Feels funny to write this in February, but wanted to share some more fun times and fun photos from the holidays. While the kids were visiting, we took a much-anticipated side trip to Athens (Greece, not GA) and then to Rome and Milan.
You probably know Celeste has always had an affinity for Greek (and to a lesser extent. Roman) mythology, so we thought it would be fun to see each city through the eyes of our Classics minor!
Athens has historically had a reputation as a hot, crowded, somewhat polluted city - tourists often treated it as a necessary evil to pass through, to explore the Med and the beautiful Greek Islands. Thankfully, since the 2004 Olympics, they've cleaned it up quite a bit and upgraded the public transport. And going there around Christmas meant mild weather and very few tourists to contend with. We found a great hotel and used it as our base of operations for exploring the best of Greece's food, wine, and of course the Acropolis!
Some of the things you'll see everywhere in Athens: Cats, Moto's and fruit trees, 'beautiful people' drinking wine, and views of the Acropolis (from our hotel terrace)
About the cats: They are everywhere! And they all seem well-fed, and quite welcomed by the locals; they told us that there are several non-profits/charities that round them up the strays and spay/neuter them.
Here's a link to some more perspective on the Cats of Athens, (and cute photos if you like kitties!) During our bike tour our guide told us "during the financial crisis in 2008, people had to prioritize feeding their families over their cats, so a lot of them were left out on the streets...but they survived, had babies, and now, they are everywhere, fat and happy...you can tell the state of the Greek economy by how fat the cats are."
One must-do in Athens is to climb to the top of Mount Lycabettus (photo right) - it's the highest point in Athens and is worth the climb...we were breathing a little heavy at the top, but were rewarded with 360 views of the city & surrounding areas.
Looking out from the chapel at Lycabettus; CC surveying the scene - ahhh, Athens!
Our photo of Lycabettus was taken from Areopagus - better known as Mars Hill, famous over the centuries as a temple, a seat of government, and the site for one of the apostle Paul's most loved sermons (Acts 17:23). It was a relatively easy climb with views of the nearby Acropolis, so we went up there our first evening (the Acropolis was closing for the day).
During our bike tour we came upon two unexpected treats in Athens. The first was the Panathenaic Stadium - the original Olympic Stadium (from 1896 - not the original, original stadium from 776 BCE). It's been beautifully preserved and there's an easy tour for €5. I've always been a big fan of the Olympics and since Atlanta kind of 'bogarted' the Centennial 1996 games from Athens, we figured we had to pay our respects. They had a room devoted to posters, torches, and paraphernalia from each of the modern games, including ATL of course (see below).
Panathenaic Stadium at night
Medal winners, the ATL poster/torch, and check out the nosebleed seats - "Row Y" in Greek!
Another surprise was a chance to view the changing of the guard outside the Presidential Mansion. Our bike guide used his connections to get us a front and center look at this tradition; we usually don't spend time watching this faux-pageantry in other countries, but the guide said it was worth seeing. Which it was - the Greeks are very proud of their military and (relatively recent) history of independence - they finally broke free from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 (note to potential travelers - I'm guessing there'll be a major Bicentennial party in Athens on March 25 2021).
See below for a clip of the changing of the guard ceremony - it's all in slow motion, apparently because the soldiers have been standing motionless for an hour and it's better for their circulation if they do this slowly!
And finally, the Acropolis! One of the iconic (that's a greek word, right?) sites in the Western World. It turns out it's closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day...so we had to go there on our last day, mindful of our 3:00 flight! It worked out well, we went super early and experienced it in the beautiful early morning sunlight.
What a way to end our trip! It was as impressive as you would expect - I've seen a million pictures, but in person you can truly appreciate the historical significance of the site, the size of the original structures, and of course the sheer architectural beauty of the Parthenon - how it perfectly embodies balance, symmetry, and proportion. Iconic indeed!
Pro tip: Definitely set aside some time to explore the Acropolis museum - it's a short walk from the base of the Acropolis, with a perfect view of course. Plan for 2 hours minimum. We were lucky to be able to squeeze this in just before our ride to the airport. We just wish we could have stayed longer!
Thanks for reading - next stop Roma!