GREECE
Greece is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature, political science, major scientific and mathematic principles, and Western drama including both tragedy and comedy.
Athens' history is one of the longest of any city, in Europe or the world; it has been continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years. Athens became the leading city of ancient Greece in the first millennium BC, with its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laying the foundations of Western civilization. Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it welcomed home the 2004 Summer Olympics. The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by a number of ancient monuments and works of art, the most famous of all the Parthenon on the Acropolis, widely considered an important landmark of early Western civilization. The city also retains a vast variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a small number of remaining Ottoman monuments projecting the city's long history across the centuries.
This was the first trip with Daneesh, so we did enquire from some people and also checked on websites if the system in Greece was baby-friendly as in Denmark.
We came to know that babycars / prams are not a regular sight in Athens and there is no place for them in public transport, so we took Daneesh in a kangaroo pouch.
It was an early morning flight, but Daneesh was wide awake and excited. He was smiling and talking (in his language) to all the air - hostesses :)
Athens seems to be a yellow city. Before landing one can see several islands around and yellow buildings of Athens. We took a metro from airport to OMONIA, where we had booked a hotel room.
The first impression was that Athens is a noisy and polluted place (though lesser than Mumbai). There are many hawkers along the roads....very much like in India. The people are very baby friendly. Many people on the streets, buses and metros stopped to see & talk to Daneesh! He too chatted (screaming, giggling and laughing) with them as if they were his regular friends :) Probably, he understood Greek : - )
A visit to Acropolis is a must when you are in Athens. That is where we went first. But it was a long walk up-hill, and since it was already late in the afternoon, we postponed it to the next day. Instead we had a walk in the PLAKA area. Lying just beneath the Acropolis, it is famous for its plentiful neoclassical architecture, making up one of the most scenic districts of the city. Although surrounded by huge, traffic-choked avenues, Pláka itself is a welcome escape, its narrow streets offering no throughroutes for traffic even where you are allowed to drive. It remains a traditionally prime tourist destination with a number of picturesque tavernas and live performances.
We then walked over to Hadrian’s Arch. Erected by Emperor Hadrian to mark the division between the ancient Greek city and the Roman one, this imposing arch rises to a height of eighteen metres. (The Romans controlled Athens for some eight hundred years, but they left relatively few monuments. On the whole they respected the artistic and architectural heritage of Classical Athens, while the city itself became something of a backwater of the Empire.) On the other side of the arch, Hadrian also built the massive Temple of Olympian Zeus - supposed to be the mother of all temples. (The ancient Greeks believed in several gods and goddesses like Indians, with some similarities too. For example click here for the power point show India Past, Present And Future). We then passed by ZAPPION, a neoclassical exhibition hall in a garden.
The Greek traffic sense: It was during our walks around the Plaka and Hadrian Arch, we discovered that the green light for pedestrains is ON for only about 5 - 10 secs! So one has to literally run to cross the roads. Then its red for a long time. This forces the people to form a mob and cross the road irrespective of the signals.
Also, the drivers / riders are very rash. Even when it was red for the motorists one biker just sped past us as if we didn't exist! A car was coming up at the same speed, when we were in the middle of the road and screeched to a halt, just in time. With an angry stare to the driver, I pointed to the red light. The driver just shrugged his shoulders and made a face that said, "I don't care."
Our favourite place to eat was Panepistimiou centre. There are several coffee shops in Athens and it seems there is no concern for a non-smoking zone.
We started the next day with Acropolis. It was a warm day and we were sweating by the time we reached the top. Daneesh was sleeping peacefully in the kangaroo pouch :).
Exploring the Acropolis and its surrounds can easily absorb an entire day. While the Parthenon is the most imposing of the remains atop the steep-sided hill, it’s far from the only one; the Acropolis has an extraordinary concentration of superlative Classical architecture, all of it dating from just a few decades at the height of ancient Athenian democracy.
The Parthenon was the first great building in Pericles’ scheme, intended as a new sanctuary for Athena and a home for her cult image – a colossal wooden statue of Athena Polias (Athena of the City) overlaid with ivory and gold plating, with precious gems as eyes.
The Propylaia is an imposing entrance to the Acropolis now as in Classical times and were considered by ancient Athenians to be their most prestigious monument.
Temple of Athena Nike is a small but perfectly formed, temple to Athens’ patron goddess which encapsulates the ideals of Classical architecture.
Theatre of Dionysos is a stunning theatre where the masterpieces of Classical drama were first performed.
A joint ticket
covers the Acropolis, Ancient Agora and South Slope, plus the Roman Forum, Kerameikos and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The smaller sites also offer individual tickets, but only the joint one is valid for the summit of the Acropolis, so if you visit any of the others first, be sure to buy the multiple ticket or you simply end up paying twice; it can be used over four days, although there are no clear indications.
Cape Soúnion:
Cape Soúnion’s dramatic setting overlooking the Aegean sea has made it a landmark for centuries to boats sailing between Pireás and the islands. Dominating Cape Souníon, the Temple of Poseidon (God of Sea) commands magnificent views of the seas and islands around Athens. We made this short trip by bus along the sea.
The next day we walked along the shopping street in Monastriki passing the 11th
century church of Kapnikaréa, right in the heart of Athens that makes for an extraordinary contrast to the packed shopping streets surrounding it. We then went to the Ancient Agora (market place).The Agora was the heart of ancient Athenian city life from as early as 3000 BC.Today, the site is an extensive and rather confusing jumble of ruins, dating from various stages of building between the 6th century BC and the 5th century AD. The Agora was also the chief meeting place of the city, where orators held forth, business was discussed and gossip exchanged. It was also the first home of the democratic assembly.
The reconstruction of the Stoa of Attalos, part of the ancient Athenian marketplace, shows how Classical Athens might have looked in its heyday, and houses the Museum of the Agora.