Day One
AthinaGreece37.99471/23.72953
After filling out many forms and getting a PRC test especially for travel, paid by the government I had the coveted QR code that would allow me to travel.
The flight was more packed than I thought it would be, but I had an entire row for myself regardless.
At Athens airport they checked our QR codes (not scanned, but just stared at it for a second and then waved us through.
From the airport I took a metro ride to the Acropolis station, close to where my Airbnb was located. After a quick Souvlaki wrap as a late dinner I took a shower and went to bed.
The next morning I made a quick coffee in the appartment and headed out, towards Filopappou Hill
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Filopappou Hill is a hill next to the Acropolis and gives great views of the various buildings on the mountaintop.
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One of the main attractions on Filopappou Hill is the Philopappos Monument, an ancient greek mausoleum dedicated to.. you guessed it, Philopappos.
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Another attraction is the Observatory.
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Next to the Observatory is a path that leads down the mountain to the city and after a delicious Souvlaki brunch I crossed the ditch with a Subway line and made my way to the entrance of the Hephaistos temple and Stoa of Attalos. complex.
I paid for a 5-day ticket which gives you access to six sites in Athens, including the Acropolis, it's 30 euro's saving you money if you visit more than 3 sites, as each site is 10 euro's to enter.
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The Hephaistos temple is one of the best preserved temples in Athens and was build around the second half of the 5th century before Christ.
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Across from the temple lies the Stoa of Attalos. Stoa means covered walkway and it was built by King Attalos II, who ruled between 159 BC and 138 BC.
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But before we go there, we have to cross the ruins in between.
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Most ruins in Athens look like this, it's usually only the foundations that are left.
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Along the way there's a little church where you can look inside.
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Stray cats are everywhere and usually taken care of by the local people.
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Right the Stoa. Inside are various statues found near the site there's an upstairs for more great views of Athens.
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Priorities...
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There's also a little museum with good preserved relics in the back of the Stoa
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Not all sites were created equally. After the Stoa I walked down the road to the Hadrianus Library. And apart from a few columns and rubble there isn't a whole lot left.
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After dodging a number of touts selling bracelets, wallets and who knows what else, I made it to Monastiraki Square.
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Not that I wanted to go there, but still! After walking down a number of winding alleys I made it to the next site on the 5-day ticket.
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You have to again really use your imagination to get a sense of what really stood here centuries ago, as now it's mostly rubble and a few columns. Luckily, as with every site, there are plenty of plaques that describe the buildings.
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The Tower of Winds requies less imagination. It's a clock tower and it's considered the world's first meteorological stations. It features sundials, a vane and a water clock.
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Across from the Tower of Winds there's a little Mosque with a nice view of the Tower
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Plaka is a neighbourhood near the Acropolis and it consists of many small alleys filled with bars, restaurants, gelato and coffee places.
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After a super nice Vanilla and Pistache Gelato I headed towards the next site.
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Walking to the Temple of the Olympic Zeus, I came across the Hadrianus Gate. A marble structure named after an old emperor.
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It's again imagination time, though it's still amazing to see how big those columns are in person. It must have been a hell of a job to get these kinds of structures erected in those days.
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Across the road from the Temple of the Olympic Zeus are the National Gardens. An excellent place to take a breather in the shade.
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Strewn around the gardens are relics that remind you of the old days.
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There are plenty of places with lots of shade, such as this plant-covered area.
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The Panathenaic Stadium is the largest stadium in the world that's built completely out of marble. There's also not a lot of shade and I opted to not do the audio tour but instead do a quick lap and get out.
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After the entire day exposed to the sun it was time for dinner and a nice cold beer in the area around my hotel called Kallimármaro.
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After a nice burger and a beer it was time to head to the apartment for a nice cold shower.