Acropolis and Ancient Athens
More good intentions to rise at sparrow fart came to nought at 9:30. Caught the bus to Athens since the Acropolis is free today until 2pm. Got there about midday, the sun was shining very hazily as usual when we want to take photos. Nevertheless, we persevered and went round the museum 20 Drax for guide. The Acropolis just as I imagined after seeing my brother Peter's photos. All polished rock, with bits of ancient remains strewn about. Very impressive building, but it's sad about those Turks who stored their explosives in there and inadvertently blew the place up. The Caryatids, columns in female form that support the roof of the south porch of the Erechtheion, which is a Greek temple dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon, built just before 400 BCE. By two o'clock we've had enough, and we had to leave anyway.
Food. Decided to try souvlaki so go down to flea market. The two joints are next to each other and competition is fierce. We are molested so decide to give it a miss. Wander on aimlessly, everywhere shut. Decide to go to National (ex-Royal) Gardens. Walk down the side to St Paul's Anglican Church. Here we go into cake shop (almost past being hungry) and have baklava with glass of water. Very sweet, not every day, but very good. Contains nuts and has an extremely hard kind of pastry on top, permeated with strange syrup.
Got into gardens and take a circular tour taking in Hadrian's Arch, Temple of Olympian Zeus (see photos in "More Ancient Athens"), Olympic Stadium of Athens. This is the Panathinaiko Stadium, also known as the Kallimarmaro, which is the athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It is the only major stadium in the world built entirely of white marble and one of the oldest stadiums in the world. Then on to the Houses of Parliament and Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and Omonia Square. In the Temple of Olympian Zeus I finally conclude that camera is not winding on, though when I come to take the film out it requires 19 winds to get it back into the cassette, so some must be exposed in some way (we shall see).
When we reach the stadium there are hordes of people milling about waiting for the closing ceremony (finish of marathon) of the games. And there are lots of people in national costumes presumably waiting to perform. Somehow we get through the police cordon into their enclosure, and Brian takes some pictures. What would have happened if we'd stayed there? Completed circuit and caught return bus. Recovered enough, after restorative retsina and soda, to make evening meal. Brian decides that he doesn't like aubergines anymore, so I have a plate of aubergine while he has plate of typically Greek "Smash".
