With such a big wide world to see, you wouldn’t want to re-visit a country twice anytime before your highly brag-able ‘been there, done that’ list is at least an arm’s length long (the arm belonging to someone like LeBron James).
Greece is one such exception. And all worth it. It’s one of my (and Adi’s) favourite destinations out of a lot (that you can see here) and one of those places that you have a very happy-sunshiny feeling about, before your visit. 🙂
Well, what’s not to love about Greece! I love everything about Greece, it’s name (Greece and Helena, both), it’s glorious history, Greek cats, the Aegean blues, Mediterranean sun, Greek jewellery, not a mad fan of Greek food but love Greek yogurt, also all the Greek people we met during our travels were extremely kind.
Heart it with all my heart! ♥
Arriving to a warm mediterranean summer day for a short two day trip to Athens last June, needless to say was one of the best holiday decisions ever made in our travel history! Post checking in to the ATHENS GATE hotel (you can read my review of the same here) soaked in the unhindered, gorgeous, beckoning views of 6th century ruins of Temple of Zeus from our balcony and took in a generous dose of this splendour.
That’s the Athens Gate Hotel behind me!
This is what we saw from our 7th floor room balcony – the magnificent ruins of Temple of Olympian Zeus!
This first ‘image’ of Athens was worth preserving a memory and we froze it for us. 🙂 The clouds do look like ‘painted over’ but seriously if only, I was that good!
Greece has always welcomed us with sunny skies, warmish weather and sights that awed us! Never mind the ‘happily blurred’ us.
Standing neck deep in the world heritage sites, all we had to do was leave the balcony and be out there!
Following centuries old footsteps of Roman Emperor Hadrian (who passed through this gate to enter Athens), we began exploring Athens…
Arch of Hadrian. With controversial inscriptions!
This monument was built to honour the arrival of Roman Emperor Hadrian.
The controversy about the inscriptions is regarding their interpretation. One interpretation says ‘ this is the city of Hadrian not Theseus’ and the other say ‘This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus’.
I guess, they both don’t care much now. And so do a lot of people who pass or ‘pass’ this monument while in Athens.
Just so you know, it’s open to visitors all the time and there is no entrance fee.
Through the Arch of Hadrian, we entered the grounds of Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Also known as Olympeion, Columns of Olympian Zeus or simply Temple of Zeus.
Often and accurately described as ‘Colossal ruins of a temple’.
They are Colossal with a capital C and they are ruined but I do feel sad to use the word ‘ruins’ 🙁
I’d rather use ‘remains’ instead, that just feels a bit more kind.
During the days of glory, the temple housed gold and ivory statues of Zeus and Nike, along side one of Emperor Hadrian but the Barbarian invasion didn’t let the sheen of gold and ivory last very long. The subsequent invasions both human and natural have reduced it to what you see in the picture below.
Still glorious, I’d say.
The grit and determination, grace and perseverance with which they stand today, they are nothing but hugely admirable.
The Temple of Zeus was dedicated to the king of Olympian Gods, built by Hadrian (we just passed by his arch) in a span of about 600 years.
There were 104 marble corinthian columns, the tallest of which was 557ft tall, in the original design.
The enormity of this structure is absolutely overwhelming to say the least.
Out of 104, 15 have aced the test of time!
Bravo!! 🙂
The view of Acropolis past one of the columns in Temple of Zeus.
The cutest visitor!
What?!? The kitty turned out to be a better poser!
Still standing, solid and real next to a column that was knocked flat after an earthquake. The columns were not a single piece entity but a stack of several marble discs.
So you have no business to go near them, now that you know it!
That’s I and my ‘anokha’ jhola 😀
The other thing I loved about this place was that it was very well maintained.
And not at all bustling and bursting at seams with tourists.
We went a little before closing time, around five-ish and there was hardly anyone there. So much so that I had a little chat with the ticket counter lady about her gorgeous earrings! Elsewhere in the world, you wouldn’t even have the time to notice the ticket counter person, even if Bradley Cooper (BRADLEY COOPER!!) was vending the tickets.
We had all the time we could ask for, to sit on the grass and picture ourselves against the backdrop of temple of king of Gods!
We loved it!
Thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and captured some beautiful memories that we still shuffle through, one year and many more travels on!
What a time we had! ‘Sigh’
Here are some more pointers regarding this site.
The best time to visit this should be evening, before closing. The day-tripping cruise crowd should’ve cleared from the city and the light is great to take pictures.
You can easily spend half an hour here. We spent more.
You’re not allowed to touch or temper any of the columns or remains lying about everywhere on the grounds.
The opening hours and entry fee can be checked here (It’s not an official site but just to give you an idea). Here’s the official site where you can check for some free admission days as well.
Such a darling, also at Temple of Zeus.
A short walking distance from Temple of Zeus is the place where the world came together for an event around 330 BC and is still in use (and the event still being celebrated)! The Panathenaic Stadium.
Often given an unfair miss by the tourist (I probably would have been one of those, had it not been for Adi!).
The statue of Discobolus outside Panathenaic Stadium.
One of the oldest stadiums in the world and only one made entirely of marble.
This was the venue for the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896. It definitely did mean a lot to Adi to be here, if you go by his expressions.
In addition to honour the homecoming victorious Olympic athletes and world championship winners, it is in use to host concerts and such events as well, but rarely so.
Oh! and also this!! 🙂
Restored and conserved, the womb and cradle of the Olympic Games and it’s legends offers audio guided tours of its labyrinth, grounds and podium. Any soul with a love for games would be grateful of having visited it. You can find the timings here and ticket shop here.
A sport lover’s trip is incomplete without a visit here.
People have been known to be so moved by this place that they’ve been found (rather caught and cut short) running in their birthday suits on the tracks inside the stadium a l’original Olympic Games!
As a sport fan’s (I think fanatic is a better choice of word) wife, I dutifully went behind the camera after this one time 😉
Rounded off our Day one with an unsuccessful attempt to reach Mount Lycabettus (Likavitos) which is due for the next trip to Athens.
But we didn’t entirely missed out on enjoying the views from our balcony.
Temple of Zeus lit up like tall white unlit candles.
Mount Lycabettus in the background, our hotel was a near perfect spot to view Lycabettus, Temple of Zeus and Acropolis.
okay, we can call it a night now! 🙂
Like I said, it’s all Greek to me. But I LOVE IT!
For more on ATHENS, later alligators! 😀
If you loved and enjoyed reading it, do share it with your friends and loved ones. It’s good to share, know? 🙂
Read the second part here.
Visit India
Sure! Whenever the homeland calls.
Big thanks!! Those words kickstarted my day 😀
It’s amazing to see you on all these beautiful places.Very interesting n enjoyable blog .keep it up.