Athens (June 28, 29 and July 4)
Athens has been broken up for us over three half days with a lot of travelling in between. After flying from Milan to Athens on Friday we had time to take a walking tour of the city.
We started in Syntagma Square near our hostel. The Parliament building is nearby with the guards (evzones) in their traditional pleated kilts, white britches, and pom-pom shoes. They give the Vatican guards' uniforms a run for their money! :) We then made our way down Ermou Street which is a pedestrian mall of sorts. We hit several Byzantine churches and saw the Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds. We walked through a charming little "village" which is like a taste of the Cycladic island of Anafi. The path twisted narrowly between white-washed walls with red-tiled roofs. It was very quaint. Last we ended at Monastiraki Square with the Acropolis towering over us.
On Saturday, June 29, we had the morning to visit the Agora and our main interest, the Acropolis. It really did take your breathe away. After walking through many different ruins (which I won't now take the time to describe), we walked through the Propylaia. It was constructed in about 435 B.C. and was aligned with the Parthenon. After climbing the stairs, you walk through a huge gate toward your view of the Parthenon.
I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I was completely blown away by the size of it. It really stands like a beacon over Athens and is the largest Doric temple in Greece. It is 101 ft. by 228 ft. with 8 fluted Doric columns at each end and 17 along each side. The amazing things was that it was completed in just 9 years (447-438 B.C.). The architecture was made to look harmonious which meant that it actually curves upwards in the middle and the columns tilt inwards just a bit. Incredible!
My other favorite building was the Erchtheion. It has a beautiful porch where the columns (Caryatids) are stone ladies holding up the roof. It was built in 406 B.C. It actually has three rooms. I found the Caryatids very beautiful, but was surprised to find that the originals are in the museum (except one that was pinched by Lord Elgin in 1805 and is in the British Museum) because the polution started corroding their crisp features after about 1950.
The story of the Acropolis Flag at the top was rather inspirational. When the Nazis occupied Athens in 1941, the ezvone who guarded the flag was told to remove it. After taking it down, he wrapped himself in it and jumped to his death. A few weeks later, two Greek teenagers climbed the wall, took down the Nazi flag, and put up the Greek flag. This was at the beginning of the resistance against the Nazis. It is very moving to see the passion and patriotism all over the world.
Lastly, Jen and I got to climb up onto Mars Hill. It was a very knobby rock with slippery stones from all the people who have climbed up here. It was very emotional for me to stand in the place where Paul preached to the Athenians. Even though the Athenians were famous for their open-mindedness, most were skeptical at the time and only a small number were converts. One of the greatest joys I have travelling is to be in the places and see the things that are spoken of in the Bible. It makes the Bible come that much more alive to me.
Today, July 4 (Happy 4th of July to everyone!), Jen and I spent much of our afternoon shopping after we arrived on the train from Meteora. It was fun to be girls together and buy pretty jewelry and gifts.
Sorry that these accounts are so long. I've given up trying to be succinct. Feel free to skim or skip at will. :)
-Stacy
Athens has been broken up for us over three half days with a lot of travelling in between. After flying from Milan to Athens on Friday we had time to take a walking tour of the city.
We started in Syntagma Square near our hostel. The Parliament building is nearby with the guards (evzones) in their traditional pleated kilts, white britches, and pom-pom shoes. They give the Vatican guards' uniforms a run for their money! :) We then made our way down Ermou Street which is a pedestrian mall of sorts. We hit several Byzantine churches and saw the Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds. We walked through a charming little "village" which is like a taste of the Cycladic island of Anafi. The path twisted narrowly between white-washed walls with red-tiled roofs. It was very quaint. Last we ended at Monastiraki Square with the Acropolis towering over us.
On Saturday, June 29, we had the morning to visit the Agora and our main interest, the Acropolis. It really did take your breathe away. After walking through many different ruins (which I won't now take the time to describe), we walked through the Propylaia. It was constructed in about 435 B.C. and was aligned with the Parthenon. After climbing the stairs, you walk through a huge gate toward your view of the Parthenon.
I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I was completely blown away by the size of it. It really stands like a beacon over Athens and is the largest Doric temple in Greece. It is 101 ft. by 228 ft. with 8 fluted Doric columns at each end and 17 along each side. The amazing things was that it was completed in just 9 years (447-438 B.C.). The architecture was made to look harmonious which meant that it actually curves upwards in the middle and the columns tilt inwards just a bit. Incredible!
My other favorite building was the Erchtheion. It has a beautiful porch where the columns (Caryatids) are stone ladies holding up the roof. It was built in 406 B.C. It actually has three rooms. I found the Caryatids very beautiful, but was surprised to find that the originals are in the museum (except one that was pinched by Lord Elgin in 1805 and is in the British Museum) because the polution started corroding their crisp features after about 1950.
The story of the Acropolis Flag at the top was rather inspirational. When the Nazis occupied Athens in 1941, the ezvone who guarded the flag was told to remove it. After taking it down, he wrapped himself in it and jumped to his death. A few weeks later, two Greek teenagers climbed the wall, took down the Nazi flag, and put up the Greek flag. This was at the beginning of the resistance against the Nazis. It is very moving to see the passion and patriotism all over the world.
Lastly, Jen and I got to climb up onto Mars Hill. It was a very knobby rock with slippery stones from all the people who have climbed up here. It was very emotional for me to stand in the place where Paul preached to the Athenians. Even though the Athenians were famous for their open-mindedness, most were skeptical at the time and only a small number were converts. One of the greatest joys I have travelling is to be in the places and see the things that are spoken of in the Bible. It makes the Bible come that much more alive to me.
Today, July 4 (Happy 4th of July to everyone!), Jen and I spent much of our afternoon shopping after we arrived on the train from Meteora. It was fun to be girls together and buy pretty jewelry and gifts.
Sorry that these accounts are so long. I've given up trying to be succinct. Feel free to skim or skip at will. :)
-Stacy
1 comment:
Don't apologize for the length. I find them actually just right -- very Goldilocks of you :)
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