Athens, Greece

We made it to Greece! We arrived in Athens Monday, June 14 flying in from Rome. We got to our hostel at around 8:30 at night and were stricken by heat still sitting in the city. We were surprised at how warm it was even after the sun had dropped low and disappeared. But, I don't know, do you call 31C warm? The days, coincidentally, were also blazing. We saw a 41 from a digital display one day and didn't doubt it's credibility. Italy was hot too, but Athens was so humid and did not cool down at night really at all, and our air conditioner only went on half-heartedly for three hours during the night. Half-heartedly. But, we managed.

We actually had a very pleasant time in Athens. It has a very unique old town, the Plaka, where we explored, shopped, ate, and watched World Cup. We have had some terrific Greek food so far. We love it. Our first night, we went to a cheaper restaurant off the beaten path and had terrific salads, pork, sausage, and pastries. Most food we've eaten than any other meal on this trip. Combined.

Obviously, Athens has the ancient sights to see: the Parthenon atop the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, and the Temple of Zeus, among others. We enjoyed these sights as much as the next tourist, but we spread them out finely over three days, spending as much time in the shade and in air conditioned stores.

The Acropolis

The Parthenon atop the Acropolis

Parthenon

The Parthenon

Temple of Athena on Acropolis

Theatre of Dionysus at the base of the Acropolis

Temple of Zeus

In the Ancient Agora - The Temple of Hephaestus

The Panathenaic Stadium - The site of the ancient Olympics, restored for the 1896 Olympics (and then in 1904), and used again in 2004. Quite the legacy.

The Zappeion

Athens is only a small part of Greece. Let's see more! Off to Santorini, one of the alluring Greek Isles.