I do right away what I came here to do - go to the Acropolis. It isn't far from my hotel, maybe 15 minute walk, taking me through the back streets of the Plaka. The little shops are all just starting to open (they open later here, some not until 11:00 a.m.).
I buy my ticket and start my ascent. I know now this won't be a quick hike up, and it will be steep in places. After all, I saw the night before just how high the hill actually is. The lower part of the hill that you start at is the South slope, and it is mostly under excavation. I see two theatres, the smaller, the Theatre of Dionysos and the larger Odeon of Herodes (the Herodion). Next, a bit further up the slope is the Temple of Asklepios (the Asklepion).
After a somewhat gentle and winding path up, there is no escaping the final ascent up to the top. They try to grade it as easily as possible, but I am sweating a bit by the time I get there and my legs are screaming at me. I tell them to shut up and push on up the steps which come after and take me to the main entrance, the Propylaia. It is under conservation, but you still get to see the basic layout. It must have been an awesome sight to the ancient Greeks - it still is, even under scaffolding. It is essentially a gateway, with triple rows of columns on each side of the walkway. Tough looking girl guards are posted here to make sure you pay attention to the signs not to stray from the path and not to touch the ancient marble.
Once through the Propylaia, you come to the Temple of Athena Nike, which was completely covered in scaffolding, as it is also being conserved. Despite my disappointment at not being able to get a clear view of the temple, I have to confess it was very interesting to see the work that the conservers are doing. I was fortunate to be able to chat with a few of them - they were quite happy to talk to me. Most of the work involves stabilising the buildings, filling cracks, etc, as well, of course, as cleaning them of the infamous Athenian pollution that is eating away at them. Another conservationist was carefully piecing together bits that had come off a large marble block, like working a giant puzzle.
The next big building you come to is the Parthenon, the largest structure on the hill. It is another temple dedicated to Athena, patroness of Athens. The largest ever known statue of Athena used to be in this building, but it is long gone. I can only imagine what it must have been like to enter this space: sadly, you can't enter any of the temples on the Acropolis any longer, so my imagination will have to suffice.
On the north side of the hill is the Erechtheon, which is best known for it's porch with the Caryatids - statues of women who support the porch roof. Originally, the building was built to house and protect immovable objects:
- A snake pit
- a rock that Poseidon struck with his trident
- a saltwater well
- an olive tree, supposedly from Athena herself as a gift to the people of Athens
Finally, I leave the hill completely and walk to the ancient Agora (the marketplace). It's a little difficult to interpret this now, as it is a jumble of stones, but at least you can get up close to them. There is a lovely little Byzantine church on the site, too. The overall space is massive. The Stoa of Attalos has been rebuilt as truthfully as they think it was, and it now houses the tiny Agora Museum, which is filled with artefacts and statues found in the agora excavation. It is arranged chronologically, so it was fascinating to see how small items, like oil lamps and vases, had changed over the centuries.
Next, I walked down a street called Adrianou to the ruins of the Roman Agora and a building called the Temple of the Winds. The Roman agora seems alot smaller then the ancient agora, but is easier to interpret. The Tower of the Winds was once a complex building that had a massive weather vane, sundial and water clock, but none of these seem to be in existence any longer and sadly, you can't even see into the tower any longer.
One of the things that struck me as I walked around were all the cats & dogs roaming. I have come to refer to them as the temple cats & dogs. They were all over the Acropolis, and both Agoras. They didn't pay most people any attention - except me - I must have a face animals like. I didn't have any food, so it wasn't that. In the Roman Agora, two of the dogs came up to me and nuzzled my hands. I decided to let them be my guides and they seemed happy to be the guides, as I followed them on their tour of the agora. The animals are obviously cared for by someone - I saw a small cave in the Roam agora with a blanket and bowl with water in it; there was a wood structure that had been built for the cats with a soft covering on the floor and some water nearby, too. They are very well tolerated.
I decided to locate two more sites: the Anafiotika and the Bath house of the Winds.
The Anafiotika was settled by Aegean craftsmen, despite a ban on building in that area in 1834. Previous to that, it had been declared holy ground by the Oracle at Delphi. Today it is a picturesque part of the Plaka, quite well maintained, with whitewashed buildings set on the side of the hill.
The Bath House of the Winds is a Turkish bathhouse (hamman). Apparently, it is in very good repair and you can see how it operated when it was built. sadly, it was closed the day I went to see it and I never did get in.
So I continued to wander in the Plaka, taking in the atmosphere, until I found my way back to the Hotel - easier said then done. For dinner, I located an Asian noodle house. yes, yes, i know, this is hardly taking in the Greek culture, but it was cheap and quick and very yummy. Then I located an Internet cafe and sent emails to my husband to let him know I was safe & sound.
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