The First Greek Hippie

We have filled our Athenian days in a big way.  We arrived in the morning and had a full day to try and stay awake.  So, it probably was not the best idea to tackle one of the most tiring tourist sites in all of Athens:  The National Archaeology Museum.  Regardless, after figuring out how to use the metro system, locating and solving how to use our key to get in our apartment, showering, and obtaining food this is what we did.  We took the metro to the only part of the city I had read can have violent crime and nervously walked ten minutes past graffiti to the museum.

I lost Darren after the first 45 minutes or so and left him to sleep in the lobby while I cruised past ancient Greek to Roman sculpture.  I also perused through prehistoric art, Egyptian art, vases, and an exhibit of 19th century traveler's view of Athens.  When I finally emerged after my fifth or so time passing by the endless statues back to the lobby, Darren was no longer present.  I found him outside lying on the cool marble column lined porch with rain lightly falling in the background.  He told me he wanted another ten minutes to sleep, so we rested and ventured out to find an early supper.  We choose a place with baked goods and caffeine that threw in a couple baklava with our meal.

We traveled the metro and walked back to the apartment only to discover that our keys were missing. Trying not to go into full panic mode, we retraced our way back north and thankfully Darren immediately saw the keys underneath the chair upon which he had been seated.

The caffeine consumed was not effective, and after returning to our apartment again, we fell asleep within an hour...probably around 7 PM or so.  We both only maybe woke up once during the night, and were raring to go the next morning around 5:30 or 6AM.

We tackled the ancient city of Athens with three Rick Steves' walking tours.  First we saw the Acropolis, then did a city tour, and finally explored the Ancient Agora.  Amongst the tours we also explored the remains of the Temple to the Olympian Zeus and ate dried olives and chocolate Caprice cookies on a shaded bench.  We walked up a long hill back up towards the Acropolis pausing for cappuccino and a salad and sandwich before seeing the newish  Acropolis Museum.  It was amazing and not too overwhelming.  Our favorite part may have been the Lego replica including our favorite hippie philosopher Diogenes telling Alexander the Great to stop blocking his sunlight.

We finished with the museum almost as it closed at eight, and boogied on the metro and walking up the steep hike to watch the sun set on Athen's tallest point, Lycceitus hill.  We made it to the top with a perfect twenty minutes or so to relax with the other waiting tourists.  After the sun sank, we ventured down the mountain to find the metro.  We first found a light supper in Syntagma Square and another bench to watch the break dancers, inline skaters, and bike riders look for an audience.  I was glad to experience the whole vibe, but when I became cold and tired, it was time to find my bed.  I was quite impressed of how much we were able to squeeze in the day and that we were able to be out and about until 11PM.

Memorable moments and sites seen on our walking tours:  Acropolis tour:  a gazillion cats, watching Greek soldiers March through the Propylea in the early morning, the olive tree that Athena gave to the city winning for ownership against Zeus who produced a salty spring from his Triton, the great view of the city and learning about the Greek youth who stood up to the Nazis who asked him to take down the flag at the Acropolis, the story of the procession along the Panathenic way through the agora up to the Acropolis during Athena's birthday when the Athenians would bring a cloak for the wooden Athena statue in the Erechtheion, the beautiful female caryatids of the Erechtheion, feeling Biblical sitting on the graffiti covered Mars Hill and gazing at the Acropolis.

Here is the extent of my Greek vocabulary:
Yassas:  hi/bye
Kalimera:  Good morning
Efaristo:  Thank you