Mediterranean Trip - Athens

Next stop on the itinerary was Athens, Greece.  It was a sweltering day so I felt as if I got my fill of summer heat during the eight hours we were there.  In Athens, Cory and I had planned the Woods 'budget' itinerary rather than booking an expensive boat excursion.  The boat was about a 25 minute walk from the metro which took us straight into town.  The walk to the metro went to plan and we were pleasantly surprised when the train had AC and was not crowded since we were at the end of the metro line.  It took about 15 minutes to get into the city and the train stop was about a 15 minute walk from the Parthenon.

What amazed me the most about the Parthenon was not only the massiveness and sophisticated architecture, but the fact that it is built in the highest point in the entire city.  One thing that seems to be fairly consistent across ancient civilizations is they build on the most challenging terrain.  I'm sure this has something to do with religion and being closer to God, but I keep thinking that surely someone in the group could have rationalized with the others about building somewhere else.  I personally would have opted for seaside.

After the Parthenon we walked to the Temple of Olympian Zeus.  This was the largest temple in the ancient world for some time, but was destroyed in 3rd century AD and only the entrance remains.

The first Olympic stadium was or next spot of interest.  We thought about taking a lap, but since I was battling to not sweat through my clothes decided I would take it in from outside the stadium.

Greece has been in the news a lot for the regular and ongoing protest against the government/debt crisis.  Fortunately there were not any protests taking place the day we were there, but we made sure to stop by Parliament to see what has been the backdrop for many of the protests.  Throughout the city there were signs of recent protests as there was graffiti and damage almost everywhere we went. 

Cory and I both like to sample local cuisine when we travel so we made sure to hit up and authentic Greek restaurant for a late lunch.  Cory had a gyro and I had a Greek salad.  I was surprised when my salad came out as it was missing the lettuce.  Apparently as with many things the 'American version' isn't quite like the actual.  My Greek salad consisted of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, feta cheese and oil.  It wasn't what I was expecting, but was good.

Brady's agenda as always was to find a playground.  We were successful.