I woke early this morning before sunrise to watch as we approached Piraeus, known as the Gateway to Athens.
This morning it looks like a typical port.
Now we are waiting in the theater for our number to be called. One of the many reasons I don’t like shore excursions with the ship.
Another reason I don’t like cruise tours!
We drove through the port city and admired the boats in the ports.
We reached the viewing area for the Acropolis and the Parthenon.
The Acropolis was built in the 5th century BC by Pericles. It is a citadel that had structures built on it including the Parthenon. The buildings were damaged in 1687 during the siege of the Venetians during the Morean War.
We didn’t go up on the Acropolis because it is a long hike up and you have to book it in advance. But the views were extraordinary with easy access for those with limited mobility.
But we could see the Temple of Athena Nike and the Temple of Rome and Augustus built on the Acropolis in 29 BCE.
Our next stop was the old town of Plaka with shops, restaurants, and churches. During our drive Olga, our tour operator, pointed out the more modern buildings neo-classical style. These buildings were commonly built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Olga walked us to the Athens Cathedral The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary built in 1842. She let us go on our own so we explored inside the cathedral.
There was a tiny Byzantine Church that is over 1000 years old. This church is in the shadow of a large modern hi-rise building.
As we left the city we could see the Acropolis from a different viewpoint.
We also went by the Olympic Stadium which is completely made of marble.
And several beautiful churches.
Our last major site was of Zeus’ Temple which began construction in the 6th century bc but was not completed until much later. Now it is a ruin.
It was a nice tour but we needed a lot more time to absorb the history of this ancient city.
I’d like to visit Greece again and stay for a while. The people were friendly and the food was good! We did have some baklava!
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