A is for Acropolis

When I finally hit the hay at 2AM Athens time, my Apple Watch had clocked over 18K steps. Most of that was uphill. Today, we hiked to the top of the Acropolis. If you’ve been to Athens before, you know that the Acropolis is no joke. And unless you have medical validation, there’s only one way travelers can get to the top. Parts of that climb were tricky (not going to lie). How some of these folks were doing it in flip flops or slides is beyond me. But I am a woman of a *certain age* and now appreciate things like the tread on shoes.

If each day of our adventure has a theme, today’s was ALL THINGS ACROPOLIS. Here are some of the highlights:

Trip to Doctor Fish. This was recommended to me by a fellow travel agent and it did not disappoint. I’d booked 30 minutes massages for both of us and our total price was at least 1/2 of the price it would have been back home. If you’re headed to Athens, I highly recommend this place after your travel day just to rejuvenate and treat those tense muscles before tackling the rest of your trip!
Acropolis Museum – If your trip itinerary allows, visit the Acropolis Museum prior to climbing the slopes. This was a great way to orientate myself, a Greek novice, about the sheer ingenuity and artistry of Ancient Greece. See preserved pieces of art, pottery and sculpture dated 8th and 7th centuries BC was mind-boggling. Being raised Christian and hearing Bible stories my whole life, there were so many artifacts I saw that co-existed at the time of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Esther. In other words, Athens was already a very advanced civilization operating in democracy and celebrating the arts hundreds of years before Christ was born. Wrap your head around that.
Museum Cafe – Orange pie. That is all.
Acropolis and Slopes – The main event of the day. The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. This requires subcategories.
- Parthenon – Dedicated to the city’s patron, the goddess Athena, the Parthenon was completed in 438 BC, the Parthenon represents architectural perfection.
- Theater of Dionysus – prototype of Greek theatres, situated on the south side of the Acropolis in Athens, in which all extant classical Greek plays were first presented
- Odeon of Herodes Atticus – The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone Roman theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece.
- Temple of Athena Nike – The Temple of Athena Nike is a temple on the Acropolis of Athens, dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike.
Greek Theatre with Koilon Productions – While in the birthplace of theatre, seeing a live production based on Greek classics was high on my list. The play “Medea and Other Friends I Made in Athens” compiles excerpts from the following major works of Ancient Greek literature, in order of presentation:
- “Odyssey” by Homer
- “Women in Power” by Aristophanes
- “Medea” by Euripides (no, not Tyler Perry)
- “Prometheus Bound” by Aeschylus
- “Antigone” by Sophocles
- “Wealth” by Aristophanes
Late night bite with live music at traditional Greek taverna hidden away in an alley of Monastiraki.