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Athens
Today from our cruise ship, we visited Athens, the cradle of Western civilization and thought and birthplace of democracy, individual rights, and freedom of speech. The USA’s founding fathers were so enamored with the ideals and philosophies of Ancient Greece that they entertained making Greek the USA’s official language. European luminaries had even joined in the Greek War of Independence to help preserve the ideals of Ancient Greece.
One of my favorite things to do in Athens (my 4th visit here) is to tour the most potent symbol of the Greek Golden Age: The Acropolis. The Parthenon has inspired architects from around the world for more than 2500 years. It took 9 years to build this temple to Athena. (its too bad Turkish explosives bombed the structure in 1687). I love that the Parthenon so dominates the soul of the city, you can see it morning, noon, and night from throughout the city. We were fortunate that the rain held off til AFTER our Acropolis visit!
A stop at the Temple of Zeus was next. From there, we could see the landmark Parthenon perfectly.
Our tour guide, Peter, That Greece joined the EU in 1981. Their switch from the drachma to the Euro 8 years ago has had negative impact on their economy.
The 2004 Olympics were held in Greece for the 1st time since the modern Olympics were revived in 1896. Preparation for hosting the 2004 Olympics catapulted Greece into the 21st century bringing impressive new stadiums, an expanded subway system (today transports a million Greeks daily), a new airport, and tram lines. Of note, Greece completed construction the DAY before the Olympics.
The garbage strike that made internationals news was visible (everywhere. Our guide apologized.
Another of my favorite activities in Europe is to walk around the Plaka. The guide dropped us off at Thisio and I strolled through the cobblestone streets visiting shops for a couple of hours. Last on our itenerary was a visit to the newest (built June 2009) (and controversial) museum: The New Acropolis Museum.--A brand new modern structure designed to showcase Acropolis gems with a panoramic backdrop of the Acropolis. During our visit to this impressive museum, we witnessed the lighting of the Parthenon at sundown. It was stunning!
I will always look forward to visits to Athens, Greece!
