Athens in a day

I know, I know, it's been a long time again since I've blogged, but I'm generally inclined to blog about the spectacular trips I go on during weekends, where I take lots of pictures and eat lots of delicious food. So after spending the last two weekends in Athens, where everything has become ordinary to me and I don't think to take pictures of it because I see it every day I'm not as motivated to write. This is of course highly unfair to the city that I now call (at least temporarily) "home". I'm as bad as the international media, only posting pictures of the Acropolis and only talk of demonstrations when I talk about the city at all. And Athens really is so much more. So before I launch into tales of the wild adventures I had in the past week...I give you Athens.

I've had three people I love visit me: my friend Garrick who came during a week, my friend Melissa who came two weekends ago, and now my parents. By now, I feel like I could practically be a licensed tour guide, and have reached a level of efficiency and smart planning equal to my Disney-in-a-Day schedule. My parents marvelled at the fact that they had been here only 24 hours and had already seen at least 3 days worth of sights. So here's a rundown of my Virtual Guided Tour of Athens (very good price! 10 euro I'll show you all the best sites!):


First (of course) is the Acropolis, which is still as spectacular as the first time I saw it. But I have posted more than enough pictures of the Parthenon...so here's a view from stop #2, the Ancient Athenian Agora

(which you will get to by walking around the back side of the Acropolis hill through the main boulevard of the cute neighborhood of Thisseo, lined with cafes and small booths set up by handmade jewelry-and-things vendors).

The "agora" meaning, in its original form "gathering place," was the political, social, religious, and judicial center of Athens in Classical Greece. It was an important site from 500 BC until the first century AD.

Also has the best preserved Doric temple in Greece, 

the Hephaistion:

This was a water clock which measured out 3-hour periods (the amount of time each and every person at a trial had to speak)

 And a reconstruction of the main stoa:

Walk through the Athens Flea Market to Monastiraki Square

and drop in for a quick look at Hadrian's library...that's the great thing about Athens: everywhere you go you stumble upon ancient 'stuff'.

Then walk over to Syntagma Square...

and see the Parliament building...

Then head up Panepistimiou to see the grand buildings of the University of Athens, Academy of Athens, and the library (this boulevard has more of a "big city" feel than other parts of Athens)

 (and some interesting graffiti)

And on up to the National Archaeological Museum

which has an astounding number of Classical sculptures, vases, Mycenaen grave goods, and Minoan/Cycladic artifacts

If you have time, swing by the Temple of Olympian Zeus

(and it has a great view of the Acropolis)

Hit up the Acropolis Museum in Plaka at night, because it is one of the only (maybe THE only) site/museum/etc that doesn't close at 3 pm these days. And because it is beautiful at night...a truly awesome feat of Modern Greece, and one of the best museums I've ever been to (pictures to come, I promise!)