Sunday.
Arrived in Athens around 11:30 at my hotel north of Syntagma square. I was told
immediately that the day was Election Day, so all of the sites would be closing
early. I rushed off to see the Acropolis.
After entering a neighborhood of Plaka, which is an
interesting mix of extreme tourism and almost seeming untouched narrow back
roads, I ascended the Acropolis, an easy hike with a big crowd. Saw the cute
little Temple of Nike, the enormous entrance gate the Propylaia, and the
Parthenon (covered with Scaffolding on the east side, which is the back side). (Speaking
of scaffolding, I never saw any workers actually working on the building. The
workers also did odd things, like put the construction trailers both right next
to and inside the Parthenon itself!)
Anyway, this was a moment I have been looking forward to for
years! It was dampened somewhat by the throngs of stupid tourists ("which
building is the Parthenon?"), the scaffolding, the jet lag, my
solitariness, and the awareness that the sun was beating down mercilessly and that
I'd forgotten my hat and sunscreen. But still, it was amazing to be there. I
didn't know which way to look. On the one side you had the ancient structures
whose size and delicate construction was unmistakable, and on the other side
the city of Athens lying beneath you on all sides. I tried to imagine the
festival of the Panathenaea, where the whole city would walk up the hill,
sacrifice hundreds of cattle, and present the Peplos, the massive garment that the chosen young girls of Athena
would weave all year. I also imagined modern Greek history, where this was a site
of resistance to the Nazi invaders. I walked around all the buildings twice and
then descended to the Parthenon museum. This was impressive. It is actually
built on stilts over an old Christian settlement, which you can peer at through
glass windows in the floor. There, the amazing things were the statues from the
porch of the Caryatids and the original sculpture from the pediments and freezes
from the Parthenon.
As I was leaving the museum, I was accosted by an aggressive
street vendor selling flowers. She said I looked like George Clooney, gave me a
flower and demanded payment, because she had a little "bambino"
inside of her. It got me thinking about why I am accosted by scammers and
aggressive vendors like this when I am abroad. I think it is my propensity to
make eye contact. Most others don't even look at these people. I vowed to make
no more eye contact! The road around the Acropolis was thick with street
merchants, puppeteers, and street musicians. I continued to walk around the
Plaka after the museum. I bought two souvenirs, a bust of Socrates and a little
Athena X statue for Nora. Had a dinner at a taverna in Plaka consisting of tzaziki,
olive oil and bread, and fresh fish. I also stumbled across a quiet, but fascinating
little neighborhood right under the northern base of the Acropolis, the
Anafiotika. This is a neighborhood cut out of the hillside, with lanes
sometimes no more than two feet wide. It had old stone houses, flower patches,
tiny churches, punctuated with views overlooking Athens.
I took the street tours from my guidebook of the Plaka and
Monastiraki neighborhoods. Monastiraki felt like real Athens, where the
Athenians shop and hang out. In Monastiraki square there was interesting mix of
people: Africans playing drums, break dancers, Greeks hanging out, and an
occasional tourist. There was an old mosque, Pantanassa church, Roman ruins (Library
of Hadrian), all existing alongside break dancers and African drummers. It was
an interesting mix of worlds.
Since I had some time, I decided to go and find the spot of
Aristotle's school the Lycaem. After some searching, I found it east of
Syntagma square. It was closed at that time, so I took pictures from the
outside. Mostly just foundations are left. Along the way I saw various
political demonstrations and people watching election results. I also saw armed
police with machine guns and riot gear. I considered starting a running street
battle with riot police in order to make my Athens experience unique, but decided
against it.
I went up to the top of my hotel that night to get another
glimpse of the Acropolis, this time from a distance.
Monday.
Spent the morning at my conference hearing interesting power-point
presentations. At the conference they served traditional Greek breakfast and
lunches. Chicken was prominent and I loved the salad dressings. I met a nice
guy from Turkey that I had lunch with.
I left in the late afternoon to go explore
the city again, this time heading north from my hotel. I visited the National
Archeological museum. The most impressive things there were (1) the Cycladic
art, (2) the bronze Horse with Little
Jockey, (3) Aphrodite and Pan,
(4) golden baby burial clothes next to the so-called "mask of Agamemnon,"
(5) the huge Volomandra Kouros, (6)
and funeral monument or stele that depicted a dead mother with a baby reaching
out to her, (7) the bronze computational device, (8) the Philosopher of Antikythira.
After that, I struck out east through Athens into an unknown
and gritty, un-touristy neighborhood to find the site of Plato's academy. I got
lost several times, which is a bit nerve-wracking in a gritty part of the city like
that. Eventually I found what I was looking for. Plato's academy is now a
little park with a few signs talking about the excavation sites. It is
neglected. No tourists and few markers. Most impressive was the gymnasium that
was there, including a site for the bathing of the athletes. I tried to imagine
Plato walking around and giving lectures. I tried to soak up some of the wisdom
and brilliance that had been exercised there.
For dinner, I returned to my hotel and, having enough
adventures, decided to eat at the rooftop hotel restaurant. I had an odd, but
fairly tasty beef dish, swimming in some sort of puree.
Tuesday.
Spent the morning and early afternoon at the conference. Gave my paper (ran out
of time) and chaired a session. Then, I struck out for my "walk around the
rock."
I started at the Roman Agora. There I saw the famous
"Tower of Winds," which was an old sundial and water clock. The
sculptures depicting the winds I found particularly interesting, a culture that
was so dialed in the world around them and cared so much about the way the wind
was blowing that they gave the wind personalities. Also of note was a public Roman
restroom where people sat around doing "their business" together.
After the Roman Agora, I went to the Ancient Greek Agora. I followed by
guidebook around to the different sites and, again, tried to imagine Socrates
walking around mixing it up intellectually with the unsuspecting populace. Of
note where was the Temple of Hephaestus and the Triton statues. It was a quiet
place, a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Athens. Tourists were there,
but not as thick as on the Acropolis. The Stoa of Attalos was a wonderful break
from the sun and I felt kinship with the ancient Greeks finding such
refreshment inside. I found that little potty chair from the 7th century BC. From there, I headed south up the
Aeropagus, where Paul is said to have talked with the Athenian philosophers.
Great view of the Acropolis from there! There were many locals hanging out, particularly lovers. Then
I hiked up Filopappos hill to the monument of Philopappus. Crowds were
non-existent. On the one side, a breath-taking view of the Acropolis. On the
other, you could stand and hear the din of modern Athens rising up, see out to
the Pireaus and the Saronic Gulf to the nearby islands. I then went searching
for the Pnyx, which is the speaking area where the Ancient Athenians met and
practiced their democracy. Alas, I was not able to stand on the platform and
rehearse a speech from Demosthenes. From there, I went back up the Acropolis
and visited the Parthenon again. In the late afternoon, the crowds were much
thinner and the sunlight made the marble gleam with a golden light. It was a
much more impressive experience the second time. Descending the Parthenon, I
visited Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Theatre of Dionysus, where I imagined
plays being performed by Sophocles or Euripides. A bit disappointing is that, much of what I saw in Greece,
was actually a built-up Roman versions of things on the old Greeks sites. So,
Sophocles was not so much performed at that theatre, alas, but on that site.
Impressive still. I purchased some wonderful nuts to eat at that place (a
common theater food in ancient Greece) and headed west to the plaza of
Lysikrates. This little monument has Corinthian columns and is dedicated to a
victory in the theater competitions. My final site of the day was the Roman
temple of Olympian Zeus. I finished my nuts there and contemplated the sheer
size of that temple. The columns were 75 feet tall. It must have been
absolutely enormous. I had dinner that night at a lovely little taverna in
Plaka and had chicken slouvaki with a great side of fried potatoes and a
delightful old Greek owner.
Wednesday.
Got up early to go with the conference on a cruise to the Saronic Islands of
Hydra, Poros, and Agina. Met some LDS folks on the ship who live in Dubai. On
the ship they had a group playing traditional Greek music and dancing. First stop was the beautiful island of
Hydra, where cars are not permitted and they travel by donkey. Quintessential
seaside Greek village with white houses and red roofs. I had a wonderful gelato
in the port there. Lots of tourists, but I hiked up the side of the hill into
the old neighborhood and it suddenly became very quiet. The wind was blowing
through the narrow little streets, no one was around except an old lady waling
up the road, and it seemed very peaceful. After lunch on the boat, the next
stop was Poros. This was still picturesque, but it was much busier. We didn't
spend much time there. I walked up the hill to the clock tower, took some
pictures, took a quick visit in the archeological museum (every island seemed
to have one of these), and watched some little Greek boys playing soccer.
Finally, we went to Agina. I went up with the tour group to the Temple of
Aphaia. It was beautifully situated, with the Saronic gulf spreading out
everywhere. You could see to Athens.
Everywhere you went you could see pistachio
trees. I had the best pistachio ice cream, indeed some of the best ice cream I
have ever had, at the Temple of Aphaia. I also purchased some lovely pistachio
nuts, which seems crunchier and fresher than I have ever had before. We
returned to Athens and we had dinner that night at the street side.
Thursday. A
powerful day. We took at day trip to Delphi. Delphi, the site of the temple of
Apollo and the Delphic Oracle was one of the most important sites in the
ancient world. The bus stopped on the way at a place were you could get fresh
squeezed orange juice, which was yummy. Given the heat, dryness, and my
constant walking, I had an almost unquenchable thirst the whole time I was in
Greece. As we approach Mount Paranasses, I began to feel at home. It is much
like the Wasatch Mountains, although the valley is greener. Delphi sits on the
slopes of a breathtaking mountain valley. Like the temple of Aphaia, it really felt like a sacred
place, even without all the temples. There are ruins spread up the hillside. We
walked up the "sacred way," the path that the ancient people took
with their most burning questions. It was easy to imagine walking past the
treasures and votive offerings that lined the path -- the most valuable and
impressive objects and offerings of the ancient world. What made it real was
the writing that was everywhere. Instead of modern graffiti, though, it was
ancient writing. Dedications. Tributes by freed slaves. As you walked up the
road you could see the imposing temple looming above you. I don't worship
Apollo, but it really felt like a sacred spot. I can only imagine how it must
have felt to enter that temple, see the ivory statue of Apollo, descend the pit
to the Pithia, hear the burbling of the gases bubbling up, and receive the
oracle -- all after spending weeks of travel to get there, offering sacrifices,
and participating the cleansing washings. The museum of Delphi was wonderful,
too, with (1) a statue of a philosopher, (2) the omphalos stone, (3) the bronze
statue of the young charioteer, (4) the statuary from the shrines depicting
ancient battles. Also there was a theater and a stadium, and our tour guide
pointed out how the body (stadium), mind (theater), and temple (soul) were all
sacred to the Greeks. We had a great tour guide, by the way. She had a PhD.
After the shrine, we stopped for lunch and at some of the small hillside
communities -- a mixture of alpine resort towns and Greek seaside villages. We
could look down into the valley, saw the wild olive trees, and the gulf of
Corinth to the north. We returned home. I went back for another walk around the
rock. I went up the surrounding hills, saw a sunset over Athens on the
Areopagus, and returned to a tavern in Anafiotika (my little neighborhood
discovery) for a meal of Greek salad, mousaka, bread with oil, olives, a
complimentary desert.
