Day 40 Athens

Day 40 Athens

'Where an Olympic Spirit soars in the winds of Democracy'

From the bustling seaport of Piraeus our 12 seater minibus took 8 of us to the famous landmarks in Athens. We could see at least a dozen ferries loading and unloading from the docks as we made our way from Piraeus. All of these ferries travel between the islands, transporting people, vehicles and goods.

I am surprised at how Istanbul and now Athens have been maintained. There is very little rubbish lying around, footpaths, steps and curbing are not broken, uneven or damaged, the buildings are clean and the roads are well marked and signposted. Orderly. I suppose my expectations had been clouded by my experience of Asian cities. Woohoo, bring Europe on!

Acropolis, Old Olympic Stadium (decided not to tour as Special Olympics were being held there), The Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Arch,  changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace, The Plaka where we had lunch, and Ancient Agora, were the areas we explored. We were taken to the highest hill in Athens which the church of St George stands on the highest part. Only small buses and motor cars can manage the sharp corners on the road to get to the car park near the top. From the car park we had to walk/climb a very steep path and steps to arrive at the top. Once there we took in the 360degree panoramic view of Athens. Wow, it was well worth the huffing and puffing!

Paul and I still can't believe we are seeing these sights and experiencing the excitement of visiting these ancient, historical and foreign places. Pinch. Places that have influenced many aspects of our lives, either in law, war, food, dress, religion….well, our whole way of life! Pinch.