We arrived into Athens a few days ago on a flight from Naples through Rome. At the moment we've only seen Athens but from that I think I can safely say that Greece is amazing.
After getting off the bus in downtown Athens we made our way down the road to the district known as Plaka. Our hotel is the Student Travellers Inn which is located in a quite pedestrian street across the road from a small shaded park. The first afternoon we just decided to go and get a glimpse of the Acropolis. As we made our way through the Plaka all of a sudden it came into view. A little different to what I thought it was. I didn't realise that a lot of the mountain is built up castle like with man made brick. I guess I always thought it was just a temple on a natural hill. That evening we decided we would try a little bit of local cuisine. Gyros! Ever since my first one I can't stop eating them. They are delicious.
The next morning we got up nice and early for the Acropolis. We made our way up the steep hill to be greeted but the 2500 year old Parthenon. The building is currently being restored so scaffolding is everywhere but it really looks like it's in dire need of restoration. It's quite amazing to think that they were able to built buildings like this so long ago. It would of been amazing in it's day, complete with a roof and the huge state of Athena that use to sit inside. The Acropolis was very windy and of course super hot with the 38*C sun belting down on us, so after slowly making our way around the various temples we went and sat in the shade overlooking the Ancient Agora. That afternoon we checked out the theaters at the bottom of the Acropolis before making our way down the street to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Now this is impressive. The temple that use to sit here was apparently as 90 meters by 40 metes and had over 100 columns supporting it's roof. There are only 15 columns left there today but it gives you a good idea of how big it was. It would have made the Parthenon look small.
The next day we went for a walk through the Ancient Agora and the Roman Agora. These are the ruins that sit at the bottom of the Acropolis. They're probably the same size as the Roman Forum in Rome but a lot older. On the hill in the middle of the Ancient Agora sits one of the best preserved temples in Athens, the Temple of Hephaestus. I think I may of taken an hour of video just on this temple alone. We also went into the museum in the middle of the Agora which is definitely worth a visit. The museum houses a collection of artifacts that were found on the site. They even have a recovered Spartan shield. Very cool.
Greece has surprised me a little. I was always expecting to like it but I think it's safe to say I love it and I will come back one day for sure.