Syntagma Square

Becca took some Tylenol and felt her ankle was good enough for touring so we walked over to Syntagma Square where we would meet our tour guide. This square is named after the Constitution the first King of Greece granted in 1843. We bought some sodas and water from a stand and sat in the square for a while before meeting our tour guide from Athens Walking Tours under the big clock inside the Metro station. The Athens Metro was built for the 2004 Olympics and opened in 2000 and Syntagma is a transfer stop for the red and blue lines as well as the tram system. The station showcases some of the archeological works unearthed as part of the construction of the Metro.

The Changing of the Guard

Our guide led us a short distance to the House of Parliament in time for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. In front of the Parliament building is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by an infantry unit of the Greek army, the Evzones. The Evzones wear traditional Greek uniforms with a kilt-like skirt called a foustanela and a shoe known as a Tsarouchi, a moccasin with a woolen pompom on the end which could house a small knife. The Evzones are not allowed to talk or move during their post except during the changing of the guard every hour.

National Gardens and Zappeion Hall

We walked next to the former Royal Garden of Amalia, named for the former Queen from the 1840s, who planted the iconic 25m tall palm trees herself. The gardens, now known as the National Garden, are home to 7000 trees, 40,000 bushes and other plants, making up 519 species and varieties. More than 100 of them are Greek, with Judas trees, oleanders and carob trees, along with Australian pines, Centenarian Holm oaks, cypress trees and Canary Island date palms. There are six lakes and we stopped to watch the ducks frolic in the water. We walked near Zappeion Hall with its courtyard boasting statues of recent Greek history and mythology and the figure of English poet Lord Byron, with the personification of Greece placing a wreath on his head as a token of honour and gratitude for his contribution to the struggle against the Ottomans.

We were given a little break and J. R. spotted a pharmacy and we went inside where a pharmacist looked at Rebecca's ankle and sized her for an ankle brace to improve stability. We stopped at McDonald's for a soda and water and looked in a few shops before meeting back up with our tour guide.

Walking to the Acropolis

We met up with our tour guide again and were a little disappointed that we were merged with another tour group because of a logistical issue which meant our small group tour was no longer a small group. We started the walk up to the Acropolis with our guide, stopping a few times along the way.

Theatre of Dionysus

Our first stop was at the Theatre of Dionysus on the south slope. The theatre dates back to the mid-to-late sixth century BCE.

Odeum of Herodes Atticus

We walked next to the Odeum of Herodes Atticus, which was completed in 161 AD and renovated in 1950. The Odeum is still used today for concerts.

Walking To The Top

After a short pause at the Odeum, we began the walk up to the top of Acropolis, taking in the views of Athens.

Temple of Athena Nike

We passed through the Propylaia, the monumental ceremonial gateway to the Acropolis and made our first stop at the Temple of Athena Nike, built around 420 BCE and dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike.

The Parthenon

At last we reached the Parthenon, the temple to the goddess Athena. The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BCE to honor the Athenian victory in the Greco-Persian Wars. By the 6th century AD, it served as a Christian church and later a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. During the 1687 siege by the Venetians, a bomb landed in munitions dump, severely damaging the structure. The Earl of Elgin removed many of the sculptures in the early 1800s.

The Erechtheum

Our guide left us after the Parthenon to have free time to explore on our own. We posed for photos at the Parthenon and then walked down to the Erechtheum, which we had passed on the way up. This ionic temple was made to house the statue of Athena. The Erechtheum was supported in places by the caryatids, sculptured female figures. One was taken by Lord Elgin in the 19th century, damaging the structure. The others were moved to the Acropolis Museum and replaced with replicas.

Overlooking Athens

After taking our photos, we began our walk down the slope, taking in the views of Athens.

Pnyx

We walked down the hill and over to Pnyx, a small, rocky hill that has served as a place of worship since prehistoric times and is considered the birthplace of democracy. We stopped first at the Prison of Socrates, where the orator was believed to be imprisoned in before his trial in 399 BC. More recently, artifacts from the Acropolis and National Archaeological Museum were hidden there to protect them from Nazi looting. We walked next to the Church of Agios Demetrios Loumbardiaris, considered one of the most picturesque churches of Athens. Then it was on to Nymphs Hill, established as the place where the Ecclesia tou Dimou, the principal assembly of the democracy of ancient Athens, convened.

The skies were darkening and as we made our way out of the park, rain began falling heavily. We plodded through it for awhile before finding a cluster of trees near an overhang to get dry. We stopped for lunch at Cafe Melina, dedicated to Melina Mercouri, a famous Greek actress and political activist who was minister of culture in the 1980s.

Athens Evening Food Tour and Dinner

We returned to our hotel for a short rest and then walked back to Syntagma Square where we would meet Fotis, our tour guide from Greekality for our Athens Evening Food Tour and Dinner. We were surprised that it turned out to be a private tour with just the three of us and our guide. Our first stop was at the Ergon house, a combination bistro and grocery store, where we sampled Greek cheeses, meats and olives. Fotis then led us on a brief sightseeing tour through some of the areas we had visited yesterday to Kafeneio Oraia Ellas, one of Athens' oldest coffee shops. We sat at a window table and were treated to the Greek version of tapas, including fried eggplant and pastichio. We walked past Lukumades, a Greek donut shop we would visit later, and past one of the oldest souvlaki shops in Athens. We headed next to Polis near St. Irene Square. The highlight of the tour for Janie was Krasomelo, a Greek mulled wine. She asked Fotis if she could purchase it somewhere and he went into the shop and came back with a water bottle filled with the warm wine, which Janie and Becca would drink at the hotel later in the week. Fotis took us past a few other locations he recommended and dropped us off back at Monastraki Square.

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