Our last trip ashore we visited Athens and the Acropolis and learned this:
The landmark hill of the Acropolis was built by the Athenians during the 5th Century BC in honor of the goddess Athens, patroness of the city. The temple complex was regarded as a citadel of the Gods, with the Parthenon standing out as the most architecturally sophisticated temple of that period.
We rode a bus for 75 minutes after
docking at Pireaus before we reached Athens. Greater Athens including Pireaus and the suburbs has over four million inhabitants and extends for 150 square miles from the sea to the mountains so it is huge.
On the way to the Acropolis we stopped at the Olympic stadium which was used in the 2004 Olympics and is the only stadium in the world built of marble
.
It was started in 329 BC and then completely renovated in 1895 in time for the first Olympics of 1896. I was impressed by it's perfection.
Standing in front of the Parthenon with us is the president of WFG Monte Holms and his wife Lisa. We ate with them one night. Very lovely people.
James is standing by the Propylea completed in 429 BC and is all of marble, of course and supposedly the most perfect of Athenian art. The whole Acropolis is being renovated at a cost of 34 million dollars.
Athens cannot be described adequately and we saw only a small portion of it. So magnificent, I hope they can restore it all someday. At the Acropolis we went to the Acropolis Museum which are all items from the 5th and 6th century BC and then we went on to the National Archaeological Museum which contains one of the most exciting and complete collections of the antiquities in the world. We could not see it all...
This is looking out over the city of Athens. We had a lovely breeze that day which was very fortunate.
On the side of the hill we also saw the Odeon of Herodes Atticus which is used for modern concerts. If you saw Yanni's concert at the Acropolis, you saw it. Liza Minnelli had been there the week before we came. It is totally open and incomplete now but has seating for 5000 which was carved into the rock in 161 AD. They say the acoustics are fantastic.
So back to the ship for more food and entertainment (a fantastic buffet on the top deck with dancing and singing and all that jazz) and then the flight home the next day. Except for James being held in New York Immigration for an extended time (I thought I might have to fly home with the luggage without him) it was a perfect trip. Oh, yes, they held him because they were looking for another James Hardy--so much for naming your children common names...
The landmark hill of the Acropolis was built by the Athenians during the 5th Century BC in honor of the goddess Athens, patroness of the city. The temple complex was regarded as a citadel of the Gods, with the Parthenon standing out as the most architecturally sophisticated temple of that period.
We rode a bus for 75 minutes after
docking at Pireaus before we reached Athens. Greater Athens including Pireaus and the suburbs has over four million inhabitants and extends for 150 square miles from the sea to the mountains so it is huge.
On the way to the Acropolis we stopped at the Olympic stadium which was used in the 2004 Olympics and is the only stadium in the world built of marble
.
It was started in 329 BC and then completely renovated in 1895 in time for the first Olympics of 1896. I was impressed by it's perfection.
Standing in front of the Parthenon with us is the president of WFG Monte Holms and his wife Lisa. We ate with them one night. Very lovely people.
James is standing by the Propylea completed in 429 BC and is all of marble, of course and supposedly the most perfect of Athenian art. The whole Acropolis is being renovated at a cost of 34 million dollars.
Athens cannot be described adequately and we saw only a small portion of it. So magnificent, I hope they can restore it all someday. At the Acropolis we went to the Acropolis Museum which are all items from the 5th and 6th century BC and then we went on to the National Archaeological Museum which contains one of the most exciting and complete collections of the antiquities in the world. We could not see it all...
This is looking out over the city of Athens. We had a lovely breeze that day which was very fortunate.
On the side of the hill we also saw the Odeon of Herodes Atticus which is used for modern concerts. If you saw Yanni's concert at the Acropolis, you saw it. Liza Minnelli had been there the week before we came. It is totally open and incomplete now but has seating for 5000 which was carved into the rock in 161 AD. They say the acoustics are fantastic.
So back to the ship for more food and entertainment (a fantastic buffet on the top deck with dancing and singing and all that jazz) and then the flight home the next day. Except for James being held in New York Immigration for an extended time (I thought I might have to fly home with the luggage without him) it was a perfect trip. Oh, yes, they held him because they were looking for another James Hardy--so much for naming your children common names...
1 comment:
Grandma, your trip looks so amazing! Yes, Jimmy and Camber are so nice to have treated you!
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