Because of a recommendation from one of my friends and my love for Greek Mythology, I decided to take a trip to Greece. Before booking my flight I did a little research and it was recommended that travelers should allocate at least 3 weeks to be able to fully enjoy and take in all the sites and attractions that Greece had to offer. I decided to follow the below itinerary:
- 2–3 days: Athens
- 5 days, add: Hydra
- 7 days, add: Delphi
- 10 days, add: Nafplio, Epidavros, Mycenae
- 12 days, add: Olympia, Monemvasia
- 14 days, add: Kardamyli and the Mani Peninsula, and slow down
- More time: Head to Mykonos and/or Santorini, two of Greece's best islands
You can find the specifics for the above Itinerary here
Since I am still on this trip, I will try to post pictures as frequently as possible and take you along on this journey. I expect that there may be some delay in my posts since I want to make the most of my trip and see all that I can see, so I will be posting when I can.
Greece (Specifically Athens) like all my other destinations is a location on my bucket list of places to visit. Like most people growing up, Greek Mythology was always an interest of mine. I can remember the first time I read about Gods such as Zeus and Apollo and the various Myths about heroes and legends such as Hercules.
My first stop was the Acropolis of Athens where the Parthenon is located. This historical landmark is located on a rocky hilltop overlooking the city of Athens. This location is the home to several historical structures such as the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the world famous Parthenon
If you plan to visit, I recommend wearing tennis shoes or anything you find comfortable since you will be doing a lot of walking to get up to the Acropolis. The ground itself is also a very rocky surface. It is definitely worth it though, because the view from the top is spectacular.
The layout of the Acropolis is quite grand and you will notice that many of the structures have decayed over time. It has been undergoing constant reconstruction to restore a lot of the damage that has occurred over the centuries.
Site plan of the Acropolis at Athens showing the major archaeological remains according to wikepedia
2. Old Temple of Athena
3. Erechtheum
4. Statue of Athena Promachos
5. Propylaea
6. Temple of Athena Nike
7. Eleusinion
8. Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia
9. Chalkotheke
10. Pandroseion
11. Arrephorion
12. Altar of Athena
13. Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus
14. Sanctuary of Pandion
15. Odeon of Herodes Atticus
16. Stoa of Eumenes
17. Sanctuary of Asclepius or Asclepieion
18. Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus
19. Odeon of Pericles
20. Temenos of Dionysus Eleuthereus
21. Aglaureion
Below are some amazing pictures that I captured with my drone of the entire area. As you can see many of the structures are either damaged or still under construction. Nonetheless it is still an amazing site and as mentioned before provides a spectacular view of the city itself.
As you first walk up the pathway to the Acropolis, one of the first things you will see is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. This amphitheater is where you can experience a live theater performance. During my visit however, it was not open and there were no scheduled plays or concerts scheduled. I can imagine though, that watching a classical performance under a night sky would have been an amazing experience.
Erechtheum
The Erechtheum is an ancient Greek Temple directly across from the Parthenon. This temple was said to have been dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. Athena was the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, mathematics, strength, war strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill in ancient Greek religion and mythology according to wikepedia. Posiedon was the God of the sea.
Although the roof and several parts of the structure itself is gone, the main the main noticeable features such as the entrance, identified by six tall columns and the side (back) entrance, supported by 6 female statues known as the "Porch of Maidens," are still standing.
Among most of its surroundings are debris from other fallen buildings which are yet to be repaired and restored.
Parthenon
The main highlight of the visit and the structure that most people come to see at the Acropolis of Athens is the Parthenon.
This ancient Temple was also dedicated to the goddess Athena. It is continuously undergoing massive restoration due to its constant decay over the past centuries.
It is considered the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the zenith of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and western civilization, and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. [Source]
Getting up close, you can still see some of the fine details etched into the stone. It's size is truly amazing and it was a dream come true to be standing in front of it. It was like standing on Mt. Olympus itself, although I'm sure that would be an amazing experience in itself.
This structure, like most others was surrounded by debris and remnants of of other buildings yet to be restored.
Getting to see such an amazing and historically important landmark is again, a dream come true. Especially for someone who has for a long time been a fan of Greek Mythology. Just getting to see up close the architecture and detail that was made a part of each of the buildings during a time when such tools and resources that we have today were not available was mind blowing.
I hope you enjoyed the photo's and content of this post. Please comment below and follow me to read my future travel posts.
Photos taken using: DJI Phantom 4 Drone and GoPro Hero 4 Black
To read my previous posts from my Travel Log series, please click on the links below:
My Travel Log : Beijing - Great Wall of China
My Travel Log : Beijing - Forbidden City
My Travel Log : China - Terracotta Army
My Travel Log : Cairo Egypt- Giza pyramid complex
i wanna gooo
I definitely recommend it. Amazing place so far
Thanks for sharing your impressions, greece is very beautiful!
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