First day in Athens

In my previous blog post I explained how it all started, and now we are on day 2, my first day in Athens. After a good night sleep and a daring breakfast (for a gluten free person), I exited the hotel and walked in the direction of the Metaxourghio metro station. The night before, Denise and I - when we were on our hotel tour - passed a fantastic Greek bakery, and now I had to pass that bakery again, oh my! I wish they also had some gluten free products! I quickly continued my journey.

Using the Athens Metro system is easy, a bit like London, but then even more simple. You have to study the map carefully to spot the station where you start and the station you are going to. Then you check to see if you need to change lines in order to reach your destination. Always look for the name of the last station on the line to take the right train. When you get on - if you can fit in that is (don’t be polite, or you will be at the station forever) - keep an eye on the station where you need to get off the train, which is quicker than you may think. Start moving towards the door one stop before your stop. Once off the train, don’t just follow the crowd. Look at the sign for the exit. Exit is always spelled in Greek, which is “έξοδος”(exodos) - (I was glad I studied some of the Greek alphabet before my trip).

I bought a day card, saving me the trouble for later. It was busy, so I couldn’t get aboard the first train and waited for the second one, which came very quickly indeed. Like a can of sardines on rails, the train worked its way through the tunnels underneath Athens towards my goal for this morning: the Acropolis metro station, where I surfaced at exactly 9.30 am. My appointment was at the entrance of the Acropolis Museum at 11.00 am, so I decided to visit the museum first.

I walked out of the Metro station and found myself not far from the Acropolis, and I must say that I felt quite safe being just by myself. There is a car free street connecting the Plaka with the Acropolis sites and the atmosphere was very pleasant. I noticed some rain clouds coming in and hoped it wouldn't start raining later on. On the edge of the walkway, street musicians were playing some typical Greek songs, hoping for a few coins from passers-by; mostly tourists, who had come from the famous old Plaka district and who were, like me, on their way to the most famous sites in the heart of ancient Athens.

I hadn’t seen the new museum yet, because in 1992 the museum was still atop the Acropolis rock, but I was about to discover the story of the main reason that the Greek government had decided to spend so much money on a new museum with such a fabulous, unique design. The museum was built to house every artefact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece, leaving spaces open for artefacts that were in foreign museums, in the hope of getting them back some day. The British Museum for example is holding onto certain important finds using the excuse of waiting for the Greek government to build a decent museum in order to protect and display the artefacts properly, before they would even consider giving them back to Greece. But even now that the museum has been built and the spaces are open for the artefacts to arrive, they still remain in the museum in London.

As I walked towards the entrance, I could see through the glass plates some of the ruins of Roman and early Byzantine Athens, which they tried to preserve as well as they could. This continues on inside the museum. The top floor was designed to copy the Parthenon, including the angle, and exhibit the artefacts exactly in the order of where they were found on the original site. As the Acropolis Museum is a copy of the Acropolis, albeit in a very modern way, it is a unique testimony to ancient Athens, and I applaud it.

While walking through the entrance of the new museum I realized we are not in 1992 anymore. Bags were checked like at the airport, and you needed to be cleared before you could enter. I was early, so it wasn’t busy yet. I thought I’d be alright with a 50 minute visit, with some time for a coffee before going to the exit for my first appointment, but little did I know how big the museum was, and how breathtakingly beautiful. The first groups were coming in with an official Greek licensed guide, which is the law in Greece. They stop at almost everything and it takes hours to get through the museum with a guide. I found it overwhelming enough on my own, so by the time I was at the café to have a coffee, I was already exhausted. When I exited the museum, a long line of people was waiting in front of the entrance. I decided there and then to take the museum visits out of the tour program; we only have 1 day in Athens and it would simply be too much. After all, the day in Athens is dedicated to the historical sites of Athens, not to spending hours and hours in a museum.

Unfortunately I was allowed to take photographs in only a few rooms. The information I gathered, however, would become crucial to my tour program for ‘The Greece Experience’. I wrote down everything that I felt was important in a little notebook I carried with me everywhere. I noticed the fleur-de-lis popping up here and there on 2500 year old statues or vases and I wrote down the stories connected to the Acropolis caves, places that we cannot visit, but we can get very close to them when we walk the Slopes. It was a mind-boggling visit.

The café was amazing, with very good coffee and a fantastic view towards the Acropolis. This is where my adventure really started, and this would also be the place where it ended, 7 days later. It serves very good food and beverages, high quality meals, and the museum shop is just off the café. I just had enough time to buy a book about the Acropolis. It's wonderfully informative and I was hoping to find a similar guide book to explain the history and details of the Slopes. Oh those mysterious Slopes! It even has a separate entrance! Unfortunately I found out too late that my ticket covering the Acropolis & Slopes (€20,- euros!!!) would only work once.

Back in 1992 I was on a big tour through mainland Greece, and my guide that week was Argiris, whom I found to be very wise. He was patient with the group, knowledgeable, and I could see he was working with the heart. I had told this to Denise in my correspondence and to my great surprise she had quickly found him, and even arranged that he would be my guide for the Acropolis! So I was looking forward very much to my 11.00 am appointment, although I realized he probably wouldn’t remember me after 26 years of guiding groups and meeting thousands of people.

At 11.00 am I was sitting on a stone outside the entrance to the museum, sending him a text message, so he knew I was there. He texted me back telling me he was inside, not knowing I had already visited the museum, all ready and eager to climb one of the most famous sacred rocks in the world, the Acropolis. So he exited the museum and I recognized him immediately! I could see the 26 years of hard work, though. Strangely enough he told me I looked familiar to him and suddenly he remembered that I had actually sent him a copy of the photograph that was taken of the two of us at the Parthenon in 1992. What incredible memory! Of course we planned to take a photo again at the same spot.

During our walk he explained many things; where to go to for group tickets, how to climb the Acropolis, the stories of ancient Athens, the history of the sacred rock and its 2500 year old temples, we took our picture at the Parthenon of course, and we enjoyed the views from the top; looking down at the Greek Agora, the Pnyx Hill where democracy was born, the Areopagus Hill where Paul preached, the Odeon and the theatre and many other sites. We discussed the itinerary, what to do and what not to do, and I was so very grateful for it all. I realized that I want to do the Slopes as well as the Acropolis with my group. You cannot do ancient Athens and only visit the Acropolis, the Agora and lose precious time at the museums. I had to create an in-depth tour through the historical heart of ancient Athens. The Acropolis is more than just the Parthenon and the Erechtheion; my visit to the museum that morning certainly taught me that.

The Acropolis
The name Acropolis means something like 'Hilltop City' (ἄκρον/akron and πόλις/polis), but in ancient days it was better known by the name of Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the first Athenian king. The buildings we see today date from the 5th century BCE. The Parthenon is being renovated, so I didn't take pictures there. The Acropolis is undergoing reconstruction work and the team is very precise, aiming to honour the past and to preserve it for future generations.

Once you start the not too difficult ascent towards the majestic gate called the Propylaea, you are traveling back in time. Passing these amazing buildings, built on uneven ground and yet spirit leveled - which is an incredible architectural achievement - you enter the sacred site. On the right the charming temple of Athena Nike, straight ahead on the right the Parthenon or Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin), and to the left the stunning and most sacred temple called the Erechtheion.

The ceiling of the Propylaea.

The stone lions are put to the side somewhat awkwardly, as if the restoration team hasn't decided yet where to put them.

The Temple of Athena Nike (the Athena of Victory) seen from below, built of Pentelic marble in the 5th century BCE; a fine example of the typical Greek building style.

Below you can see a few photos of the very beautiful temple called the Erechtheion. It is an eclectic building; several historical places of worship were connected and carefully constructed on historical sites, such as the tomb of Cecrops, first king of Athens, with 6 young maidens called Kariatides guarding the sacred site. The temple next to the tomb of Cecrops is the site where another mythical king died. A hole in the ceiling and the ground below mark the spot where Zeus killed King Erechtheus with his lightening bolt. To the side of the temple is the spot where, according to another myth, the goddess Athena defeated the god Poseidon. She is said to have planted an olive tree there and in 1917, on this very spot, a new olive tree was planted.

The views from the Acropolis

The Theatre of Dionysus.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Pnyx Hill where democracy was born.

View to Areopagus Rock where Paul preached, with the Temple of Hephaistus on the right in the distance.

The Temple of Zeus.

It was almost 2 pm and I became very hungry indeed, so Argiris and I walked down to the Plaka, where we said goodbye. I continued on, in search for a good restaurant. That wasn't difficult at all. Within a few minutes I was ordering a gyros chicken with Greek salad from the table with the best view I'd ever wish for. Time to relax and feed the body. It was also the first possibility for me to upload some photos on Facebook. Many places have free WiFi, which is wonderful if you want to keep everyone up to date. :)

Where I had lunch? The Byron Roof Garden cafe/snack bar. Click on the name to go to their website.

After my late lunch I first tried to visit the Slopes with my ticket, but unfortunately it was turned down because it was already used. I shouldn't have exited the archaeological site, but I didn't know this at the time. I was hungry and had to eat before hitting the ground.

Then I got lost in the jungle of streets in the Plaka and picked myself up drinking a cup of hot green tea with mint and honey just when it started to rain. I decided to rest, knowing I had to make up my mind: would I go back to the Slopes and buy another ticket for 20 euros, or go to the Greek Agora, as planned? I decided on the latter, and the moment it stopped raining I continued my search and found the Flee Market (I could keep myself from visiting), the Roman Forum and finally, the Greek Agora; the ancient market with the remains of temples, shops and restaurants, the ancient PanAthenaic Way and the beautiful Agora Museum. The light outside was now enchanting; everything was wet, the late afternoon October sun came out and no matter how tired I was, I worked myself through the archaeological site with new energy. The photos I took are displayed below.

And again, people playing those beautiful Greek songs opposite the Library of Hadrian (Roman Forum). Loved it! :)

It was difficult not to enter shops like these. But I was on a very tight budget, so I carried on swiftly in a similar way to this morning, when passing the bakery.

I love watching people having fun. :)

The Greek Agora

Wow, the Temple of Hephaestus (5th century BCE), the god of craftmanship and fire, is indeed very beautiful and you could see everything in detail so clearly, so this is a definite must do on my walk through ancient Anthens with the group next year. Noted.

The Agora museum was lovely and it is important to know that there are toilets there, and that the view from the upper floor is worth the slippery marble steps leading up.

This is a very important part of ancient Athens and in earlier times you could walk this path without any interruption all the way to the Parthenon. The Panathenaic Games, a religious feast with musical, athletic and equestrian events, were celebrated every 4 years from 566 BC to the 3rd century AD. The procession was the most important happening; the women of Athens had made a special robe for the statue of Athena, and it was carried to the Parthenon during the procession called the 'Great Panathenaia'.

I ended the afternoon drinking tea opposite the archaeological site in the street that leads to one of the main squares in Athens. My feet were sore and I was trying to digest everything I had seen so far. I walked to the metro station and before I knew it I was back at my hotel, but the day wouldn't stop there. I had to do a photo shoot; this was arranged with the manager the day before and there was no getting out of it, so I quickly changed, took out my gear and went back to work.

At 8.15 pm I finally sat down and had my dinner at the hotel, a wonderful buffet with fabulous food. I skipped dessert and decided to go to bed a bit earlier, because the next day I would be exploring the Argolis. By chauffeured car. This may seem a bit posh, but it was absolutely necessary for me to have more freedom to explore the region and the sites, more time to work out my tour, talk with my private guide and take the photos and film I needed for my marketing. Little did I know that this Argolis adventure would inspire me greatly; not just to create the best possible excursion for my group tour in May 2019, but also to write the storyline for my new book.

Next time I will tell you all about my day in the Argolis region. :)

For more information about 'The Greece Experience', visit: https://greeceexperiencetours.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-greece-experience-2nd-half-of-may.html.

Hope to see you next week! ♥ xox