoods/monastiraki-psirri-guide
The Ancient Agora
you get a great view of this ancient place looking down from the Acropolis. It was built for the people of Ancient Athens to meet, bond and deliberate on the issues of the day, hence the use of the word “agora”, which means to congregate. Here you will find a court of law, gymnasium, temples and “stoas” (stoas is an undergarment in ancient Greece but later linked to represent market buildings) or as Fabian said stoa… like store. Councils were formed here where various tribes meet, planting ideals of citizenship, consciousness in the foundations of democracy.
Temple of Hephaestus (circa. 460 – 415 BC)
Yes, another temple, this one was built to honour the goddess Hephaestus the patron of metal workers and Athena Ergane, the patroness of potters and crafts in general, it was built around the same time as the Parthenon. It is said to be the best-preserved temple of its type in Greece. Definitely very impressive up close. Initially, a temple but then as the years floated by it became a protestant church, a hall for visiting Royalty and finally a museum up until very recently (in the last fifty years I think).
Stoa of Attalos (159 – 138 BC)
The Stoa of Attalos has been beautifully restored in 1953-56 and surprisingly by the American School of private studies with financial support from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. This is where the ancient Athenians met to complete business. And did you know it was the first-ever shopping mall, yes a shopping mall with some 42 shop spaces over the two levels? The original building was destroyed in 267 AD by the invading Herulians. Today it is a beautiful building and probably the most impressive to us, well maybe not, the Parthenon was hard to beat.
Panathenaic Stadium
The first stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman, c. 330 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games at that time. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus (you will remember him from the shopping mall), a Roman senator. By 144 AD it had a capacity of 50,000 seats. After the rise of Christianity in the 4th century it was largely abandoned.
The modern-day stadium was excavated in 1869 and hosted the Zappas Olympics in 1870 and 1875. After being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896 and was the venue for four of the nine contested sports. It was used for various purposes in the 20th century and was once again used as an Olympic venue in 2004. It is the finishing point for the annual Athens Classic Marathon (which I just missed). It is also the last venue in Greece from where the Olympic flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place.
As you can see our visit was a little hazy, but we have no control over the weather, do we?
