Amazing Athens

Athens is the capital of Greece and also the largest city of Greece. Most people know it was named after the Greek goddess Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom, war, inspiration and civilization. The city has history going back 3,500 years and everyone has heard of the Acropolis which sits on a limestone plateau overlooking the city. Once you get up there, you will have walked past the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Parthenon and the city below you is littered with other sites that are being excavated. Restoration works started on the Parthenon in 1983 but will be ongoing for many years to come. You should plan your trip carefully as once you’re up there, there’s limited shade and there’s still a fair bit of walking with uneven ground. We walked all the way up, but there is a metro station Acropoli which will at least take you most of the way up if it’s hot. There are also local buses and taxis will drop you at the entrance. A new lift was installed in 2020 to accommodate wheelchair users. Like most of these sites, either an audio guide or a tour guide will enhance your visit.

One of the other things that Athens is known for is the Olympics and the Panathenaic Stadium still stands. It’s the only stadium in the world to be made entirely of marble and it can hold around 80,000 people. Stages had been set up for a rock concert when we were there. The audio tour will allow you to climb the steep steps and walk the competitors tunnel into the Olympic Hall which holds replicas of the Olympic torches.

Piraeus is the port where we joined our ship and it’s actually at the end of one of the four hop on hop off bus routes. One of the others will take you to the beach and can even be combined with a full day cruise to the Saronic Gulf islands. Athens was also city of street art, which I wasn’t expecting, it's definitely a city where you need to look all around you! During the evening there are bustling shops and market stalls, but when they're closed, many of the shop shutters have been painted.