Saturday June 24, 2006 - High Kicking Goose Step Shuffle Ball Chain Combo

After enjoying breakfast with a side of an amazing Acropolis view in the distance, we met up with Despina from Athens Walking Tours for a very thorough and interesting three hour introduction to the Acropolis and surrounding neighborhood (the Plaka). The Acropolis is an

impressive monument as it sits 300 feet up from the surrounding city. The only thing detracting from the experience was the incredibly warm day and the sea of scaffolding that engulfs it. Per our guide book, the restoration was “originally intended to be completed in time for the 2004 Olympics, the work is now set to continue for the foreseeable future – some claim that it will be forty years before the job is complete.”

Following the Acropolis and lunch, we continued our whirlwind “see as much of Athens as possible in a day” tour. We visited the Ancient Agora, the Parliament building, and skirted through the National Gardens to Hadrian’s Arch, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Panathenaic Stadium (where the first Modern Olympic Games were held in 1896). While at the Parliament Building, we observed the somewhat odd changing of the guard. The soldier’s delayed high kicking goose step shuffle ball chain combo coupled with their 400 pleated (for each year of the Turkish occupation) skirt, made for quite a show. We topped the 2,500 years of history day off with an hour and a half sprint through the highlights of the National Archaeological Museum. After a leisurely dinner at the well known Daphne’s, we appreciated the ambiance of the restaurant and shop scattered pedestrian walkway and Acropolis views back to our hotel.

Even though many deem that “Athens is a great city to see; but not to linger in” we really appreciated the teeming liveliness and culture. It might have been due to the five and half months in Cyprus, but we were on sensory overload with all the stores, cafes, historical sights, outdoor concerts…and could have very happily spent a few more days there.