Athens Part Deux

Our day in Athens started with a cold blustery wind that rivals that of March in the Yukon. Well, not quite that bad I guess but we were looking for any shelter from the wind we could find all day long.  Add to that mist, sprinkles, and pouring rain and you have a pretty good idea what we were determined to endure for our day here.

Just before 10 am we left the Apollo Hotel, a modest six story building wedged between Karaiskaki Square and several blocks of businesses in what used to be a very nice part of the city. Now, however, it is the neighborhood that houses a great majority of  the illegal immigrants that swarm Greece's borders, causing great concern for a country already lacking jobs for their own citizens and having one financial crisis after another. The area is safe enough, especially during the day. We have been cautioned not to wander off the main streets at night though.  This hotel is very clean and a bit on the sparce side. We have paid around $160 for 2 nights in a triple room (three twin beds) including breakfast. If you are looking for something affordable and friendly this is the place for you.

One block up from the Apollo at Karaiskaki Square we catch the HOHO bus and start our adventure to show Dominick as much of Athens as one day will allow. Because the weather is very iffy today the young man who sold us the 24hr ticket deducted the cost for Dominick which was E8. Our tickets were E18 each. We feel that for the cost of these HOHO buses it is well worth the price to get a good overview of your location. We have also done this in Rome and when you save your ticket you are given a 10% discount for all the other cities. We will use this discount in Rome and Barcelona and maybe in Funchal.

We get off at the Acropolis and head for the beginning of what will be well over 100 steps by the time we get to the top. First we need tickets, so off we go to the admissions booth. Because we are not from the European Union (EU for short) we pay the full price of E18 per person, however, Dominick is free. Yeah! They really believe in encouraging their young to become knowledgeable about art, history, and culture in general.  I wish that Dominick's teachers had been as enthusiastic as the teachers we have encountered here. And that we as a nation took as much interest in teaching our children about their history instead of the milktoast versions of "Social Studies" that are the norm these days.  Enough of the soap box, I digress.

The way is paved in marble and can be treacherous when wet. Even on this wet blustery day the place is packed with tour buses and individual groups from everywhere imaginable. One group in particular catches our attention since none appear to be younger than in their mid seventies. Most have canes, some have walkers and all seem to be wandering behind a tour guide using head phone sets to give her narrative so everyone can hear.  We are continually trying to avoid their movements since they have a hard time walking over the uneven ground. We have a hard time walking over the uneven terrain with the wind gusting and practically lifting us off the ground.

Although Athens is a bustling modern city, it still holds the Acropolis and all of its history high enough for everyone to remember where Democracy began.

The core of the city is built on a lofty hill with steep sides, providing excellent defenses. Protected by a ring of low hills and two rivers, Athens was far from isolated.

Very early in history, Athens gained attention for a strong sea trade and the wealth created by it. Commerce itself convinced the Athenians slavery was not profitable during the first centuries of its life. As a matter of fact escaped slaves found their way to Athens and were welcomed as a steady influx of labor.


Through Greek eyes, the unique traits of Athens created a special relationship with both Poseidon, god of the sea, and Athena, goddess of wisdom. Athena's owl was a frequently used symbol of Athenian coins and her olive tree, signifying peace and harmony, commonly appears on decorative works.

Technically dedicated to the goddess, Athens did not want to neglect the powerful god of the sea, which dominated their commerce. So they decided to perfectly combine tribute to the two by hedging their bets with the construction of the Erectheion on the Acropolis. Shrines to Poseidon and Athena share the same temple building.

The Acropolis is actually the mountain of marble where this temple and the Parthenon are constructed. We tend to refer to the Parthenon as the Acropolis. Greeks will be the first to correct you as they take their history very seriously and who can blame them. After all this monument can be directly related to our modern form of govenment.

We spend about an hour exploring this ruin. But the wind is chilling us to the bone and we must decend to try and find protection from it and the rain that started as fine mist and has turned into something a bit stronger but not yet actual rainfall.

Just as we finish our decent and we are making our way to the HOHO stop th bus comes. What timing! We are thankful not to have to wait, and gladly climb aboard for our short ride to the Plaka, which is the main shopping area for this part of the city. We spend a few hours walking thru and Dominick purchases a few mementos as gifts for those at home.  He is very selective to find just the right thing for each person and spend his money wisely. We stop for a nice lunch which consist of meatballs, rice, salad, what we call french fries, tziki with fresh pita , and a glass of house red that totals E20. A short walk and a cold wait and back on the bus to warm up before our next stop.
 
We stop next at the National Archaeological Museum to specifically show Dominick the collection of bronze knives, swords, and spear heads. It is quite impressive and we are impressed with the attention and interest he shows in all the exhibits. Our entry here costs E7 per person and once again Dominick is free.  He was very interested in the statues and pottery from 2800-2500 BC which surprized me. But it was nice to see I have a grandchild who seems to appreciate history as much as I do. After carefully going through the exhibits we discover the rain has increased a bit when we exit.  This time we have to wait almost 30 minutes for the next bus and the wind is hard to evade.

We arrive back at the Apollo around 5pm, take a short nap and head out for dinner around 7pm. Our destination is just across the street and down a block to the "Alexander the Great" restaurant that has been recommended by more than one local today.  Our meal including two entries that we share, bread, 1 litre of house red and baklava for dessert.  Very good food and good friendly service. Our bill comes to E54 including tip. Not bad for a very enjoyable meal.
Back to the hotel and Dominick calls his mother for a good night and we turn out the lights about 11pm. We are tired but happy that we have seen everything we intended for this day. Tomorrow we leave for the ship and the beginning of our ocean voyage. I'm tired! Good night.