But its Greek Dust

The Acropolis has been this beacon atop Athens, there but just out of reach. The activities we enjoyed before the cruise with Jeanne, Victor, and their family took us to the grounds and certainly to the Odeon for the spectacular Charles Lloyd-Maria Farantouri concert, but we never made it to the top of the hill. Well, today we saw and we conquered.

We did everything Rick Steves tells people not to do as a tourist: go during peak times when all the tours are there, go during the middle of the day in the heat, etc., but it all worked out OK.

We did everything Rick Steves tells people not to do as a tourist: go during peak times when all the tours are there, go during the middle of the day in the heat, etc., but it all worked out OK. Sleeping in felt so good that getting to the Acropolis when they opened at 8AM wasn’t going to happen, so we were there with the cruise ships and the crowds, and we all walked in front of each other’s cameras and listened in on the paid tour guides’ spiels. I have to say I saw more iPhones, cell phones and tablets than I saw actual cameras.

We took the Metro to Syntagma Square and changed trains to Acropoli, which deposited us right at the entrance. We walked past the Amphitheater of Dionysus and the remains of a temple to Asklepios, and to the Odeon to take some daytime shots. There was a sound check happening so some lucky souls were going to have a great musical experience sometime later in the day. We were awed by The Propylaia, The Parthenon and The Erechtheion, especially the statues of the Caryatids, even though they are reproductions (we did get to see the originals at the Acropolis Museum, although not all of them: sticky fingered Lord Elgin absconded with the one that is in the British Museum, and there is also one in France.  I was especially interested in the placement of the pillars on the Parthenon. If followed in a straight line up to the heavens the lines would eventually intersect, as they are set ever so slightly leaning toward each other so as not to give the visual perception of sagging. It is supposedly also one of the reasons they have withstood so many earthquakes.

One would expect a national flag at the top of an historic site, so seeing an observation tower with the Greek flag was not surprising. Until, that is, one reads the story on the plaque. It is in Greek, but my Pocket Athens guidebook had a translation and some history.  When the Nazis occupied Athens they told a Greek soldier to remove the flag from this site on the Acropolis. He did, but then wrapped himself in the flag and jumped to his death in protest. This was supposedly the beginning of the Greek resistance. One night later in the occupation two young men snuck up to this site and removed the Nazi flag and replaced it with the Greek flag. Athenians saw the flag in the morning, thought that the occupation had ended and were celebrating in the streets. Nazis machine-gunned hundreds of innocent Athenians in retribution. So seeing the Greek flag atop the Acropolis and knowing its history is very moving.

We toured the Acropolis Museum, were able to see pediments of many temples along with the Caryatids, the relief of Nike adjusting her sandal, and a bronze of Medusa. The museum is beautiful and beautifully lit, with a fabulous view of the Acropolis from its café’s terrace. We had Sunday lunch there with tourists and many Greek families enjoying the day. We sat next to two Greek YaYas, not dressed in black but brightly colored summer frocks, having a lively conversation as they lunched on shrimp and rice dishes. We had salad with a white balsamic dressing and chickpeas with tomato, a delicious warm chickpea salad with minced sundried tomatoes, olive oil, rosemary and sea salt. Probably the best tasting chickpea dish I’ve ever had. Steve had a chocolate frozen soda for dessert, and I had ice cream. His drink tasted like thick frozen chocolate syrup.

We walked to the Agora from the museum along the pedestrian only (or mostly only) walkway lined with vendors, a flea market, and many, many restaurants with café tables lining the sidewalk. We used our multi-purpose ticket to gain entry (one admission fee provides access to all the sites with the exception of the museums), and wandered up to the Temple of Hephaistos, one of the best preserved of the temples in all of Athens. We wandered through the rebuilt Stoa, saw the site where the other Stoa once existed, and visited the Church of the Holy Apostles, once the Church of St. George. It has a fascinating depiction of what I first thought might be a painting of the stations of the cross, but showed different crucifixions and beheadings and I wondered if it possibly showed how some of the apostles were martyred. I need to do more research on that piece.

After a long day of walking amid dusty ruins we headed back to the Metro to return to the hotel. We’d only bought one-way tickets in the morning, which now required us to use a machine to purchase our return fares. There was a young guy, small, gypsy looking, hanging around the machine, begging for money and acting like he was crying and rubbing his stomach. He was lurching at the machine slot where the ticket and change would fall, trying to grab the change before the person buying the ticket could get to it. We were counting money trying to come up with exact change to avoid this but he just kept getting too close. I was yelling “NO!” at him by the end of the transaction, and we finally got our tickets as the police approached and he fled. I had heard stories of pickpockets and thieves, and the hotel clerk told us to mind our belongings on the Metro. Thus far we hadn’t had any issues. I had bought a “Pac Safe” bag, which was metal mesh reinforced so a strap or a pocket couldn’t be cut, and the flaps were both locked with small carabiners and closed under Velcro. I was glad to have it this day.
We made it back to the Hilton and stopped by the Executive Lounge for a glass of wine. I told Steve I felt all dusty and gross and needed a bath. His reply was, “But its Greek dust.” I took full advantage of the luxurious bathtub that evening, but noticed an interesting rash on my legs. An allergy to the bath gel? Well, we were heading home Monday so I’d deal with it then.

I downloaded the pictures from the day’s adventure and I automatically thought, “I can’t wait to show these to my Dad when we get home.” He lived and traveled vicariously through us. I realize that now he is seeing these sights with me in real time. But I still miss him.

Since our flight was early the next morning we decided to splurge on dinner at the Hilton’s rooftop restaurant The Galaxy, with stunning views of the Acropolis and the sunset. We sat outdoors on this warm and beautiful evening and enjoyed cold cocktails and a cheese dish that we cooked ourselves on a sizzling lava stone. I opted for a pasta dish with seafood, baby clams, and sea urchin eggs, in a lemon, chive, and fennel sauce. I had a really good food day because this dish was right up there with some of the best things I’ve eaten. Ever. That says a lot for a hotel restaurant.
Early flight, so off to bed.