Acropolis Daze


It’s 10:30pm and I’m getting back on the subway to Athens after a successful bag recovery operation at the airport.  After numerous false alarms where we were led into the cavernous lower basement of the airport where literally thousands of lost bags reside, we were finally led to our treasure, next to the same baggage carrousel where we desperately prayed for its arrival, but let’s wind the clock back. 


Our big tour being delayed to 4m and starting with the Acropolis museum meant a leisurely start to the day, breakfast in the Plaka followed by a walk through the equivalent of Athens Central Park and arboretum where the don of the cicadas was enough to drown out conversation. We witnessed the somber spectacle of the changing of the guard at the National Palace and then headed back for some lunche in the Plaka. Jayson and Nicholas slept for 12 hours straight so they were less ragged as Paul got some work done and Terri implemented her Plan B to head to the mall if the luggage hadn’t arrived.  


By the time Terri had made her emergency purchases she received an email that the bag had been delivered to the airport.  We made plans to head to the airport after our tour and we met Kostas our guide at 4pm at the meeting point.  


What an amazing guide and what an amazing day full of insights and tales.  Kostas really knew his stuff and took us through a tour of Greek mythology, gods, demi-gods, heroes, crazy tales of battles, destruction, rebuilding and yet more destruction and lots of unbelievable stories in between.  Our brains were overloaded with information and were on the verge of crashing as we toured this amazing museum.  Some stories  that stood out included the Minotaur was created (not going to get into that one as this is a PG blog but Google it!) how Athena was born (by caesarean section via chopping a hole in Zeus’ skull), the true meaning of the word orgy and that gymnastics is a greek word that means  to exercise in the nude.  


This history of this amazing site is as large as the scale of the monument itself and spans millennia and many civilizations.  I used to be cheap and say we don’t need a guide to see places, but I’m glad I’ve gotten wiser in my old age because Kostas truly brought the Acropolis to life for us and I strongly recommend starting with the museum which is an architectural marvel it itself, constructed over the ruins of a stately mansion, it’s supporting columns threaded carefully through the ruins with surgical precision it floats over the site like a glass jewel box, the illusion maintained by a vertigo inducing central atrium with structural glass floors that physically connect the visitor from the lowest level to the highest level.  


We started the climb to the top as the heat of the day dissipated to a balmy 35 and I understood why authorities have been closing the monument in the current heat wave as this would be a truly dangerous ascent in 45 degree heat.  After so many tours of archaeological sites and choices over the years I had started to get jaded but this building and it’s magnificent setting with 360 degree views of Athena in all directions is simply stunning and breathtaking, even with the ubiquitous scaffolding that seems ever present on every monument on the continent.


Enough writing, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. My brain is still buzzing with the sound of cicadas and the stories that Kostas retailed us with.  Hopefully Jayson and Nicholas recognize what an amazing experience they had today in time. An unforgettable day with a great ending!


On to Delphi and the temple of Apollo tommorrow! 


Ps can you spot the cicada on the tree. You get a special prize if you do 




















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