Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Greece: Athens (Acropolis)

Goodbye Greek islands…

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Hello again Athens!

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The ferry ride from Sifnos to the mainland took FOREVER!  We felt like we’d lost a whole day and by the time we arrived back at our Athens hotel all we wanted was dinner and sleep.  We attempted to find that same fabulous Gyro stand from our first day but starvation got the better of us before we tracked it down. 

First thing the next morning we stepped outside and pointed ourselves up the hill to the Acropolis.

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Thanks to some poor directions we ended up taking a scenic walk through the residential area at the base of the Acropolis.  Along the way we encountered another pair of gals who had also been given the wrong route so we decided to stay together and figure it out.

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Twenty minutes and a set of correct directions later we finally found the entrance!

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It was worth the walk.  :)  Inside those walls lies some pretty amazing architecture and reconstruction. 

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My favourite building by far was the Erechtheum. 

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Of course, the Parthenon is pretty epic as well!

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The view is spectacular and goes on for what seems forever!

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The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is 2000 years old and still used for live concerts today…

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The Theatre of Dionysus is massive and undergoing about 5 years worth of excavation and reconstruction…

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The preserved details are quite amazing.

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After a few hours on the mountain in the scorching sun, we settled in for a lovely lunch then parted ways with our new friends.  Tiffaney and I headed off to the new Acropolis Museum…where many of the original pieces from the Acropolis are on display.  The museum itself is gorgeous, modern and spacious and even without an audio guide we learned so much about what we had just seen (not that I remember anything now!). 

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See…vacations come with education!

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