I’ve been in Athens now for three full days and I know there are more impressive architectural structures to seek out so that is what today, day four, is all about.
But before that, do you remember Mount Lycabettus from a post a couple of days back? If not, it’s the goliath in this image HERE
I thought it was about time it and I met up! I woke, ate breakfast and reached the metro station before 10am in order to try and attempt to conquer this beast before the myriad of tourists turned up to do the same. Did I achieve what I set out to do? Lil ol’ unfit me, hell yeah I did. Share the view of The Acropolis with me:
Thankfully for me, this was no mighty feat and was much easier than I imagined. From its base to its summit, I estimate no more than 60 minutes walking (but that’s both directions). If you have a fitness level of an average person and above, this would not physically challenge you.
So what’s on the hill? Well, there’s a bell tower, a church and an over-priced Cafe. Oh, and there’s the ‘free’ stunning 360 degree view of Athens!
The church and the bell tower:
A couple in admiration of the stunning view:
Once I made it back to ground level, I walked on to Syntamen Square where I observed the Parliamentary building itself and the Evzones, or Evzoni, guarding the Tomb of the unknown soldier and the mansion itself. I understand a requirement, as strange as it might sound, is for you to be 6 foot tall amongst satisfying other criteria, such as strength.
It was 3pm now and I was beginning to tire although my day wasn’t over just yet. Conveniently situated between Syntagma square and Monastiraki square is Plaka (again, a tip from my friend back home Nick the Greek).
Plaka is an old historical neighbourhood of Athens rife with tourists and so it caters well for this. It is known as the “Neighbourhood of the Gods” due to its proximity to the Acropolis. Opposite one of the streets of the Plaka stands proudly the Arch of Hadrian – who was Roman! I have read that the arch was built to celebrate the adventures of this Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honour him for his many donations to the city.
Here then, are pictures of the Arch of Hadrian and the adjacent street:
I had a good wander through the Plaka streets and eventually gave in to something the rest of the tourists seemed to also, gelato! 🙂 I resisted the urge to Instagram my Mango and Vanilla + Caramel two-scoop. Instead I enjoyed this treat on my own sat down on a rock whilst the Sun’s radiation did a good job at stimulating the production of endorphins.
I think might have even let out a private smile as this was yet another fantastically enjoyable and productive day in Greece’s capital.
Leave a Reply