Greece, Spring 2025

An Easy Day in Athens, and then Off to Delphi! – Lycabettus Hill, The Acropolis at Night, Delphi, and the E4 Trail Wildflower Hike

On my last full day in Athens I woke up late and feeling tired. Jet lag was finally catching up with me, I think. I had quite a few things planned for the day, and I wasn’t sure which to keep and how to revise my plans. Finally, I decided that I definitely wanted to climb Lycabettus Hill, even though I’d missed the early morning light, so off I went. The walk from my accommodation took about 20 minutes, with peeks up at Lycabettus as I neared.

After some very steep streets, I reached the base of the hill and then the steps started.

The path, mostly stairs, was paved the entire way as it zig zagged up the hill, and it was not long before wonderful views to the Acropolis opened up.

The view grew even wider as I rose higher. In the photo below, I love the green sweep of the Ancient Agora that spills off to the right of the Acropolis. You can just see the Agora’s Temple of Hephaestus at the very right edge of the photo amongst the trees.

After more stairs, I reached the top where there is a bell tower and the tiny white Church of Agios Georgios which dates to 1870. It was a quicker climb than expected! There is also a restaurant at the top, and for those who do not wish to make the climb there is a funicular that rises up on the other side of the hill.

I enjoyed the views of Athens, and the brisk refreshing wind at the top. I took yet more photos of the Acropolis, and also of views across Athens to the northeast,

and towards the Panathenaic stadium which is located in the Pangrati neighbourhood, not far from my accommodation. The 50,000 seat stadium was built in 144 AD, entirely of marble, on the site of a much older stadium, and it was excavated and restored for the first modern Olympic games in 1896.

I then began my descent, very happy to have made the climb, but my tiredness returned in a wave as soon as I reached the bottom of the hill. It was getting hot and muggy, and both my body and brain were asking for a rest, so I decided to return to my apartment rather than continue with visits to the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, and the Archaeological Site of the Lyceum of Aristotle, as I had planned. In the end, I did not make it to either place. I rested, ate, did laundry, sorted through photos, and finally got started with a blog post. Twice in the afternoon, as I enjoyed my quiet time in the apartment, heavy rain fell on my balcony as thunder showers passed over the city. Luckily for me, though, those showers ended by early evening and I felt rested enough to set out to climb Filopappou Hill for a second time in order to see the Acropolis at sunset, and also at night when it is lit with floodlights. It was fun to climb up wooded Filopappou again, and I settled onto a stone seat with this view as I waited for sunset.

However, the glowing light of a sunset never materialized, as there were heavy clouds low in the west, but I was happy conversing with two young French women who were travelling around Europe for six months. We talked travel, and when I mentioned that Mykonos was my next destination they informed me that the thunderstorms and heavy rain of the previous day had caused serious flooding on the islands of Paros and Mykonos, and that tourists were being asked to stay away. Oh dear, but I would worry about that later. We contined to talk until a chill wind began and the French girls left. I retreated to the leeward side of Filopappou to get out of that wind, sat on the ground, and enjoyed the views west towards Piraeus as the sky gradually darkened and street lights began to turn on.

I rose back to the top of the hill several times to peek over to the Acropolis until finally the floodlights were lit!

Then I stayed a little while longer, until the sky was a darker blue/black, for these last photos from my first stay in historic Athens.

The next morning, after negotiating crowded city buses and the metro, I said goodbye to Athens and travelled by coach bus to Delphi to see the famous archaeological site there. I enjoyed the rural scenery on the three hour journey northwest, especially as we began to climb up into the mountains. Soon the mountain scenery turned dramatic, as we rounded the shoulder of Mt. Parnassus, and then switchbacked several times down its steep southern slope to arrive at the mountainside town of Delphi which is in walking distance to the archaeological site and museum. I was happy to stretch my legs after the bus ride as I walked up the steep road to my accommodation at the family-run Castri Hotel. I loved it there! Very reasonably priced, at only 50 Euro per night including breakfast, I had a spacious room with my own small balcony.

And this was my view! All the way down the valley to the Gulf of Corinth!

Here is another view, looking over the rooftops, towards the church at the centre of town. Look at those mountains!

I was thrilled! I sat in the sun on my balcony and enjoyed my simple packed lunch. The hotel was quiet, and there was no one else on the other balconies. It was just me, and the view, and the swooping swallows. Heaven! But, I had a hike to do, so I set off to find the trailhead of the E4 trail located above the town. The E4 is a long European trail that runs all the way from Portugal to Cypress, and it passes through the town of Delphi. I would be walking on the ancient footpath that pilgrims from northern Greece would have used to reach Delphi in ancient times. I climbed up to the highest street of the town via several steep staircases like this one,

and then walked down that street a short distance to arrive at this beautiful and auspicious-looking start to the trail! Wow!

The wildflowers were amazing, and there were so many honey bees and butterflies flying from flower to flower. It was gorgeous!

And this was now the view down over the town to the Gulf of Corinth!

I began the climb and reached this view down to the ancient gymnasium of Delphi, located at the top of the archaeological site. This is where games and races were held when the citizens of the Greek city states met each year at Delphi. (Notice the road that our bus drove in on!)

Here is a zoomed in view of the gymnasium after I rose a little higher. The athletes would enter through the three stone archways at the far end of the field, while spectators sat in the stands.

I continued upwards, past some ruins,

and then higher to marvellous views up the valley,

and down towards the sea.

Then, I was clearly climbing on the ancient stepped pathway as it rose up the mountainside,

with views back over the small ridge that had led me to this point.

It was all so beautiful and exciting! I climbed perhaps another kilometre on the E4, and then doubled back to find the junction that would loop me back down to the town. I didn’t want to leave, though, and stopped again and again to admire my surroundings and the wonderful plants and scenery all around.

Eventually, I reached the street, descended the staircases, said hello to several cats, stopped to admire some lilacs,

and then returned to my room to rest and enjoy more views from my balcony. Later, hunger sent me back out into the town to check out its many restaurants. At the lowest street, I stopped for this view looking straight down into the deep valley.

While doing my trip planning, I didn’t realize that the E4 continues from Delphi down into the valley below where it follows the ancient pilgrims’ path all the way to the sea, a distance of about thirteen kilometres. If I had known that, I would definitely have booked a third night in Delphi in order to do that hike, down to the sea and the city of Itea (known in ancient times as the harbour of Krissa), and then back up to Delphi by bus. I will just have to come back!

I continued looking for an inexpensive pita wrap to take back to my hotel, but in the end I decided to splurge on a rare sit down dinner at the wonderful Bakhos restaurant. Bread, olive tapenade, wine, and cabbage rolls stuffed with beef and rice, and smothered in a rich lemon sauce – it was a true celebration in the spirit of a mountainside pilgrimage to Delphi!

I loved this town, and this view,

and I looked forward to my next day’s visit to the archaeological site of Delphi, the mythological centre of the Ancient Greek world. Goodnight from Delphi.

Greece, Spring 2025

A Fabulous Day Trip to the Peloponnese Peninsula – The Corinth Canal, Ancient Mycenae, Nafplio, and the Epidaurus Theatre and Sanctuary

For my third full day in Athens I had booked an all-day bus tour to the Peloponnese peninsula, principally to see the ancient fortress of Mycenae. The tour also included a quick stop to photograph the Corinth Canal, a lunch stop in the lovely seaside town of Nafplio, and a visit to the ancient theatre and sanctuary at Epidaurus. I woke early feeling tired, and then disappointed as I registered the sound of heavy rain falling on my small balcony. The previous muggy days had portended thunder showers and they had arrived! I briefly considered staying in bed and not going (the tour was “rain or shine”), but once up and organized I was ready to carry on. I had a rain jacket and an umbrella, and much of our time would be spent on the bus as the distances were significant. I need not have worried though, as by the time I arrived at the meeting point, the rain had slowed to a trickle. It would continue to come and go all day, but fortunately for us on the tour it fell mostly while we were driving, and cleared for almost all of our stops!

Our first stop was at the amazing Corinth Canal. This 6.4 km long canal divides the Peloponnese peninsula from the rest of the Greek mainland. It was constructed between 1881 and 1893 in order for ships to move from the Agean Sea to the Ionian Sea, instead of having to sail all the way around the Peloponnese, thus saving a journey of over 700 kilometres. The idea for a canal was not new as the Romans under Nero commenced work on a canal in 67 AD, but they abandoned the project soon afterwards. And, an amazing 700 years earlier than the Romans, the Corinthian ruler Periander had commenced to dig a canal. He too gave up the idea, and instead he constructed a “road” of rolling logs on which to portage ships across the narrow Isthmus of Corinth. Today’s canal is 6.4 kilometres long, 80.7 metres wide, and its rock walls rise 90 metres above sea level. It was quite something to see!

From there we began our drive to Mycenae and were soon on wonderful curving and scenic roads that passed between rugged hills and green valleys full of olive trees and pines. Ancient Mycenae is a hilltop fortress that was the capital city of the Mycenaeans, Bronze Age Greeks who dominated the Peloponnese between the 16th and 12th centuries BC, and who extended their influence across the Agean. Here is a first view as I neared the fortress,

and here is a view of its famous Lion Gate that guards the entrance.

It is set in a wall that was forty feet high and twenty feet thick, and was built of enormous blocks of stone that weigh 5-10 tons each! The heads of the carved stone lions are missing, but one imagines that they might have faced incomers with an imperious and warning gaze. The lintel above the gate weighs eighteen tons! I entered the gate and immediately off to the right was the site of the Circle Grave A which contained six graves.

Archaeologists discovered nineteen bodies of men, women, and children buried here, with weapons, ornate staffs, gold and silver cups, and gold jewellery.

They also found five golden death masks, one of which is known as the Death Mask of Agamemnon, the legendary ruler of Mycenae and attacker of Troy. Here is a reproduction of his death mask housed in the onsite museum, and I will see the original in Athens at the National Archaeological Museum on my last day in Athens.

We only had 70 minutes to tour the site and museum (rather than the 90 minutes promised) as it had taken so long to get through the traffic of Athens, but that was okay. I was just happy to absorb the dramatic setting of the site on a rocky hill and between two tall, imposing mountains. There were views down the valley all the way to the sea,

and up the valley to distant mountains.

But, my favourite view was towards the back of the fortress looking towards a pass between the two mountains. I wanted to head to that pass and walk there for miles!

The back part of the fortress featured the ruins of houses, store rooms, and workshops, as well as a stone staircase leading down to a cistern which stored water sourced from springs on the hillside. It was fun to go down and then up.

Also near the back of the fortress was the North Gate which was built of massive stones and fit with a heavy wooden door.

I rose back up to the summit of the fortress,

and then made my way to the museum, stopping often to admire the profusion of wildflowers growing around the site.

The museum showcases some of the artefacts that were found when Mycenae was first discovered and excavated in the 1870s. Here are a few examples of the fine pottery, jewellery, and bronze tools that were on display. (You can click on any photo for a close up if you like.)

A short distance away from the fortress is the Treasury of Atreus, one of two massive beehive-shaped burial chambers that were also discovered here. The impressive entrance passage is 20 feet wide and 110 feet long,

and the round interior chamber, with a corbelled dome roof, is 47 feet in diameter and 42 feet tall!

Notice the enormous stone lintel over the doorway- it is 26 feet long, 16 feet deep, and 3 feet high, and it weighs an amazing 120 tons!

Here is my last view, from the Treasury of Atreus, towards the Mycenaean fortress, camouflaged on its hilltop, with one of its two guardian mountains towering behind.

Then we were off to Nafplio, a seaside town that features three 14th century Venetian fortresses. There are Mycenaean ruins of their port city, Tiryn, nearby, and Nafplio was also the first capital of the modern state of Greece before the capital moved to Athens. Here is the first Venetian fortress, Bourtzi, located dramatically in the middle of Nafplio’s harbour!

I headed to the distant promenade,

for closer views of Bourtzi,

and there were also great views to the hilltop Palamidi Fortress that is reached by climbing over 900 steps. The third Venetian fortress is located on the nearer hill.

I hope to spend several days in historic Nafplio on a future trip to Greece in order to explore those fortresses and also explore Tiryn. But, today there was only time for a quick lunch, and a stroll through some of the streets and alleyways of the old town where many of the colourful Venetian-built buildings cater to visiting tourists with cafes, tavernas, and gift shops.

By the time I returned to the harbour, dark clouds had moved in,

and thunder boomed from across the water where sheets of rain fell.

We boarded the bus and headed to our last stop, Epidaurus, which was a famous centre of healing in Ancient times and known as the Sanctuary of Asclepius who was the god of medicine. Epidaurus is famous for its well-preserved theatre (c. 300 BC) which is built into the side of a forested hill and which has exceptional acoustics where a whisper on the stage can be heard from the highest seats above.

I climbed midway up the steps and turned for views,

and then I rose to the highest level and circled around to the centre for views down over the theatre and out to the mountain scenery beyond. Wow!

I continued around to the far side, and the following photo is one of my favourite shots of the day. I call it, “Three Human Figures”.

The rain started as I began to descend the steps and so I made my way to the small museum,

and then, dry under my umbrella, I toured the grounds of the sanctuary which once featured mineral baths, housing for the sick, temples, alters, a gymnasium, and the theatre. Today, there are scant remains left of those structures, but I felt the healing atmosphere of the place with its mountain scenery, green expanses, trees and flowers.

We reboarded the bus and made a final and bonus stop a short while later at a scenic overlook above the town of Epidaurus. Our charming and excellent tour leader, George, kindly took my photo.

The ride from here to the Corinth Canal was fabulous! I was glad to be sitting on the right side of the bus as we drove the sinuous road along the coast high above the sea. It was a little scary at times, (the thin metal guardrail looked insufficient to its task!), but very beautiful and exciting, and I would love to visit the Peloponnese again to drive that road, revisit today’s sights at a slower place, and also visit more sites like Argos and Sparta. We recrossed the Corinth Canal (such an amazing blue colour!), regained the freeway, and then drove towards and into a thunderstorm that pummelled us with heavy rain. The clouds were black and I saw an electric bolt flash across the entire sky. It was the biggest bolt of lightning that I have ever seen, and the loud boom of thunder followed immediately afterwards. Little did I know that intermittent thunderstorms would be the weather pattern for the following days, but luckily for me none were as fierce as what we drove through on this day. The storm settled down as we approached Athens, and only a few drops of rain were still falling as I excited the bus and said goodbye to George and the others. It had been a fabulous full-day tour, almost eleven hours, and I was so grateful that I had made myself get up and go. Thank you for following me on this exceptional day!

PS – I took my tour with the Open Top Bus Hellas company at a very reasonable low-season rate.

Greece – Spring, 2025

Athen’s Ancient Agora, and a Trio of Historical Hills to Climb

On my second full day in Athens I headed to the Ancient Agora which was the centre of Athen’s commercial, social and political life for some 800 years, from about 600 BC to 300 AD. Agora means “gathering space” and this agora featured shops, piazzas, theatres, temples, tavernas, altars, and government housing, offices, and meeting halls where ministers, elected by the free adult male citizens of Athens, met to debate, make, and oversee the administration of laws. The two main roads of Athens met here: the principal east/west road, which led to the busy Athenian port of Piraeus, and the Panathenaic Way (below), which ran north/south and led towards and up onto the Acropolis.

During its heyday, the Agora thronged with people running their businesses, shopping, visiting theatres and temples, and attending speeches, demonstrations and celebrations. Socrates philosophized here, Plato and Aristotle taught here, and Sophocles produced plays here. Today though, the Agora is a large, quiet, and peaceful expanse of green, marked mostly by the foundations of grand buildings long since gone. There are some notable exceptions, however, the most obvious being the Temple of Hephaistos which I had seen from a distance when up on the Acropolis. It is beautifully set on a low rise and its gorgeous golden colour is complemented by the greenery of the surrounding trees.

I headed towards the temple, but first I stopped to photograph the surviving remnants of what were once six large sculptures that acted as columns for the Odeon of Agrippa, a large theatre built during the Roman period.

The Temple of Haphaistos is one of the best preserved Greek temples. Similar to, but smaller than the Parthenon, it was built around 350 BC in the Doric style. Here, Athenians worshiped Hephaistos, the blacksmith god, as well as Athena as the patroness of arts and crafts.

From in front of the temple, there were great views across the Agora to the Acropolis,

and, in the other direction, across to the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos, which is the long colonnaded building on the right in the photo below. Lycabettus Hill rises dramatically in the distant background.

I was happy to be in such a peaceful green space, and I strolled the site lazily, occasionaly reading information panels, and looking up to the Acropolis often. It really draws the eye! I enjoyed the feeling of space, the trees and flowers, and the pleasing geometry of the ruins and its the blocks and cylinders of stone.

At the far end of the Agora I came upon the Church of the Holy Apostles which was built in the year 1000 AD on the site of an ancient temple and spring. It is built in the Byzantine style, in the shape of a Greek cross, and with a central dome, and it was dedicated to St. Paul who preached Christianity in the Agora and on the nearby Areopagus Hill.

Scattered around and near the church were many pieces of carved stone and I stopped to admire and photograph some of them.

I then made my way to the Stoa of Attola which is a reconstruction that was built in the 1950s on the plan of the original stoa from 150 BC. The stoa had covered walkways and housed shops on its first floor and offices on its second. The covered porch is about 400 feet long and today is lined with statues of gods, heroes, and athletes that were once located on the grounds of the agora.

Here is a view down the inside length of the covered porch from beyond the first set of columns,

and then the second. So elegant!

The stoa houses the Agora’s museum and I enjoyed perusing the cases, many of which held pottery. The Athenians were skilled at the craft and traded their wares widely. The cases were arranged chronologically and showed the development of different styles of pottery over the centuries (from left to right, an amphora and jar from 1500 BC, pieces from the Early and Late Geometric Periods (850 BC, and 700 BC), and finely decorated black on red pottery from c. 500 BC).

There were other kinds of artefacts displayed as well, such as glass items and gold jewellery from the Roman period,

and objects that represented the political life of the Agora, including a special machine called a Kleroteria which was used to randomly select which citizens had to do jury duty and other state duties, and a simple water clock made of two pottery bowls that timed speeches at council meetings – six minutes and you were done! The case on the right shows pottery fragments with names scratched upon them by Athenians who were voting to ostracize fellow citizens who were corrupt or acted as tyrants.

I exited the museum and stoa, and walked along the row of column fragments that mark the site of what was once the 500 foot long Middle Stoa,

and then I found a quiet shaded bench among the trees and sat for a good long while, reluctant to leave the Agora. But, it was nearing noon, and time to move on as I had hills to climb. I exited the Agora onto the pedestrian Adrianou street which is lined with tavernas, cafes, ice cream shops, and souvenir stalls. It was jam-packed with tourists and locals alike, with many Greek families out for lunch and a stroll. I managed to find a quiet corner in one of the less-busy tavernas and enjoyed a tasty falafel wrap for lunch. Then, I headed up the even busier Ag. Asomaton street where I dodged tourists and shoppers that were perusing the arts and crafts and flea market stalls of the Thisseo market. People seemed happy, on this sunny Sunday, and I guess this scene was not very unlike what the Agora might have looked and felt like centuries ago. But, crowds are not for me, and I was very happy to find the entrance into the park-like grounds that surround Aeropaggus Hill. Ahhh, a pleasing and auspicious start to my climb!

Unfortunately, graffiti tags marred parts of the historic hill, but the scenery was still stunning. (Like Paris and Naples, Athens has a lot of graffiti which I cannot abide.)

Thousands upon thousands of footfalls over time have made the rock of this outcropping polished and slippery, and even with my hiking boots I had to be careful of my steps. I stopped halfway up to turn and take in the view over the Agora below,

and across towards Plaka and Lycabettus HIll.

Then I climbed to the very top, where the Apostle Paul is said to have delivered a famous sermon, for this view of the Acropolis!

Here is a zoomed in view of the Propylaea gate and the Temple of Athena Nike, and I sat for a short while and watched an endless stream of visitors make their way up the stone steps.

I descended Areopagus Hill and stopped halfway down to assess the three low hills to the west of me that comprise the “Archaeological Site of Hills of the Muses (Philopappos), Pynx, and Nymph.” I decided to save the furthest, Nymph Hill, for another day and I set my eyes on Pynx Hill across from me to the west,

and on Philopappou Hill, the tallest of the three, and topped by a large frieze depicting the Muses.

At the base of Pynx Hill there was a map that showed the locations of more than 25 historic sites that are scattered over the three hills. I only photographed one historic spot on Pynx Hill, the speaker’s platform. This was the meeting place of the ancient Assembly, from between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, where Athenian citizens came to orate, debate, and vote on laws and customs.

But, I was no longer in the mood for history as I was diverted by the lovely hillside paths, trees, flowers, and the views all around.

Mostly though I was diverted by views of the Acropolis! Here are only two, from slightly different vantage points, and as the sky changed over time, of the probably twenty photos that I took!

I loved being on those hills and I seriously considered walking back down Filopappou, and up and over Pynx, to then climb up Nymph Hill and include it in my day. But, I still had a lengthy walk home, and I decided that my Sunday had already been full enough. It had been another wonderful day in historic Athens!

Greece, Spring 2025

A Monumental First Day (Literally)! The Acropolis, Hadrian’s Arch, The Temple of Olympian Zeus, The Roman Forum and Tower of the Winds, and a quintet of historic Athenian churches

After a very long day and night of travel without sleep, I arrived tired but still happy at my small airbnb in the Pangrati neighbourhood near the centre of Athens. I settled in, and then retired early for a good long sleep. Doves were cooing outside my window at dawn, and I awoke refreshed and excited – I was off to see the Acropolis this morning! The thirty minute walk first took me through the welcoming green space of the National Gardens. I passed the Zappeion Hall which was built in the 1880s for use as an exhibition hall and as a ceremonial space for the first modern Olympic Games.

The park was quiet and peaceful, and the air was scented with pine and the perfume of orange trees in blossom. There were also big ripe oranges on those trees, and I was surprised and delighted when a small flock of green parrots flew overhead! Out of the park, I turned to walk along busy Vassilissis Amalias Avenue where I passed these Roman Bath ruins.

Athens was under Roman occupation and rule for nearly 500 years beginning in the 1st century BC. I next reached Hadrian’s Arch which was built by the emperor Hadrian in 131 AD. The Acropolis hill is framed in the centre of the arch, visible in the distance behind the white building.

And, near to the arch are the grounds of the Temple of Olympian Zeus which was begun in the mid-500s BC by the Greeks, but was not completed until some 700 years later by the Romans under Hadrian. It was the largest temple ever built in Greece and featured 104 colossal columns, each more than fifty feet high. Now, only 14 columns remain, most of which are currently surrounded by scaffolding as conservation work takes place (to the left in the photo below).

Soon I reached the pedestrian street that curves from east to west along the base of Acropolis Hill. Here are some of my first views up to the Parthenon and then up to the Temple of Athena Nike.

I continued around to enter the Acropolis from the west gate and enroute I passed the back wall of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a 5,000-seat amphitheatre which was built during the Roman era. The theatre was reconstructed in the 1950s and hosts music, dance, and theatre performances every summer. I was able to peek into the theatre, and later view it from above when I was atop the Acropolis.

Soon I reached the west gate where others were already waiting for our 8 a.m. entry time. Tickets to the Acropolis now have timed entries in order to limit the overcrowding that has plagued the site, and luckily for me guests with printed paper tickets were let in before those with tickets on their phones so I was one of the first to be let in! It was exciting to climb up the curving, marble-lined path, and then to arrive at the steep stairs that lead up to the grand Propylaea entrance gate.

The two photos on the right above were taken later in the morning after the hazy sky had cleared to a beautiful blue. I love the photo below of the tiny but beautiful Temple of Athena Nike, with its elegant Ionic columns, which is located to the right of the grand entrance gate.

This is my first photo of the Parthenon, considered by many to be the finest temple of the ancient world. Built between 447 and 438 BC, at the highest point on the Acropolis hill, the temple was dedicated to Athena and also served as a treasury of Athens.

And, here are later photos of the Parthenon, from after the haze cleared and from different vantage points. The white sections on the columns are where restorations have been made using marble that comes from the same quarry as the original stone. They will become golden-coloured with time. (A reminder that you can click on any photo to see an enlargement.)

The Erechtheion is another temple on the Acropolis and was built soon after the Parthenon, between 421 and 406. Dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon, this temple features Ionic columns and the Porch of the Caryatids. The Caryatids are six elegant female sculptures that act as structural supports. They are said to be modeled after the noble women of Karyai, near Sparta.

The Acropolis (which means “high city”) has been been in use for many thousands of years, including as a fortress for the Myceneans in the 14th century BC. It is a natural fortress site, with its 100 foot high sheer cliffs and its far-reaching views across the land and to the sea. Here is a view from the eastern end of the Acropolis, looking across towards Lycabettus Hill, Athen’s tallest. Modern Athens, a city of more than three million, sprawls off into the distance in this and every direction.

Here is a view looking to the northwest. The large green space is the site of the Ancient Agora, with the temple of Hephaestus clearly visible near its centre.

This is a view from the south side of the Acropolis, looking down to the Theatre of Dionyisus and beyond.

And, here is a zoomed-in shot of the Theatre of Dionysus which seated 17,000 persons.

Finally, here is the view to the west, looking across to wooded Filopappos Hill and beyond to the Agean Sea (just barely visible on the horizon in my photo).

I was so lucky to be atop the Acropolis while the site was not yet crowded, and I managed to take many people-free photos. I do like this photo though,

as the line of incoming visitors gives a small hint of what it might have been like during the times of the Panathenaic Festivals when a long procession of Athenians would rise up onto the Acropolis to bring gifts and make sacrifices to honour the goddess Athena.

I exited the Acropolis from the south gate and briefly considered visiting the new and striking Acropolis Museum which houses statuary, reliefs, and other artefacts rescued from the site, but it was a fine day and I decided to save that visit for another time. I continued along the pedestrian path near the base of the Acropolis and around to the north side. On my left was the lovely green expanse of the Ancient Agora, and then I arrived at views of the ruins of the Roman Forum below. Beautiful!

On the edge of the ruins was the Tower of the Winds, an octagonal structure built around 50 BC that functioned as one of the world’s first known clock towers. Equipped on the exterior with a weather vane and sundials, inside there was a sophisticated water clock which allowed for accurate measurements of time!

Next, I passed the ruins of Hadrian’s Library,

and from there, I explored several of the small streets and alleyways of the Plaka neighbourhood that are filled with tavernas, cafes, and tourist shops. Typically very busy in the evenings, and at the height of the tourist season, they were still quiet on this day before noon.

I was headed towards Syntagma Square when I came upon the 11th century Kapnikarea church which is located in a small square and encircled by high-end shops and hotels. It is one of Athen’s oldest churches.

It was very atmospheric and I sat for a while to admire the domed cieling, the symmetry of the architecture, and the artistry of the woodworking and paintings. Then I rested outside in the sun next to the church and consulted my map. A cathedral was close by so I decided to visit there, but I went in the wrong direction and arrived at another church instead. The Temple of Agia Irini is a very beautiful church, and it was incredibly peaceful inside, with no other visitors and with the lovely smell of incense in the air. The light shone brightly through deeply-colored stained glass.

I then consulted my map again and easily found my way to the Mitropolis Cathedral located just a few blocks away. Built in the mid 19th century, the cathedral is situated on a large and pleasing square. Like the previous churches, its interior was elaborately ornate and highly decorated with frescoes, gilded paintings, and also many images and objects made of hammered silver.

Located beside the cathedral was the teeny tiny Church of Theotokos Gorgoepikoos. Built on the site of an ancient temple, this 12th century church was constructed using stones and ancient carved stone reliefs found from sites around Athens. I loved this tiny, simple, and very elegant church which can fit only about a dozen worshippers shoulder to shoulder. As in the cathedral, some of the visitors who entered here crossed themselves and lit candles as a way to honour loved ones or to send their prayers.

I continued to Syntagma Square, first to buy a sim card for my phone, and then to view the Greek Parliament buildings and the changing of the guard. It took awhile to set up the phone, I was beginning to feel tired, and Syntagma Square was now very busy with people and traffic including many huge tourist buses. I could see the start of the National Gardens park off to my right and it looked much more appealing than being amongst the crowds so I decided to head that way and return home for an afternoon rest.

A block from my accommodation I came across yet another beautiful church, the Church of Saint Spyridon Stadio, built in 1903 in the Byzantine style.

I was glad to have entered, but I was now more than ready for my rest! Thankfully, my accommodation was cool, quiet, and homey – a perfect place for my five night stay in Athens. I had a good rest, and then I explored my local neighbourhhood, bought groceries, cooked up a pasta dinner, and celebrated with a glass of Greek wine. It had been a fabulous first day in Athens, with so many ancient monuments to see and learn about, and also many beautiful and historic churches to discover. I went to sleep greatly looking forward to the days ahead!