I'm Off to Greece!
I left on Monday from Ronald Reagan International Airport on Air Canada flying to Toronto where I changed planes to fly to Athens, Greece!
I am going to sound spoiled, but I'm don't remember ever flying international without entertainment, whether it was a big screen every 3 or 4 rows or a screen in the back of the seat in front of you, but Air Canada had nothing, nada for 9 hours. I don't usually spend a lot of time on it, but it's nice to have when you get bored!
Arrived in Athens and scooted through immigration without any problems. My host had sent me instructions how to get to her Airbnb giving me two options: the train or the bus. The bus was closer at the airport than the train and it was closer to the Airbnb than the train, so I took the bus. It was easy! It took about an hour to get there.
It is a private apartment not too far from the city center on a quiet tree-lined street. The hostess, Maria, sent me a welcome email when I arrived to Athens telling me that she would probably not be home when I arrived, but to ring the bell and her Mom would let me in and show me around. It is a great place to stay and I look forward to using it as my home base for the next 10 days!
First Day in Athens!
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on an extremely rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. Acropolis means "highest point".
The Parthenon is a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the peak of its power. It was completed in 438 BC and is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece considered the zenith of the Doric order.
The Parthenon today!
The Theatre of Dionysus is a major theatre in Athens, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis. Dedicated to Dionysus, the god of plays and wine, the theatre could seat as many as 17,000 people with excellent acoustics. It was the first stone theatre ever built, cut into the southern cliff face of the Acropolis, and supposedly birthplace of Greek tragedy. The remains of a restored and redesigned Roman version can still be seen at the site today.
Panoramic of the view from the Acropolis!
The University of Athens, with Athena and Apollo on the columns;
Socrates and Plato sitting above the stairs.
University of Athens
The National Library of Greece located on the University of Athens campus
Panathenaic Stadium
Panathenaic Stadium, translated literally 'beautiful marble' is a multipurpose stadium in Athens. It is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble! It was started in 330 BC primarily for the Panathenaic Games and was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman Senator, by 144 AD and had a capacity of 50,000 seats. It has been used in various Olympics and was once again used an an Olympic venue in 2004 where the Olympic flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place.
The church where Paul debated with the philosophers
Paul was in Athens after visiting Berea, waiting for Silas, Timothy and Luke to join him. He had no intentions of evangelizing in Athens. While Paul was waiting for them, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, "What is the babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting or the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?" You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean." All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.
Paul's debate and discussion is in Acts 17:16-34.
The Arch of Hadrian
The Arch of Hadrian, most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian's Gate, is a monumental gateway resembling, in some respects, a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It has been proposed that the arch was built to celebrate the arrival of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city, on the occasion of the dedication of the nearby temple complex in 131 or 132 AD. It is not certain who commissioned the arch, although it is probable that the citizens of Athens or another Greek group were responsible for its construction and design. There were two inscriptions on the arch, facing in opposite directions, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a monument of Greece and a former colossal temple at the centre of the Greek capital Athens. It was dedicated to Olympian Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman period, the temple, that included 104 colossal columns, was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.
Lunch in the Plaka consisted of Spanakopita and Mythos beer!
Entertainment during lunch
Dinner at The Indian Kitchen (I can hear Lauren saying, 'Mom, you're in Greece, eat Greek food', but who can resist a good Indian Curry!!
