Athens

When I think of Athens, I think of Greek Mythology. Which isn’t totally bizarre because hello?? Greece. Greek Mythology. Athena. Acropolis. It would be weird to not think about mythology while wandering through a city such as Athens. But what is bizarre is how I kinda geek out over the mythology. I love the Gods and Goddess. I love the stories. I love films like Percy Jackson. (& it wasn’t just because I thought Percy was hot af. Yes, I do sometimes wonder what Logan Lerman is up to these days. But that’s besides the point!)

Athens is a must visit for everyone who has a love of ancient history. You can probably guess why. The Acropolis. This famous and VERY old citadel brings visitors from all over. Expect to see extreme overcrowding at the site during the summer months. As well as extreme heat. Grace and I were lucky enough to go at the very end of the Spring season so the crowds and heat weren’t too bad. It was crowded, but easily would have been worse in a months time. 

I never seem to have very much luck when I visit places because they are always doing restorations on the most famous sites. I cannot tell you the amount of pictures I have that are ruined by scaffolding covering the most picturesque buildings in the world. I swear I have The Scaffolding Curse. Is there a Scaffolding season? A special season for scaffolding that happens around the same time as when I travel? Let me know. 

I unfortunately wasn’t able to go to the New Acropolis Museum while in Athens. I would have loved to go and see the ORIGINAL artifacts and statues from the Acropolis. In case you don’t know, the Acropolis has replicas and missing artifacts. The museum was built to house every artifact and statue that was taken from the Parthenon and surrounding sites. Something this old needs to be preserved so we can all enjoy it for many generations and the history doesn’t get lost from memory.

After the fun time at the Acropolis, we took a drive around Athens to view more famous sites. We stopped at the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic games were held in 1896. We didn’t have enough time to walk around and visit everything unfortunately. But we did have free time in Plaka, the old district of Athens, which is a labyrinth of streets and neoclassical architecture, filled with cute boutiques, souvenir shops, jewelry stores, cafes and stalls. We ate baklava and ice cream at a restaurant while in Plaka. We couldn’t go to Greece and not have baklava. It would be a crime not to! (Unless if you’re allergic to tree nuts. Don’t eat baklava. Eat some Greek Mezedes. There’s plenty of delicious Greek food to choose from.)

Other things to do/see in Athens: Hadrian’s Arch, the statue of Lord Byron, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Constitution Square, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Royal Palace, drive along the coastal road and see the Temple of Poseidon, Zea and Microlimano marina, Agora (marketplace), Corinth Museum, Roman Forum, Tower of the Winds, Ancient Agora & Kerameikos

I hope you enjoyed reading my short travel diary on Athens. I will try to return again with more time for museums. Maybe stop by for a few days before heading to Santorini? We’ll have to wait and see!

-Ayla♥