Adventures of David and Paul: Last Day in Athens

For the last full day in Athens, Janice, Peter and I got up a bit earlier and strolled over to the Acropolis museum. This museum was not completed the last time I visited Athens. The museum, a striking building just south of the Acropolis, houses historical information about the history of the city as well as many of the sculptures and friezes from the monuments on the acropolis. One floor is completely committed to the Parthenon and you can walk around a structure and see what was originally a part of the monument. Parts of this display are unfortunately reproductions or casts of the original work. Between the passage of time, quarrying for materials, a canon blast, and the British, a lot of the original Parthenon is no longer on site.

The museum also hosts the restored caryatids. These statue columns were originally a part of the Erechteion, but were removed to restore and preserve them. These are one of my favorite components of the Acropolis. Overall, the museum is very impressive and offers stunning views up towards the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

Fun final fact; the Parthenon was converted into a church and then a mosque before being destroyed by a cannon blast in the middle 17th century. It's a pity it didn't limp over the finish line to the modern era when people would have preserved it in its original(ish) splendor.

Atrium of the Acropolis Museum.

View out of the museum towards the Acropolis

The museum itself is over ruins. They're working to creating an exhibit below as well.

After visiting the museum, we strolled around Plaka a bit more on our way to the Roman and Greek Agoras to visit the Temple of Hephaestus and the small museum in the Stoa of Attalos. This temple is one of the better preserved ancient monuments in Athens. The site is pretty cheap to visit, and there are some random ruins with good signage explaining what used to be here, both before and after the Roman conquest of Greece. The stoa was restored in the early 20th century by American business tycoon Rockefeller. A small museum is attached with artifacts from the site.

Temple of Hephaestus.

Looking back to the Acropolis from the Agora.

Peeking inside the Temple of Hephaestus.

Temple of Hephaestus money shot.

Panoramic view from the Temple of Hephaestus.

Stoa of Attolos.

Peek a Boo!

After visiting the Stoa museum, we decided it was time for a goodbye lunch, since Janice and Peter needed to return to the airport in the early afternoon. We found a nice row of restaurants across from the Agora and settled on a place called Antica. Fearing a situation like the dinner before, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food along with the nice ambiance on the busy pedestrian alley. After lunch, we returned to the AirBnB, chilled for a few minutes and I bid Janice and Peter adio!

Throwback Tuesday to me in 2009 in Greece...

...and the recreation in 2019. I'm aging...ok.

Mmm...pastitio!

After a brief siesta, I decided to recreate one more memory from my 2009 trip. I waited until near sunset and climbed up the Lycabettus Hill. This hill, higher than the Acropolis, affords great views over the entire city, from the mountain to the sea. The sunset was really spectacular! Afterwards, I climbed back down the hill and strolled through the city a while before heading back to the AirBnB for some relaxation.

Overall, a great return trip to Greece! I got to try some new things, like visiting Delphi and the Acropolis Museum along with some classic favorites like the Acropolis and the Lycabettus Hill. Having a smartphone and google really improved my ability to wonder around and see more of the city. It also helped to find better food and more interesting bars. It's really hard to imagine what life was like before smartphones! I really do like Greece and it will always have a special place in my heart...but now it's on to Cairo to meet up with Paul and do something totally different!