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| Mom, in front of the Parthenon. |
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| The Kreeften on the Acropolis...finally! |
The next day we came earlier, but it had been closed at 15.00 already without any reason. Just a handwritten note to say " closed". To go early in the morning or during the day was not possible since it was 40 degrees and too hot to walk up the mountain. Strange that Athens closes such an important museum/attraction so early in the day during tourist season. I thought it was important for them to earn as much money as possible, since their problem of the crisis was on TV the whole day and everyone talked about it.
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| Sunset on the Acropolis |
Anyway we finally went in and it was real. So strange to see and walk somewhere where 2500 years ago people walked, built & prayed. The Parthenon is the main building. It has 46 columns, 15 columns on each length and 8 columns on the width. It was built to honor the goddess Athens and the treasure of the city was kept there. We saw the sunset from here, but we also were nearly blown off, because of the strong wind. After dark we arrived down and had our dinner with beautiful view on the Acropolis which was lit by night and looked stunning.
We also went to the birthplace of Democracy in the Ancient Agora!
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| Me in front of the Stoa what used to be the 'shopping mall' in the Ancient Agora |
It felt special for me, because last year democracy was a very important subject in my school. To be seeing now where it all started and how long ago democracy was invented, it was even more unbelievable why South Africa only had real democracy in 1994. In one of the displays they showed broken pieces of pottery with names on them. Once a year the members of the counsel had to write 1 name of the person whom they did not trust. He was then send out of the country for 10 years. Usually it was someone who had been dishonest or stole money from the treasury. When there were elections you would throw a white or a black rock in a basket and whoever had the most stones was elected. There was also a small stone where people could stand on and speak to the people when they wanted to say something interesting. "Speakers Corner".
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| Steven & I at the Panathenaic in Athens |
Of course we still had to visit the birthplace of the Olympic Games (Ancient Olympia). But first we went to The Panathenaic Stadium
in Athens. In this stadium the 'new' Olympic Games where held which started in 1896. The stadium is the only stadium in the world made from white marble. I also learned that the word STADIUM actually comes from an ancient measuring unit called 'stade' and is as long 185 meters in today's measure. Also the exhibition room was interesting, because it had all the fire torches used in all the openings of the Olympic Games since 1896. Even the one used in London last month.
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| The entrance of the Ancient Olympia stadium |
Ancient Olympia!
We left Athens to finally go to Ancient Olympia. Yes, it is a small village - archaeological site- somewhere 4 hours from Athens. We took the train from Athens to Patras where we stayed 4 days. From there we rented a car and drove to Ancient Olympia. Many many stones and ruins and very very hot. It was a pity that the museum was not made more attractive for kids or visitors since many stories could be told here. Every 4 years the torch lightning ceremony is held here. The place where it started for the 1st time was in 776 BC. It was now just a grass track where only the judges of the games where allowed to sit on marble benches. The public had to sit on the grass. The athletes had to do their sports naked and if they cheated their names were written on a big rock in front of the entrance of the stadium. We saw one of the Olympic Torch -carriers who came back to Olympia to visit the site and take pictures. He ran with the Olympic Torch for the Winter Games in 2006 and he still had his official jacket on. Steven talked to him and said he went to the games in London. The man took off his jacket and Steven could wear it for the picture. |
| Greek salad with olives, cucumber, tomatos unions and feta of course! |
We went to the beach afterwards to cool down and have some nice sea food and see the sun go down.!!The last day in Patra we saw friends of my parents Anita and Hans. They came to visit us while driving past Patra. We had a Greek lunch and afterwards we walked up to the mountain to the castle of Patra. We could see the sea and the harbor and the ferry boat from Greece to Italy which we were going to take the nextday. Yeahhhhhhh We went to ITALY with the BOAT!!!!
Anek Lines had a swimming pool, so we swam as soon as the pool was filled. Dad had booked a cabin for us. Actually it was specially for my mother since he had to make something up from years ago. When they were students my father invited my mother for a visit to London, but on the ferry from Holland to England he did not book a cabin, but said that they had to sleep under the staircase.
So it was almost like on a cruise ship. The trip took 1,5 day so we had time to prepare for Italy. I remember Greece as hot, with nice Greek salads, lots of homeless cats in the streets and of course a long long history of ancient civilization.Sorry I could not publish today from Italy. This apartment has no internet (but on the website it said it DID have!!). We have moved now to another apartment so ............I am connected again.
Ciao ciao from Roma
(next week : Roma)
Loes
