pure pleasures

The Akropoli.

Thousands and thousands of years old. Saturated with history literally oozing out of every crack in every stone. As much as I hate doing "touristy" things, you can't miss this one. If you're in Athens, this is what you're doing. No questions asked.

We were told to get to the Acropolis around 8.30 am because it gets hot hot hot (which, I feel like is the story of this trip), but according to our usual morning routine, 8.30 was going to come way too quickly. Soooo, we showed up around 10, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed ready to hike to the top and see the city. We find the stairs to the Parthenon (no thanks to the terrible signage that seems to be the theme of Greek life!) and start the slippery trek up. Each step you take is amazing. The view is breathtaking until you realize that if you go up higher even just two more feet it gets even better. Good thing I remembered the camera today!

The Parthenon is surrounded by the ruins of other buildings in what used to be quite the happening place in ancient times. There were at least a dozen other structures surrounding the area, other temples, theaters, ceremonial gates. The whole thing was pretty staggering. Each column was engraved and sculpted with such detail that no postcard or image in a book could ever reveal. How did they do that with the tools they had then?!

At the bottom of the great hill is a new museum designed by the contemporary architect Bernard Tschumi. He had the laborious task of placing a modern museum to house and pay homage to all the artifacts from the Acropolis directly on top of ruins from ancient times that they were currently excavating! I must say, he did an amazing job.

The columns of the new structure are carefully placed within the ruins and a very graceful and open building rises above. The ground floor platform is open in places so that visitors can look down into the excavation site and watch its progress. Glass floors are throughout the entire building so that you can always see this archeological work. Even the second and third floors have glass so that you conceptually are able to see all the way to the dig (practically all it really allows you to see is up other visitor's dresses, but hey... it was a great idea). The museum brilliantly displays the astounding work of the ancient Greeks and seeing the old being housed by the new so elegantly is phenomenal in itself.

After cooling off in the museum we ventured back out into the sun to find the Roman Agora and other temples at the bottom of the rising hill. The whole site is very humbling. I think I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the idea of walking through the same structures as the Apostle Paul or priestesses of Athena.

As the sun went down we went wandering again, this time in search of food... shocking. We remembered that Jon, our favorite person from Rhodes, had suggested a restaurant which we sought with a vengeance. Success! After we sat, the most amazing dinner ensued. Basically, despite my ability to ramble with no end in sight, I do not possess adequate words to describe this meal. Therefore, I will simply regurgitate the descriptions found from the menu since it is taking all my concentration to not salivate on my computer as I am reminiscing the harmony of ingredients and flavors.

First there were dumplings filled with feta cheese mousse, olives, spearmint and topped with pomegranate sauce. Oh, and we can't forget the wine. Oh, the wine...

Then there was roasted sea bass (the whole fish! head and all) topped with sauce and gently placed on zucchini and wild greens. All this was followed by "Millefeuille of fiorentines, catalana cream and caramelized apricots" (that's basically heavenly almond sugar wafers layered with sublimely smooth custard and succulent apricots that despite being caramelized, managed to keep a tartness that was exquisite as it cut the sweetness of the custard).

Architect?! Why didn't I choose Chef?!

Stuffed and happy we walked past the Acropolis lit up in all its glory by soft spotlighting from below. We caught the tram (after just getting a bit lost-- we're getting better!) and found the apartment.


Ancient Architecture.

Modern Architecture.

Delicious Food.

Are you kidding me? Is this education or what?

oh, those greeks...

Ok, I know this is three days late. Sheesh.


So I'll try to catch up: We arived stumbling into Athens. 6.30 am. All night ferry ride. Boat, train, bus, feet. Lugging suitcases all the way. Whew.


Once we got to the apartment we decided to take a two hour nap since ferry sleep is no where near the real thing. Two hours turned into five and we woke up in shock at 1 pm! Not to fear, we are indomitable travel experts and did not let the time set-back ruin our plans. We found the tram after much sweaty wandering through our neighborhood, hopped on only to realize that in our over-sleeping stupor, I had left the camera back in the room. Argh! Go back or not? Go back or not? Nope. Too hot. Unfortunately only iphone pictures for today...

our Greek angel

If I haven't mentioned it before, all of the taxis are on strike here. Yup. ALL. It has made city-navigating very interesting to say the least... We finally did find the tram, but as we were heading downtown it stops. Shouting in the tram abruptly erupts and Greeks with grocery bags, Greeks with walking canes, Greeks with bikes all join in and head out the door. Are we in the Ryainair terminal all over again?! It was like a European flash mob! A sporadic dance complete with a cacophony of foreign language and flying vegetables. 

As we shuffled (rather, were shuffled out by running Greeks) from the tram car an older man spoke to us in English saying that the Taxi drivers had somehow gotten to the tram cars and that particular one was no longer running. We'd have to walk. Heat. Sweat. Brilliant. Our "Greek Angel" turned out to be quite the gregarious little tour guide. He said we should follow him to the downtown area and he'd show us where to go after that. Our walk was long and concluded only when he had finished lecturing on subjects to include, but not limited to:

1. Greek politics

2. His Mercedes (complete story with banged up key around his neck) 

3. Al Capone

4. What the F.B.I. stands for (Federal Bureau of Interrogation, if you didn't know, but he does yes, yes, yes.)

5. Jacki Kennedy and her sexual escapades with the Greeks

first modern Olympic stadium

Hmmm. 

It was great conversation. The only problem was that it was hot, we didn't know where we were and every time he got good and goin', he would stop to talk. Dead stop. Dead stop with hands waving and wouldn't walk again until we too had stopped, taken a few steps back towards him to make sure we heard every. little. word. and then we would keep plodding slowly forward. We took the "long way" downtown I guess...

We made it to the city center and wandered into a tourism office (looking for a bookstore since neither of us had a map of Athens...) and got advice on what to do for the day. We have three (well, now only 2.5) days in Athens and wanted to make sure we saw everything. Armed with maps, suggestions and and an expensive bus tour ticket to Delphi for Monday (it'll be great!), we ventured into the city to find the National Gardens.  

National Gardens didn't hold a candle to those around DC or the US in general (man, am I starting to get homesick or something?!) but we did manage to walk up at the exact moment that the changing of the guards started. Now, it is my opinion that any such ritual is not only some evil scheme plotted by those in authority to mortify their underlings and keep them in line, but also created to somehow establish themselves as key players on the "countries of ultimate silliness" list. These guys take the cake. No question. I've seen the British and the Danish do it, but the Greeks, man, they out-shine them all. 

Already decked out in white tights and long sleeved tunics (that came down just long enough to barely cover their rears), these soldiers sported clogs topped with pom-poms the size of grapefruits, carried guns 4' tall guns and donned tidy little hats with 3' long black tassels to complete the ensemble. Each started out in his little house on either side of the palace and at 10 'til the hour began a procession so elaborate that I swear I had to cover my mouth to cover my dumbfounded smiles. One foot out. Clunk goes the clog. One leg raised out in pure yoga position. Clunk goes the gun. Leg down. Clunk the clog. Hand up. Clunk the gun. 

really?

This went on until the soldiers were standing two feet from each other. Suddenly (actually this whole thing was literally in slow motion--another added bonus to the ceremony-- so the word "suddenly" does not really apply...) the two soldiers lifted their foot in the yoga like position, touched toes and kept them that way for at least ten seconds (doesn't sound long but when you are watching in pure astonishment and utter unbelief it seems like an eternity). Then without warning, put their feet down and clunked, clank, clunked back to their positions exactly on the hour. They were about 20' from each other at the start of this frolic so you can imagine how slow they were going to make this little dance last a full ten minutes. It was intense. 

Zeus' temple

Went over to Zeus' Chapel located near the Acropolis. It is crazy to be seeing things that were constructed 500 years ago BC. Modern Architects have a lot to live up to. Groan.

We decided to save the Acropolis for tomorrow since it was evening (thanks to our lovely "little" nap). Instead, found a great little cafe (chosen mainly for the fact that it had AC) and grabbed some wine for me (oooobivously...!) and some sort of mocha-coffee-ice cream construction for Mom. (To be fair, she thought she was just ordering an iced latte.) Inspired by the architecture all around, we sat and planned the most perfect barn/studio thoughtfully sited in a lovely pasture in The Plains, Virginia (can I bill for that...? Kidding!).

It was an early night for us travel-gals but a great introduction to Athens. 

So far so good (well, brilliant actually if you're counting the points for stunning soldier choreography!).