We Hit All The Athens Highlights
Trip Start
Feb 04, 2001
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3
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Trip End
Feb 15, 2001
Athens, Greece
Tuesday, February 6, 2001
We headed downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was included in the price of the room. I was expecting the usual toast and coffee layout, but this turned out to be entirely different. There were a variety of breads, several types of fruit, different varieties of yogurt, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Best of all, it was a buffet setup, which meant that we could eat all we wanted to eat. We filled up in anticipation of our busy day.
We set off at about 8 a.m for the Acropolis. We slowly climbed Plaka's streets on the way to the foot of the Acropolis. The amazing thing was the total lack of noise in the area that early in the morning. We both wondered if we were really in a capital city, given the total lack of noise.
It’s tough to think of Athens without thinking of the Acropolis (much less think of visiting Athens without visiting the Acropolis). The white marble buildings on the top of this rock have been held up as some of the highest expressions of man’s artistic and architectural creativity. Given the importance that these buildings have in the role of human civilization, I was expecting my visit to the site to be a tremendous emotional experience. Actually, the experience is much like the Acropolis itself: a little rough around the edges, but still impressive.
We arrived at the Acropolis ticket office just after it opened. We were pretty sure that the site was open, but the staff was acting like it wasn’t open yet. All of the windows were closed, and the staff was at the back of the booth talking amongst themselves. Then, another couple of tourists arrived and marched right up to the ticket window. One of the staff members then opened his window to sell them a ticket. Right after they departed, the staff member closed his window. We now knew the game that was being played. We marched up to the window. The staff member opened his window and sold us two tickets. We felt a small sense of accomplishment having mastered the art of purchasing tickets at a Greek attraction.
Our reward for deducing the ticket purchasing procedures was a hike up the slope of the Acropolis. The Greeks do a good job of making it seem like a peaceful stroll when one first starts on the trail. The lower part of the trail winds its way through a grove of olive trees, which lend an air of walking through a forest. However, it doesn’t take long before the arid reality of Greece takes over, and one is left walking on a steep, dusty trail. The only benefit on this part of the hike is that one does get some tremendous views of the Odeon of Herod Agrippa and the Odeon of Dionysis, which are built against the south slopes of the Acropolis.
It was only about a 10 minute climb to the ticket office at the foot of the Acropolis. We bought our tickets and proceeded to climb the steps to the Acropolis. Just before we crossed the Prophyla, a man sitting on the steps asked us a question in Greek. When it became clear that we didn’t speak Greek, he asked us if we wanted a guide for the Acropolis. We declined his offer. That sent him off into a tirade about how we wouldn’t understand what we were looking at, and that our trip up there would be a waste because we were ignorant of the Acropolis’ splendors. I wanted to tell him that I had read several books on the Acropolis’ treasures, and had a guide book with me which detailed all the features of the remaining temples. Instead, we just repeated that we appreciated the offer but would go it alone. However I was starting to get irritated with this Greek tendency to be pushy sellers. Fortunately, it was our only such confrontation at the Acropolis. However, I’m sure that someone going during either later in the day or during the tourist season would be accosted by many other guides. It’s something to keep in mind as one prepares to tour the Acropolis.
The Prophylaia isn’t much to look at. While there is some hint of its past glory, it is the most damaged of the four main remaining monuments on the Acropolis. However, the Prophylaia does still serve its original function. There is a point when one is just about to finish walking through it that one can imagine the star covered ceiling and the grandeurs that exist just beyond its doors.
It is breathtaking to view the Parthenon just after departing the Prophylaia. Yes, it is a shell of its former self. But, it is still very clear that it is an incredibly beautiful and powerful building. While we weren’t able to walk through it (all of the Acropolis’ buildings are roped off with the exception of the main passage through the Prophylaia), we could still feel the sense of awe that must’ve been felt by the pilgrims that visited this holy sight. We could also see some of the architectural adjustments for which the Parthenon is famous, like the pillars being fatter at the bottom than at the top to maintain perspective. While it was exciting to finally be able to see some of these architectural innovations, it was also sad to see this building. Standing up close to it only heightens the impression of how much has been lost. The slots that held the metropes are mostly empty, as are the scalia at the entrances. Of course, the frieze is entirely gone as are a few columns. Given the parts that are missing, one can barely imagine the complete beauty of this structure. Still, the sense of history and the artistic embellishments that remain are enough to put a visitor in a state of awe.
I actually was somewhat more impressed with the Erechtheion than I was with the Parthenon. I suppose that some of my impression stemmed from my preference of the Ionic style over the Doric style. However, one can’t look at the Caryatids and not be impressed with the grace, innovation, and style of the building. I spent about twenty minutes walking around the building and admiring its features. However, I did wonder why it, along with the other building on the Acropolis, hasn’t been entirely rebuild. After all, the Caryatids and other portions of the building are recreations. So, why not rebuild the entire structure so that people could get a true appreciation for the genius of the Ancient Athenians?
We walked to the east end of the Acropolis where the Acropolis Museum resides. There is no extra charge to enter the museum. I was afraid that there wouldn’t be much here after the countless raids on the Acropolis’ treasures. Fortunately, there is still a lot here to see. The exhibits are laid out in the chronological order that the Acropolis was developed. Thus, the viewer is given a real sense of the evolution of Greek art. The high point of the tour is at the end, when one gets to see the actual Caryatids. I actually thought that it might be better to tour the museum first before examining the buildings. However, the Acropolis Museum is something that must be toured regardless of when that tour fits on the itinerary.
After leaving the Acropolis Museum, we walked along the south side of the Parthenon. By now, there were several tour groups on the Acropolis being herded around by guides. The crowds were starting to detract from the atmosphere of the site. So, we proceeded around the Parthenon, walked back through the Prophyla (but not before stopping and watching an archeologist perform some restoration work) and headed down the hill.
We both felt that visiting the Acropolis was something tremendously special. I think part of the reason for our feelings came from the time that we visited. We arrived finished our climb to the Acropolis’ summit early in the morning. The sun was just barely over the crest of the Parthenon, thus giving it a radiant glow. There were about 20 other tourist on the hill at the time, which were augmented by about 75 archeologists and construction workers. The lack of people and the early morning sunlight made the site feel more mystic than is probably usual. Still, one shouldn't wait for a lack of crowds before visiting the Acropolis. It was definitely one attraction that lived up to the hype.
We spend an hour marveling at the Acropolis’ architecture and art. We then began our decent to the Ancient Agora. Along the way, we made a slight detour to climb Aerophagus Hill. Aerophagus Hill is noted as being one of the places where St. Paul preached while he was in Athens. The hill is not very big, maybe 100 feet at best. However, it is VERY slippery. 5,000 years of people trudging up and down the hill have made it as smooth as glass. Add a little water from a rainfall or even the morning dew, and you have a climb that is not without challenge. I should stress that you won’t need gear to make the climb. But, you will need a good set of shoes and decent agility (although even those things might not be necessary. We saw a woman with a cane climbing the hill on her hands and knees). However, the climb was worth it, simply for the views of the Acropolis and Athens. Climbing Aerophagus Hill is something a visitor should do in order to feel as though one is part of the history that has occurred on the hill. However, such a climb should be done carefully.
I thought it might be something of a letdown to visit the Ancient Agora after visiting the Acropolis. One’s impressions aren’t dispelled after seeing all the rubble in the area. But, with a good map, a decent imagination, and a strong sense of history, the Agora was as interesting as the Acropolis.
We descended from the heights of the Acropolis and Areopagus Hill to the small valley where the Ancient Agora sits. It was still rather early in the morning (about 9:30 a.m.), so there weren’t many tourists about. We approached the south entrance ticket office to purchase our tickets. As we continued to descend, I realized that we were walking along the famous Panathenaic Way. I started feeling awed that I was walking on the same path that Socrates, Plato, and St. Paul had walked. I love it when I get the opportunity to intersect with history. However, it is not usually as intense as that which I felt in Athens. I suppose that being part of a few thousand years of history will do that to a person.
We were ready to use the ticket buying knowledge that we had obtained at the Acropolis, but it turned out that we didn’t need it. There was no one else in line, and the ticket agent seemed to be watching for new customers. We quickly purchased our tickets and entered the site. Just a few feet from the south entrance is the most modern building in the Agora: The Church of the Holy Apostles. The church, which was built in the Eleventh Century, was deconsecrated about 50 years ago. At the same time, archeologists restored the building to its original grandeur. We were the only people in the church when we visited. The absence of other tourists allowed me to lie on the floor to get a picture of the magnificent fresco of Christ in the center dome. We also took time to look at the other icon-like frescos decorating the wall. I particularly enjoyed the picture of the angel with the knowing smile just inside the church’s main door. All in all, the building was a wonderful place to get a basic understanding of a Byzantine church’s art and architecture.
We walked out of the church and headed west to the second of the three standing structures in the Agora: the Temple of Hephaistos. Along the way, we walked past a whole lot of rubble. We could make out the outline of the foundations of several buildings. But, even these were partially covered over by the new weeds that were sprouting up on the site in anticipation of Spring. I’m sure that some would just pass right through all this rubble to the Temple. But, there’s so much history here that it is irresistible to take a moment to figure out what one’s seeing. We were fortunate to have Lonely Planet, which does a good job of making some sense of the stone piles. However, the Agora’s administrators could assist the process by placing better descriptions at each of the ruins. Even with the inadequate signage, it is still a thrill to be standing in front of the New Bouleuterion, where Pericles argued for his plans. Realizations like this are a good reason why one should have a detailed map of the area.
There is no ambiguity when viewing the Temple of Hephaistos. It’s one of the few temples (if not the only temple) which has survived the centuries intact. Even the frieze has survived in its original position in a remarkably complete condition. As a result, it is a favorite spot for tourists and archeologists to view. As with virtually all of the ruins, visitors are not allowed inside the temple. However, one can see enough from the outside to get a good understanding of the form and function of a Greek temple.
We walked down the small hill where the Temple of Hephaistos sits and proceeded east to the last intact structure in the Agora: the Stoa of Attalos. The Stoa was rebuilt by archeologist in the 1950s to serve as the Agora’s museum. However, its presence just raises the question of why the rest of the Agora isn’t rebuilt. The question really becomes pressing when one sees the ruins of the Odeon of Agrippa. The Odeon’s ruins are highlighted by four large statues of giants and tritons at (what use to be) the entrance to the building. While it is true that this is a Roman building and not a Greek one, its reconstructed presence on the site would give the tourist a better understanding of the magnificent structures that once populated the Agora. I suppose that money is the main reason why these structures are not reconstructed. Still, it would be nice if reconstruction were made a priority.
The value of reconstruction is seen at the Stoa of Attalos. This massive building was Classic Athens’ version of a shopping mall. Today, it houses various artifacts found in the Agora. One cannot wander through its rooms and not feel the presence of the Ancient Greeks. I know that the exhibits helped (which are interesting, but are nothing that can’t be seen in the various other museums around Greece). But, the presence of the building just lent a reality to the site that the ruins couldn’t convey.
We spent about a thirty minutes looking at the exhibits in the Stoa. We then made our way through the lovely gardens just outside the Stoa to the north exit. What was amazing was how quickly one goes from the relative quiet of the Agora to the noise and congestion that is modern Athens. It was then that we realized what a special place that the Agora is. While that preciousness could only be enhanced by further reconstruction of the site, it is worth visiting now in order to bask in the presence of history and to obtain a better understanding of the lifestyle of the Ancient Greeks.
We spent about an hour examining the various ruins of the Ancient Agora. After finishing our tour, we headed back to the hotel for a brief rest and to plot out the afternoon’s activities. We departed just a little after noon. The plan for the afternoon was to follow the Athens walking guide detailed in our Lonely Planet guide.
Since the walk begins at Syntagma Square, we walked through the Plaka to the square. Syntagma Square is the location of Greece’s Parliament building, which use to be the former royal palace. It is also the sight of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This tomb is guarded by the famous Evzones. They are not famous for any particular action they’ve done. Instead, they are famous for their attire. While I’m sure that their uniform has great symbolic significance to the Greeks, to an uninformed Westerner (or ugly American like myself), it looks like a man is wearing a short dress, white tights, and wooden shoes adorned with pom-poms over the shoe’s top. While one might be tempted to tease the "manliness" of these soldiers, their guns provide a strong deterrent from taking this action. Instead, we camped ourselves across the street from the Tomb and took pictures of the Evzones marching around the tomb.
Eventually, Athens’ abundance of concrete does begin to wear on a person. What makes matters worse is that the area around Athens is naturally arid (just look at the surrounding hills when visiting the Acropolis and see if I’m not telling the truth). The ground is so rocky and dry that it doesn’t appear that anything could grow there. Fortunately, Athens proves that it is indeed a civilized place by having two wonderful oases in which to relax: the National Gardens and the Zappion Gardens.
The National Gardens are immediately south of the Parliament building and catty corner from Syntagma Square. These gardens are not the true formal gardens that can be found in England and France. Instead, they are a collection of trees and flowers that almost emulate a jungle setting. I don’t mean to imply that they are overgrown. I simply mean that they are densely planted, thereby giving the impression of being overgrown. There is also a small zoo with a few animals in one corner of the park, and a couple of ponds with an abundance of ducks.
The Zappion Gardens, which are immediately south of the National Gardens, are much more formal. In fact, there is more concrete than lawn at the Zappion. There is a rather large road that passes through the heart of the gardens from Amalias Street to Koumbari Street. The good news is that the road is closed to vehicles, so the road is filled with walkers. Making the walk even more pleasant is that the road (as are all roads in the Zappion) is tree lined. There are even benches along side the trees so that one can sit and watch the world go by. However, there’s enough in the park to see that sitting doesn’t seem like much of an option unless you are tired or not a tourist. The main site to see is the Zappion building. While it is an impressive building, we could never figure out for what it is used. Lonely Planet says that it is now used for some government offices. We did see a couple of armed guards patrolling the front steps. When Dianne tried to get a peek inside, one of the guards made it clear that she could only enter up to a point and then had to turn back. Our experience taught us that it’s probably better to view the Zappion building from the outside. I will also mention that we walked through the Zappion gardens at about 9 p.m. and found them to be a perfectly safe place to traverse, although I was a bit more comfortable strolling around the Plaka at night than I was strolling through the Zappion (too many shadowy places to hide in the Zappion).
All in all, the gardens were a wonderful place to take a break from the urban grind that is Athens. After finishing there, we crossed the street again to Syntagma Square. We decided to check out the new subway station that was built below the square. Now, we’ve been in quite a few subway stations. But, we hadn’t seen one as incredible as this one. The flooring and walls were in various colors of marble. Shiny stainless steel banisters and support beams could be seen in many places. However, the most impressive feature was the wall of artifacts. Construction workers creating the new station found several artifacts from the golden age of Athens. Many of these were put in display cases within the subway station. However, the architects decided to put a glass wall in front of one deposit of relics. The result is a fascinating look at a cross section of Athens history. There are graves (with a couple of skeletons still in them), old sewer lines, and a few pieces of pottery to be seen by the tourist. It’s a great way to remind the tourist as they use the subway station that this area has been tread upon for a long time. The Syntagma subway station is a must visit for any tourist, even if you are not trying to catch the subway.
We exited the station and proceeded to the western edge of the Plaka. The area around Syntagma Square is filled with mid-rise (five to ten story) buildings. However, they slowly disappear as one proceeds deeper into the Plaka. The buildings begin topping out at five stories, with most buildings at three stories. By the time we had reached the pedestrian mall (or as close to a pedestrian mall that there is in Athens) of Kymathedian, we had emerged into an area that was a pleasant mix of residential and commercial structures. Since many of these businesses housed restaurants, it didn’t take long for us to get hungry. Unfortunately, if we even glanced in the direction of some of these restaurants, we would be set upon by a tout that would strongly encourage us to enter. I was getting very tired of being hustled by (what seemed like) every Greek that was trying to sell something. Instead of getting angry, we just strolled down a street that didn’t seem as crowded with touts. We found ourselves at a quiet restaurant at 4 Farmaki called Trattoria. What a find this turned out to be. We ended up ordering the special for two, which was two Greek Salads, a medium pizza, and two big slices of baklava. The cost for this meal was 5,800 drachma. The water cost 360 drachma per glass and the basket of bread was 180 drachma. While it wasn’t particularly inexpensive, it was very delicious and filling (we actually took part of the pizza and most of the baklava back to the hotel). Plus, the setting just outside the restaurant was an especially relaxing location to enjoy the meal. But, the best part of all was that we weren’t pushed into buying anything! That alone would earn Trattoria a recommendation. But, the food also makes Trattoria a place to visit.
Feeling fully refreshed by our late lunch, we continued with the rest of the tour. I highly recommend the tour outlined in the Lonely Planet. It lays out a wonderful path that gives the tourist a chance to truly experience the uniqueness of the Plaka. I didn’t realize how interesting the walk was until we got to the Anafila neighborhood of the Plaka. The Anafila, which is the highest part of the Plaka, nestles up against the north east base of the Acropolis. What’s amazing about this area is that the streets become little more than pathways for people to walk single file. It honestly felt like we were walking through someone’s backyard (which I still suspect we were). It’s tough to find a more neighborhood feel than you get in the Anafila. We were very glad that Lonely Planet had pointed out this wonderfully unique neighborhood.
We finished the walking tour at the Athens Cathedral. Since there are a number of shops around the cathedral, we went inside of some of them to do a little souvenir shopping. After about an hour of this activity, we succumbed to jet lag and our exhaustion from so much walking. We trudged back to the hotel, watched CNN for an hour, and went to bed.
