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Athens |
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Athens is the charming capital of Greece, which is world famous for its historic buildings and sites. The most famous of all is the Acropolis where you will find the Propileos (majestic columns, which formsd the structure of the entry of the site), the Eréction and the Athena Nike temples, and the most famous Greek temple of all, the Parthenon (built between 430 and 440 BC.). It is a wonderful city, mainly the neighborhood of Plaka! As wonderful as we thought, but much more exciting than we could have dreamed of. The thrill of being there, in front of those temples, is impossible to be described. It's a much more intense feeling than we could have imagined!
We stayed in Plaka , near the Acropolis, and had the privilege of staying in a hotel, in which the wall facing our bed, had a huge rectangular glass opening that allowed us to sleep watching the floodlit Parthenon, very close to us. It looked like a painting. We slept with open eyes, admiring such picture. It is simply hypnotic! On the hotel roof, the guests would gather in the evening for a chat, drink and "kisses" seeing that spectacular view!
It is true that when it comes to Greece, the islands are the first things that come to our mind. And they are really wonderful! But traveling around Athens is something unique and a must see! About 33 feet (100 meters) separates the Acropolis (high city, in literal translation) from the rest of Athens. The world famous rocky hill shrine for the worship of many gods, especially the one that gives name to the city, Athena, also houses buildings of ancient Greece that are important to humankind up to the present day. The visit to the Acropolis is a true pilgrimage to ancient days and by the number of attractions in the area, you will easily spend two days or more only in this site. It is important to wear comfortable clothing, sunscreen, hat and to have a bottle of water at hand. On the top of the hill you will find water, but the climbing is not easy. We climbed stopping for photos and resting under the rare shades we could find along the way.
As we were in a hotel nearby, we walked to the Parthenon, enjoying every beautiful detail that the city has to offer. In Athens you walk down the street not looking for anything in particular and end up running into impressive monuments. So, no need to worry because you will be able to see almost everything even if you don't look for it. The same entrance ticket (which must be validated for the first time on the Acropolis) gives you the right to visit, during the following two days, other archaeological sites in the downtown area: the Dionisios Theater (located in front of the Acropolis), the Zeus Temple, the ancient Agora and the ancient cemetery of KERAMIKOS. We went to all these places on foot, but it demands a lot of energy. We do recommend that you do the same. Absolutely worth the effort!
You will find most of the shops, bars and restaurants to suit all tastes in Plaka. We felt very safe there, except, of course, later at night, when really mean looking people begin to walk around on the streets. Do not think that it is possible to visit Athens in a day. You simply can't. Unless you don't mind visiting the temples. I honestly think a waste of time to go to Greece only because of the beautiful beaches. The country has much more to offer. For those who have a greater interest in the historical part of the trip, my suggestion is to stay in Athens for at least 4 days. It is really worth it! If you need public transportation, you can use it without any problem. We went back and forth to the airport by bus because all taxi drivers were on strike.
Of course, going on a cruise to visit the islands near Athens is also an excellent idea! There are many options for longer, shorter, more expensive or less expensive cruises. Everything will depend on your willingness to enjoy everything that the tour agencies have to offer. We reserved a cruise that stopped in three nearby islands, once we were going to Skiathos for an extra week. It is a rather lively cruse with lots of music , typical Greek dance lessons, joy (nothing that compares to the feast which is a boat ride at Cancun ) and spectacular scenery ! On each island that is visited, you can go sightseeing, shopping and enjoy the beach . We recommend it.
The Greek beaches are wonderful! With a stunning blue shade! Very different from the Caribbean Blue waters, which is usually our reference. It's dark, but just as transparent, intense and beautiful! We loved this trip!
© Ficou Mais Fácil