Aegina, Saronic Gulf Islands, Greece
Saturday, June 27, 2009
First off, I cannot believe how close
Aegina is to both Salamos and
Athens! All this time, when reading Herodotus's Histories, I had always envisioned it as being so much further! It feels good to be out of Athens (I love Athens, but I hate the traffic, congestion, and pollution). I arrived in the quaint Hora (Χώρα), which seems to be the name of every large town on any of the islands, I made my way to the bus station in order to catch a ride to the Temple of Aphaia. The drive was scenic, but the temple takes your breath away. Majestically preserved, the Temple of Aphaia offers a unique perspective of the (ancient) Greek world. Perched high up the mountain side, one can see in all directions:
Athens, Salamos, the Peloponnesus,
Megara. It really brings home just how close all these rival
poleis (city-states) were. Truly fantastic.
