Athens, Greece

Our ship docked at the Port of Piraeus, from where we took the subway into the centre of Athens. We climbed the Acropolis Rock towering high above Athens before the heat of day and the onset of tour buses. We worked our way down through the agora and explored the city streets. On a return trip later we were able to explore more. See: Mediterranean Meandering: Athens
 

  

Piraeus is the third largest Mediterranean Port which underwent a huge makeover for the 2004 Olympics.
 

Piraeus serves at the access point for the various ferry lines that go to the Greek Islands.

   

Athens lies in layers, with modern urban sprawl overtop of ancient ruins, and the Acropolis Rock rising above.
 

Monastiraki is an historic neighbourhood, home of Hadrian's Library, the ancient Agora and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos. The surrounding streets are full of restaurants and tavernas, many with views of the Acropolis.
 

The Acropolis is a citadel arising above Athens, with several ancient building dating to the 5th Century B.C. The Parthenon temple is considered the epitome of Classical Greek architecture.
 

    

The Propylaia is the grand entrance through which visitors pass to reach the summit temples.
 

The Dionysus Theatre, seating 15000, was the site of classical Greek drams by playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides.
 

            

In the Forum, the Tower of the Winds depicted personifications of the four winds. Inside a water clock was operated by a stream from the Acropolis.
 

      

The Agora was Athen's ancient marketplace and the centre of civic activities. Ruins of plinths and fountains remain, as well as the Temple of Hephaestus.
 

     

The restored Stoa of Attolos, originally an ancient shopping mall, is now a museum displaying finds from the Agora such as a water clock and a Spartan shield.

Archeological excavation sites including Hadrian's library and arch, the Keramikos Cemetery and the Philopappus, are scattered throughout Athens.
 

During the Ottoman occupation, the Turks built the Fetiye Mosque over the ruins of an Early Christian church.

The National Archeological Museum displays works over 5000 years of Athens history.  
 

Current-day Athens centers around Syntagma Square where most of the important events in modern Greek history have occurred.
 

The main shopping street, Ermou, shows the wonderful juxtaposition of ancient and modern features.
 

            

The ideas of classic beauty continue to influence Greek culture.

The Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ is established by the Greek constitution as the "prevailing" religion of Greece. Churches are the center of the communities along the Greek coastline.

The fishing village of Katakalon serves as a port for visitors to Olympia. The tavernas and cafes along the waterfront attract local visitors from Pirgos, as well as cruise ship passengers.