Greece is a land of islands and blue seas. A few things that I enjoyed, have been collated and made into a video on youtube. Enjoy it as much as I did.
Athens can be explored on foot. Stay at a centrally located place and everything is located within walking distance. Hotel Parthenon seemed to be a good choice.
The Greek Parliament Building was erected between 1836 and 1842 as the royal palace for king Otto I, the first king of modern Greece. The architect was the German Friedrich von Gärtner, who designed a monumental building with neoclassical facade. After a fire damaged the palace in 1909, the king moved to a nearby building (now the presidential palace) and the original palace became known as the ‘Old Palace’. In 1929, after the monarchy was abolished, the Greek government decided to move the parliament from its existing building at Stadiou street (now the National Historical Museum) to the old Palace. The parliament has resided here ever since 1935.
There is a passing of the parade every hour at the Parliament House. At the Syntagma Square there was a motorcade while we were watching the changing of guards. This motor Cade stopped at the syntagma square. They played music and were found dancing apparently celebrating the football win! Such pleasures of life.
A few boys and girls in their traditional attire had come over to perhaps dance at the Parliament House. It seems to be a practice to perform at the parliament house. A good place to click pictures.
From Syntagma Square one can walk down to shop. Unfortunately for us, we got caught in an unprecedented downpour. Greece is hot when the sun is shining. Come rain or dusk, it gets pretty cold. We had to buy 2 umbrellas @ 4 Euros each and stopped at a restaurant for hot coffee and chocolate. We finally made our way to the hotel soaked to the bone. It may be wise to carry an umbrella which can be used both for the rain or sun! Another tip – Keep your shoes under the AC compressor and use the hair dryer to dry them in case you get wet! Better still – carry more than one pair of comfortable shoes to walk or buy a pair of rain cover for your shoes from Amazon!
An observation: We found that at Athens all houses had an outer door / window that worked as a curtain. It not only prevented light but also the heat perhaps.
The Panathinaikon Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896. Today, this place is used for holding music concerts.
Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian arch: Construction began in the 6th century BC 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. Temple of the Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympeion, is located on Amalias Avenue, about 500 meters (1640ft) south-east of the Acropolis and about 700 meters (2296 ft) south of Syntagma Square. That is also within the walking distance from the Hotel Parthenon.
The temple’s glory was short-lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged during a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD, just about a century after its completion. was it continues to be part of a very important archaeological site of Greece. The entry to this temple is the Hadrian Arch named after the emperor.
Athens Trilogy which includes the University of Athens, the Academy of Athens and the National Library. Athens neoclassical trilogy as it commonly called, at Panepistimou street, is identified with the heart of the intellectual life of the city. On the left, the National Library, at the centre the University of Athens, on the right the Academy of Athens. These are three impressive neoclassical mansions that were constructed in the 19th century. The University was designed by the Danish architect Hansen, the other two by his brother, Theophile, and were completed by Ernst Ziller.
The Parthenon built on the Acropolis is a Magnificent temple built with marbles taken from the near by Mt. Pentelicus. it was dedicated to the goddess Athena.
The acropolis measures some 300 by 150 metres and is 70 metres high at its maximum. It was built to show the Greeks’ power over the Persian invasion by the kings Darius and Xerxes. The name Parthenon derives from one of Athena’s many epithets: Athena Parthenos, meaning Virgin.
The four main buildings in the original plan for the Acropolis were the Propylaia, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Propylaia was the ornate entranceway into the temple complex, while the Parthenon was the central attraction.
Erechtheion with its Porch of Maidens – Six stately young women stand like sentinels on a marble parapet atop the Athenian Acropolis. They are gazing at the Parthenon, the great temple of Athena that, even in its present ruin, is one of the world’s marvels. Casual and relaxed, the women balance a heavy stone roof on their heads. It is a remarkable display of strength. Pillars constructed like the Acropolis give an idea of their permanence. The marble statues that were defaced during the invasions and salvaged are preserved at the museum.
Board a coach to drive through Thebes, Livadia and Arachova for Delphi. When booking a hotel, a scenic view overlooking the lake Ithaca is worthwhile.
Delphi, with its remarkably preserved ruins dotted along the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus, is one of Greece’s most famous archaeological site. Dating back to the seventh century BC, the ancient city of Delphi is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It cannot be accessed by wheel chair.
The Pythia was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi who also served as the oracle, commonly known as the Oracle of Delphi.
The Sphinx dedicated to the oracle of Delphi by the state of Naxos, c. 560 BCE. Originally, it was placed atop a 10 m tall Ionic column. (Delphi Archaeological Museum).
The first level was the market place. Second the treasury of Apollo. Third being the oracle, Fourth the theatre and fifth being the stadium. It is an uphill task.
The name Marathon comes from the legend of Philippides or Pheidippides, the Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had just fought), which took place in August or September, 490 BC. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming “we have won!” before collapsing and dying.
Visit the monasteries. The first monastery was for male priests – there was a steep climb to the monastery. St. Stephens the monastery for nuns was smaller and there was no climbing involved. There are only 6 monasteries left now. Meteora is called the Grand Canyon of Greece.
Boarded the speed boat ferry to santorini over the Aegean Sea – it could carry 200 cars and 1000 passengers. We had taken the economy seats which were comfortable but the higher grade lounges were exclusive. This ferry would take 5 hours to santorini with one stop at mikanos – which is a big port. Next port was the port of Naxos. The cruise on the Aegean Sea was quite comfortable. The cafeteria of the ferry was well stocked but pricy. The embarking and disembarking was done quickly. It was a pleasant ride. The hotel Andromeda villa was quite a distance from the port but was worth the car ride. It is located at a place called Amerovgili which is located in between the port and Oia . The view from the villa was breathtaking. We left the hotel and hired a car and set off to oia to view the sun set. We parked the car and walked miles to find the right spot to view the sun set. Finally we moved to a restaurant and found a vantage point. Food was ordered and for the first time we didn’t mind food arriving late & Ananya was also informed that she could take as much time as she wanted to for a change. It became chilly once the sun went down. The restaurant gave us blankets to cover ourselves. It was a nice drive back to the hotel.
We stopped first at Thirasia we had a long hike uphill to see the igneous rocks and the crater formed during the volcano. We could smell the sulphur fumes.
Santorini, an island of Cyclades, is an Aegean volcanic island arc (75,79 sq. km; 11400 inhab.) surfaced in the prehistoric age. Nowadays it is just the eastern edge of an ancient crater sunk into the sea about 2000 years BC, after an explosive eruption of the Volcano.
Second island was called all birds island or Palea Kammeni. we remained seated in the boat whilst a few got into the water and swam to the hot water springs. The water there was red. The swim to the hot springs through the Aegean Sea was meant for the brave – water was cold!
From there we went to a third island where we had lunch. We couldn’t bring up enough courage to climb up the hill to go to the village. Our boat Princess was waiting for us. The boat belonged to Caldera Cruises. We left at 10:30 am for the light house at Faros. We drove by to the black beach. Thereafter visited the red beach. We had to climb up to get a view of the beach. We had to climb down to get there so we decided against it.