Athens

Athens – our main visit for the day was a trip to The Acropolis, and the pictures just don’t prepare you for how big it actually is up right up on top – we had another amazing day – a lot of walking and stairs on slippery marble to get to the very top.

As we approached the base of the Acropolis you can see the front of the Odeon – each of these arches had a statue in them originally – later you’ll see the view from up above looking down onto it.

…. we climbed a bit closer

This view is the back of the pics above and you can see Odeon of Herodes Atticus – built in 161 AD it has a capacity of 5000 people.

Performances are still held there.

The views are spectacular! On top of that green hill you can see a small part of a ruin – it was believed that this is the mountain where the Muses lived.

More climbing and about half way up now, this is just one view over Athens

Now we’ve reached the gateway – The Propylaea – its very steep here and lots of slippery marble steps…

At the top! The columns on the unfinished side of The Parthenon. The columns are actually slightly curved and if completed the corners would form a pyramid.

Marble everywhere, this is what we’re walking on…

Lots of restoration work going on.

Looking back down at the Odeon from the the top of the Acropolis gives you an idea how far up it is and across the hill is the home of the muses.

The view out to the other side over Athens. One thing I love about Greece is that there is no ‘nanny state’ here. The drop off these walls, and plenty of others, is…. a really long way down but feel free to sit on the wall – there is none of the safety precautions that we have in Australia – which is not a bad thing, – just really different to what we’re used to.

Looking straight down from the wall those people are sitting on – is the first every theatre – The Odean of Dionysus, said to be the birthplace of Greek tragedy – it seated 17,000 people and its being restored / excavated.

The columns of the Parthenon are made in layers and stacked on top of each other, here is one part of a column – its wider than the average person.

Hello from the top of the Acropolis!

These are parts of columns being restored.

The view from the opposite side – the right hand side as you look at the Acropolis.

… more restoration work…

This is the old Temple of Athena which sits behind the Parthenon.

After a good hour or more so up here enjoying this amazing place and the incredible views we made our way back out the gates and down again.

We stopped off at the Panathanaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic games were held.

From the stadium you can look up and see the Acropolis.

This statue – the Dromeas (running man) is 12 metres tall, made of glass and iron and it represents the first marathon runner who died after delivering his message.