Athens: A sprawling city where over half of Greece's citizens call home. The birthplace of democracy and armchair philosophers. The land of temples which Las Vegas pays millions of dollars to try and replicate; the "real deal"... Yet somehow all of it was sort of anticlimactic.
Nearly every site I visited was either in need of restoration, in the middle of restoration, or way beyond the help of restoration work. Parts of some of the temples were so far gone that remodeled fakes were installed with the real pieces tucked away inside museums. If you're looking to visit all of the ancient ruins of Athens, then don't stay more than two days. Anything longer and you'd feel like you're wasting your time.
I arrived at my first hotel, Hera Hotel, at around 5:00 PM. Very nice entrance, but the rooms were a bit cramped. After dropping off my luggage, I grabbed my camera gear and cut through the line of restaurants in Plaka to see the Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The Arch of Hadrian sits right on the edge of a main street, which was sort of neat to see old-and-new zoom by. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, on the other hand, was completely lackluster. Probably 8 or so pillars remained standing, with one toppled over on the ground. The site was completely caged off from tourists in order to preserve whatever was left over. From there I crossed the street and took a stroll through the National Gardens. After about 30 minutes of walking through the peaceful greenery and snapping a few photos of the Zappeion, I head to Syntagma Square. The Square was bustling with street vendors, food carts and a beautiful fountain with changing lights. After a late night snack from Falafellas in Monastiraki, I called it a night.
The next day I relocated to the Olympic Hotel. This hotel was amazing! You walk in to a grand lobby with a beautiful statute in the middle. Comfy couches, coffee tables with detail carvings and friendly staff guided me to the Reception desk. Even better, I was given a complimentary upgrade to the Panoramic View room which directly faced the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The night lighting made it look amazing.
The majority of the sites to visit in Athens can be found at the Acropolis of Athens. The Acropolis includes sites such as the Parthenon, Erechtheum, Temple of Athena Nike, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus. Try to come early, preferably around the time it opens, as large crowds and school field trips tend to trickle in just before noon. The Acropolis sits on a hilltop right in the middle of the city, and you would think it would require a long, strenuous hike to get there. But realistically its no sweat. A short hike up a slightly inclined hill and no more than 50 steps and you were at the top. Also, before going I had read recommendations on TripAdvisor to get tickets at the less-crowded south entrance. Unfortunately the ticket booth there was only accepting cash, so I ended up having to get my tickets at the main entrance which was half way up the Acropolis. Lines weren't that bad; about a 10 minute wait. The Acropolis gave a great 360 view of the city and put into perspective just how large the city really is.
From there I made my way over to Socrates' Prison. A local arts class was practicing a play and so I got a chance to walk inside the damp, dark dungeon. No photos though, the art classes teacher informed me. From the top of that Hill gave a great view of the Acropolis and all the way out to the sea. From there I swung over to the Ancient Agora of Athens. I rushed through it to go see Adrian's Library. Anticlimactic, again. Only 3 standing walls remained and the rest was up to my imagination of what the Library must have been. I figured it was time to replace my disappointment with some food. Thansis Kebab Restaurant in Monastiraki Square made up for it. Gyro quality was great.
Eventually I made my way over to Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held. You'll definitely get your steps in climbing the large stone stadium.
I had an early morning flight out the next day, and rather than camping out waiting for sunset, I opted to take advantage of the upgraded room and prepare for the next leg of my journey: Istanbul.
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