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May 24, 2012: Kudasai (Ephesus), Turkey |
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May 22, 2012: Katakolon (Olympia), Greece |
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Return to the Index for Our Mediterranean Cruise |
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Docking in Piraeus
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Even some miles from the actual harbor, Fred and I, who had gone up on deck before seven o'clock, could see lots of shipping activity as we came in. There are some clickable thumbnails below for a few of the pictures we took of the outer harbor as we came in:
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Both Fred and I made panoramic views of the outer harbor at Piraeus. I've included them below (with Fred's first):
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We had not booked a shore excursion for Athens, because a friend of Greg's had told him that her daughter, who lived in Athens, would be happy to show us around the major sights. As it turned out, she was unable to fulfill that expectation, so we decided not to try to book some sort of tour, but just to do things on our own.
The Trip in to Monastiraki Square
So the three of us left the ship on our own about 8:30. Our plan was to find the metro station that serves Piraeus and take that in to a stop called Monastiraki. This would be the closest direct stop to the Acropolis, and there were some other ruins nearby that we could see as well.
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We walked quite a way, passing a small church, and we were a little concerned we'd gone the wrong way. But then we came to a helpful harbor diagram sign and we saw that the electric railway (Metro) was just ahead. Following the signs, we crossed the street and entered the station, where I went to buy some tickets before we went inside to the train platform. This was the end of the Metro line, so we didn't have to worry about which train to take. Once on the train it was a short, twenty-minute ride to Monastiraki Station, with the train becoming more and more crowded at each stop.
When we got off the subway at Monastiraki, we were surprised to find what looked like an archaeological "dig" right inside the station. From the signage, we learned that archaeological excavations conducted during the construction of the Monastiraki Metro station brought to light remains of various settlements dating from the 8th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D.
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Walking to the Acropolis
When we came up from the Monastiraki Station into Monastiraki Square, it was early in the morning and only a few shops were open and only a few people around. We knew we'd be back here eventually to take the train back to Piraeus, so we didn't bother to take many photographs right away. What we did do was try to make some plans for how to spend the day.
We noticed that the ruins of Hadrian's Library were right by the station, and we walked over to it first. There, we found out that while we could buy a ticket and enter, it was much better to buy a consolidated ticket that would admit us not only to this ruin but to many others around town- including the Acropolis. And the nearest place those tickets were sold was up the hill south of here at the north side entry to the Acropolis itself. So that became our plan- to first head up to the Acropolis.
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From there, we'll walk around to the east of the Acropolis and to Syntagma Square- one of the central foci of the city and it's best known plaza. Then we'll come back west to end up again at Monastiraki Square, and visit Hadrian's Library. Time permitting, there's the Agora and the Temple of Hephaistos.
That's the general plan, but we're prepared to detour to see anything that seems interesting. So the first item on the agenda will be to walk up the streets almost directly south from Monastiraki Square towards one of the entry points for the Acropolis.
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We followed the street east for a ways and then turned south again to come to the northeast corner of the Agora. From this spot, we looked west along the street just north of the Agora towards the propylon (gate) of that ancient site. Along that street, we got another good view looking up at the Acropolis. As we walked westward along the street, we got to a point where I could take a good picture of the propylon of the Agora. Coming around the west end of the Agora, we did not go in to look around since we did not yet have our combination ticket for most of the ruin sites. We did take a couple of good pictures of the Agora through the fence at the west end; you can see Fred's view here and my view here.
Another block or two south up the street and we came to the north slope entrance for the Acropolis.
The North Slope of the Acropolis
The Acropolis itself was a sacred site; the summit was reserved for buildings dedicated to the gods and goddesses. The Parthenon, dedicated to Athena, was one such building. As with many sacred sites, though, other structures, some that supported the activities on the summit and others constructed just because the Acropolis itself was such a central focus of the life of the city, were constructed on the slopes of the hill on all four sides. We came into the area through the North Entrance, which put us at the foot of the North Slope.
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The spring of the Klepsydra, where the Peripatos (the road/walkway that encircles the base of the Acropolis and some of which is now city streets) meets the Panathenaic Way, was also known as "Empedo" and was already in use in the Mycenaean Era. According to an inscription of the first half of the 5th century B.C., Nymphs were worshipped in the cave, while later, under Kimon (470-460 B.C.) a springhouse and cistern were constructed. We ascended the Acropolis at an angle, rising and working our way to the west end of the mountain and the entrance to the Acropolis itself.
As we walked along the shaded pathway, we began to get wonderful views of the city of Athens spread out below us, and inspiring views looking up at the Acropolis. At one point, we passed what I think was a demonstration of some of the restoration work being done on the North Slope.
Touring the Top of the Acropolis
If there were a "crown jewel" of ancient ruins in Athens (or of the ancient world as a whole, for that matter), it would be the Acropolis. Iconic as it is, we have all undoubtedly seen pictures of it and its features, studied it in school or read about it at some time. But nothing prepares one for the actual experience of visiting it, for it is only be doing so, by standing on it and looking around it, that one can imagine the people, now gone three millenia, utilizing it. It is hard to describe how easy it can actually be to, in your mind, delete all the tourists with their digital cameras and iPads, their t-shirts and shorts and blue jeans and replace them with the inhabitants of ancient Athens (although it is tempting to dress them all in the idealized garb that we think of when we think of ancient Greece or Rome). This visit was one of the primary reasons that we selected this cruise and it was quite a feeling to actually arrive.
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I might mention here that because there were SO many people all around, it was hard to get the "perfect" picture of just about anything (and by "perfect," I generally mean just the structure and not the tourists around it). But then I guess that's what personal photos are all about.
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Along this route we took a great many pictures. Of course we photographed each specific ruin as we reached it, but we also discovered different views of other structures we had either already been close to or would be close to later. Rather than simply show you the best of our pictures chronologically, I think it best to separate them out according to the specific location or structure. For example, I'll gather together all our pictures of the Parthenon specifically, regardless of when or from where they were taken. The only time we'll do something different is when we look at the panoramic views from the raised observation platform at the east end of the Acropolis area. We'll begin with the first of the structures that we passed- the Temple of Athena Nike.
The Temple of Athena Nike
The Temple of Athena Nike ("Nike" means "victory" in Greek, and Athena was worshiped in this form, as goddess of victory in war and wisdom) is the earliest fully ionic temple on the Acropolis, compensated by its prominent position on a steep bastion at the southwest corner of the Acropolis to the right of the entrance, the Propylaea. There the citizens worshipped the goddess in hope of a prosperous outcome in the long war fought on land and sea against the Spartans and their allies. The Temple of Athena Nike was an expression of Athens' ambition to be the leading Greek city state.
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The Temple of Athena Nike was built between 427 and 424 BC, during the Peace of Nicias. It is a tetrastyle (four-column) Ionic structure with a colonnaded portico at both front and rear facades. This building was erected on top of the remains of an earlier 6th century BC temple to Athena, demolished by the Persians in 480 BC. The building was only 25 feet high, but with its slender height-to-diameter ratio of 7:1, it had an elegance and refinement not encountered in the normal 9:1 or 10:1 of Ionic buildings. Constructed from white pentelic marble, it was built in stages as war-starved funding allowed. It was certainly an impressive structure, when seen from below on the steps of the Propylaea. Below are clickable thumbnails for two more good views of the temple- taken as we climbed through the Propylaea:
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The well-known relief from the parapet around the temple which shows an ancient goddess fixing her sandal is housed nearby in the Acropolis Museum. A statue of Athena Nike stood in the cella; while these statues were usually winged, this statue lacked them, which led Athenians in later centuries to call it Nike Apteros (wingless victory), and the story arose that the statue was deprived of wings so that it could never leave the city.
The friezes of the building's entablature were decorated on all sides with relief sculpture in the idealized classical style of the 5th century BC. The north frieze depicted a battle between Greeks entailing cavalry. The south frieze showed the decisive victory over the Persians at the battle of Plataea. The east frieze showed an assembly of the gods Athena, Zeus and Poseidon, rendering Athenian religious beliefs and reverence for the gods bound up in the social and political climate of 5th Century Athens. Some time after the temple was completed, around 410 BC a parapet was added around it to prevent people from falling from the steep bastion.
The Monument of Agrippa
Halfway up the staircase leading to the Propylaea is a landing with the Monument of Agrippa.
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The Monument of Agrippa was originally dedicated in 178 B.C. in honor of a Pergamene charioteer's victory in the Panathenaic Games. At different dates it held two different chariot statues. Later, statues of Antony and Cleopatra were placed upon it, only to blow down in 31 B.C. In 27 B.C., after Marcus Agrippa's third term as consul, a dedication to him was placed upon the structure. Click on the thumbnails below for two more excellent pictures of the monument:
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The Pinakotheke
Climbing the stairs to enter the Acropolis through the Propylaea, we saw a mostly-reconstructed building off to the left, forming a left wing to the Propylaea building.
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In the modern world the word is often used as a name for a public art gallery, mostly in Italy (as "Pinacoteca"), as at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, with others at Bologna, Siena, the Vatican and Turin, and also in Brazil and other countries. At Munich the three main galleries are called the Alte Pinakothek (old masters), Neue Pinakothek (19th century) and Pinakothek der Moderne. Here, the gallery was just above the Monument of Agrippa.
The Propylaea of the Acropolis
A propylaea is any monumental gateway based on the original Propylaea here at the Acropolis. The word "propylaea" is formed from the union of the prefix "pro-" (before or in front of) plus the plural of the Greek "pylon" (gate). It means, specifically, "that which is before the gates," but the word has come to mean simply gate building. The Brandenburg Gate of Berlin and the Propylaea in Munich are specifically copied from the central portion of the one here. I would like to have gotten good pictures of the Propylaea from both sides, but the crowds and the fact that one could not get back far enough kept us from getting a good view of it from the outside.
Climbing the stairs, though we got great views of Athens spread out below us, as well as views looking up at some of the restored columns and, as we passed through the covered gate, close up views of the interior of the Propylaea as well as some of the original columns- although when these were reconstructed, it was something like a jigsaw puzzle. As we passed through the gate, I could look up and see the contrast between original and restored parts of the Propylaea, and you can see that kind of contrast here. Fred took a number of interesting pictures of the Propylaea as we came up to it and went through it, and there are clickable thumbnails for some of the best of these below:
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The view of the Propylaea below was taken a bit later in the morning after we had gotten far enough out into the open area of the Acropolis that we could look back at it and get the whole thing in a good picture.
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The Propylaea was constructed of white Pentelic marble and gray Eleusinian marble or limestone, which was used only for accents. Structural iron was also used, though later engineering analysis concluded that the iron actually weakened the building.
The structure consists of a central building with two adjoining wings on the west (outer) side, one to the north and one to the south. The core is the central building, which presents a standard six‑columned Doric façade both on the West to those entering the Acropolis and on the east to those departing. The columns echo the proportions, although not the size, of the columns of the Parthenon. There is no surviving evidence for sculpture in the pediments.
The central building contains the gate wall, about two-thirds of the way through it. There are five gates in the wall, one for the central passageway, which was not paved and lay along the natural level of the ground, and two on either side at the level of the building's eastern porch, five steps up from the level of the western porch. The central passageway was the culmination of the Sacred Way, which led to the Acropolis from Eleusis.
Entrance into the Acropolis was controlled by the Propylaea. Though it was not built as a fortified structure, it was important that people not ritually clean be denied access to the sanctuary. In addition, runaway slaves and other miscreants could not be permitted into the sanctuary where they could claim the protection of the gods. The state treasury was also kept on the Acropolis, making its security important.
The gate wall and the eastern (inner) portion of the building sit at a level five steps above the western portion, and the roof of the central building rose on the same line. The ceiling in the eastern part of the central building was famous in antiquity, having been called by Pausanias (about 600 years after the building was finished) "...down to the present day unrivaled." It consisted of marble blocks carved in the shape of ceiling coffers and painted blue with gold stars. Click the thumbnails below for some additional views of the Propylaea as seen from the central area of the Acropolis:
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The building remained intact into the 13th century. A tower was added to it and it was later used as a powder magazine by the Turks. A lightning strike in the 17th century caused a damaging explosion, and the Venetian bombardment in 1687 continued the destruction. Several columns were later used by Turkish forces to make lime. Restoration work began in the 19th century when the French and Turkish additions began to be removed. By the end of the World War II the Propylaea had been significantly restored.
The Parthenon
In my first sixty-five years, I have seen innumerable pictures of The Parthenon, and have actually walked through a full-size copy of it in, of all places, Nashville, Tennessee. It is, perhaps, one of the two or three most common images people call to mind when asked about ancient ruins; Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Egypt and perhaps the pyramids of the Mayans are some of those other common images. I was excited to finally see it in person (and now I have only the Pyramids to visit to complete the set). Coming through the Propylaea, we got our first view of the Parthenon (from the west).
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The Parthenon itself replaced an older temple of Athena that was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 B.C. Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon was used as a treasury. For a time, it served as the treasury of the Delian League, which later became the Athenian Empire. In the 5th century A.D., the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. After the Ottoman conquest, it was turned into a mosque in the early 1460s, and it had a minaret built in it. On 26 September 1687, an Ottoman ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by Venetian bombardment. The resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures. In 1806, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin removed some of the surviving sculptures (the "Elgin Marbles"), with the Ottoman Turks' permission. These sculptures were sold in 1816 to the British Museum in London, where they are now displayed. Since 1983, the Greek government has been committed to the return of the sculptures to Greece.
As we are standing here by the Parthenon, let me interrupt the historical narrative to let you look at some of Fred's pictures of this iconic ruin; click on the thumbnails below to view:
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In the mid-5th century BC, when the Athenian Acropolis became the seat of the Delian League and Athens was the greatest cultural centre of its time, Pericles initiated an ambitious building project that lasted the entire second half of the century.
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The most important buildings visible on the Acropolis today—the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike—were erected during this period. The Parthenon was built under the general supervision of the artist Phidias, who also had charge of the sculptural decoration. Although the nearby Temple of Hephaestus (which I'll visit later today) is the most complete surviving example of a Doric order temple, the Parthenon, in its day, was regarded as the finest. As do many other classical Greek temples, it has a slight parabolic upward curvature intended to shed rainwater and reinforce the building against earthquakes. The columns might therefore be supposed to lean outwards, but they actually lean slightly inwards so that if they carried on, they would meet exactly a mile above the centre of the Parthenon.
Measured at the floor, the Parthenon is 228 by 101 ft. The cella was 97 feet long and 63 feet wide, with internal colonnades in two tiers, structurally necessary to support the roof. On the exterior, the Doric columns measure 6.2 feet in diameter and are 34 feet high. The corner columns are slightly larger in diameter. The Parthenon had 46 outer pillars and 23 inner pillars in total. The stylobate has an upward curvature towards its centre of 2.36 in on the east and west ends, and of 4.33 in. on the sides.
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Several of the metopes still remain on the building but, with the exception of those on the northern side, they are severely damaged. Some of them are located at the Acropolis Museum, others are in the British Museum, and one can be seen at the Louvre museum. In March 2011, archaeologists announced that they had discovered five metopes of the Parthenon in the south wall of the Acropolis, which had been extended when the Acropolis was used as a fortress. It is thought that they were placed there in the 18th century, when the Acropolis wall was being repaired, and they were discovered when a large group of photos were being processed with modern photographic methods (the marble they are made of differed from the other stone of the wall). It was previously presumed that the missing metopes were destroyed during the Morosini explosion of the Parthenon, in 1687.
The east pediment narrates the birth of Athena from the head of her father, Zeus. According to Greek mythology, Zeus gave birth to Athena after a terrible headache prompted him to summon Hephaestus' (the god of fire and the forge) assistance. To alleviate the pain, he ordered Hephaestus to strike him with his forging hammer, and when he did, Zeus's head split open and out popped the goddess Athena in full armour. The sculptural arrangement depicts the moment of Athena's birth.
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The east pediment was very accessible, and you could actually get quite close to it.
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The work on both pediments lasted from 438 to 432 B.C., and the sculptures of the Parthenon pediments are some of the finest examples of classical Greek art. It would have been interesting to get closer to the west pediment, but the area immediately below it was closed off due to the ongoing restoration.
Speaking of the restoration, at both ends of the Parthenon there were areas where pieces of the building were awaiting either replacement or restoration- like a jigsaw puzzle. Here are clickable thumbnails for a few views of these areas:
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Before we leave the Parthenon and head east across the Acropolis to get some views from the observation platform, I'd like to close this section with seven of the best of the many photos I took of this amazing structure. Use the clickable thumbnails below to have a look at them:
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Views from the Observation Platform
Today, the Acropolis provides amazing views in all directions of the city- which is spread out much more that American cities of comparable population, since the number of high-rise structures is much less. There are some, but most of the buildings throughout the city are between two and six storeys tall. The raised viewing platform was at the east end of the Acropolis, and it was crowded. The first thing I did when I got there was to attempt one of the larger panoramas I've done- this one composed of twelve pictures. You can see the result (which begins looking northwest along the north slope of the Acropolis and panning around to end with the Parthenon) using the scrollable window below:
The urban web of ancient Athens encompased the hill of the Acropolis and its Slopes through main roads, such as the street of the Tripods. (Fred took two close-up pictures of this street, and I thought I would put them together into a vertical panorama; you can see the result in the scrollable window below, left):
The views from here were amazing, and there are clickable thumbnails below for a selection of the best pictures Fred and I took:
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Leaving the viewing platform, we made our way through the crowds to the Erechtheion.
The Erechtheion
The Erechtheion, located on the north side of the Acropolis, was built between 421 and 406 B.C. Its architect may have been Mnesicles, and it derived its name from a shrine dedicated to the legendary Greek hero Erichthonius. The sculptor and mason of the structure was Phidias, who was employed by Pericles to build both the Erechtheum and the Parthenon.
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The need to preserve multiple adjacent sacred precincts likely explains the complex design. The main structure consists of up to four compartments, the largest being the east cella, with an Ionic portico on its east end. Other current thinking would have the entire interior at the lower level and the East porch used for access to the great altar of Athena Polias via a balcony and stair and also as a public viewing platform.
The entire temple is on a slope, so the west and north sides are about 9 ft. lower than the south and east sides. It was built entirely of marble from Mount Pentelikon, with friezes of black limestone from Eleusis which bore sculptures executed in relief in white marble. It had elaborately carved doorways and windows, and its columns were ornately decorated (far more so than is visible today); they were painted, gilded and highlighted with gilt bronze and multi-colored inset glass beads.
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Below are clickable thumbnails for some additional views of the East Porch and its graceful columns:
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The Erectheum was associated with some of the most ancient and holy relics of the Athenians: the Palladion, which was a wooden effigy fallen from heaven, of Athena Polias (Protectress of the City); the marks of Poseidon's trident and the salt water well (the "salt sea") that resulted from Poseidon's strike; the sacred olive tree that sprouted when Athena struck the rock with her spear in her successful rivalry with Poseidon for the city; the supposed burial places of the mythical kings Cecrops and Erechtheus; the sacred precincts of Cecrops' three daughters, Herse, Pandrosus and Aglaurus; and those of the tribal heroes Pandion and Boutes.
The temple itself was dedicated to Athena Polias and Poseidon Erechtheus. Within the foundations lived the sacred snake of the temple, which represented the spirit of Cecrops and whose well-being was thought essential for the safety of the city. The snake was fed honey-cakes by Canephorae, the priestesses of Athena Polias, by custom the women of the ancient family of Eteoboutadae, the supposed descendants of the hero Boutes.
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Our walking path brought us around the northeast corner of the structure and then below this porch, to come around to the west and south sides of it. As we came around this side of the building, we of course took a good many pictures, and there are clickable thumbnails for some of them below:
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From the west side of the Erechtheion, I got a very good picture of the structure where you can see the North Porch and the columns on the west side (as well as the "caryatids" that we will talk about in a moment); take a look at that picture here.
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To digress for a moment, I want to go back to when we were coming up the north slope of the Acropolis. Although we did not know what we were looking at yet, Fred got an amazing picture of the North Porch from way down the hillside; it is below:
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The south side of the Erechtheion faces the Parthenon, and so our first views of the structure were from that side (although we were some distance away). From that side, our view was of the famous "Porch of the Maidens."
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The intact Erechtheum was extensively described by the Roman geographer Pausanias, writing a century after it had been restored in the 1st century A.D. The internal layout has since been obscured by the temple's later use as a church and possibly as a Turkish harem. In 1801 one of the caryatids was removed by Lord Elgin in order to decorate his Scottish mansion, and was later sold to the British Museum (along with the pedimental and frieze sculpture taken from the Parthenon). Athenian legend had it that at night the remaining five Caryatids could be heard wailing for their lost sister. Elgin attempted to remove a second Caryatid; when technical difficulties arose, he tried to have it sawn to pieces. The statue was smashed, and its fragments were left behind. It was later reconstructed haphazardly with cement and iron rods. The five original Caryatids are now in the New Acropolis Museum. There, one of the maidens was reunited with her long-missing sandalled left foot, which was identified among rubble in the 1980s.
The Erechtheion was our last stop here on top of the Acropolis, but before we head out through the Propylaea, I want to include six more views of the Porch of the Maidens and of the Erechtheion itself; there are clickable thumbnails for these views below:
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Leaving the Acropolis: The West Gate
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As we descended, we had an impressive look back at the Propylaea, and we also had nice views across western Athens towards the sea.
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The west gate was built on the base of the monumental marble stairway, dated to 52 A.D., which leads to the Propylaea. It is flanked by two rectangular towers and was constructed with material from earlier buildings from the South Slope. The gate was in use for several enturies, while rooms were aded to the inner side for protection from the weather for the guards and those to entered the castle. The height of the door opening was reduced with the placement of a lintel in the 6th century. In addition, in the 11th century, an upper floor was built on the gate to provide better protection. At the time of the Frankish occupation (1204-1311), the use of the gate ceased, whereas during the Ottoman occupation at the end of the 15th century, it was incorporated in the large bastion built for the defense of the west side of the Acropolis.
The gate remained covered until it was revealed in 1852 by the French archaeologist E. Beule.
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Coming through the gateway, we could look along the wall out across Athens; it was an amazing view. And, from this vantage point, there were great views back to the Acropolis as well.
On Areopagus Hill
Leaving the top of the Acropolis, and before we went along to the South Slope and the ruins there, Fred and I left Greg for a while and walked a couple hundred feet across the park below the Acropolis to Areopagus Hill to see what we could see from there.
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The origin of the name is not clear. In Greek, "pagos" means "big piece of rock." "Areios" could have come from Ares or from the Erinyes, as at its foot was erected a temple dedicated to the Erinyes where murderers used to find shelter so as not to face the consequences of their actions. Later, the Romans referred to the rocky hill as "Mars Hill," after Mars, the Roman God of War. Nearby was the basilica of Dionysius Areopagites.
In pre-classical times (before the 5th century B.C.), the Areopagus was the council of elders of the city, similar to the Roman Senate. Like the Senate, its membership was restricted to those who had held high public office, in this case that of Archon. In 594 B.C., the Areopagus agreed to hand over its functions to Solon for reform. He instituted democratic reforms, reconstituted its membership and returned control to the organization. In 462 B.C., Ephialtes put through additional changes that restricted the Areopagus to functioning as a murder tribunal. In an unusual development, the Areopagus acquired a new function in the 4th century BC, investigating corruption, although conviction powers remained with the Ecclesia.
A great deal of myth mixed with reality surrounds the site. In The Eumenides (Aeschylus, 458 B.C.), the Areopagus was the site of the trial of Orestes for killing his mother (Clytemnestra) and her lover (Aegisthus). Phryne, the hetaera from 4th century B.C. Greece and famed for her beauty, appeared before the Areopagus accused of profaning the Eleusinian mysteries. Legend has it that she let her cloak drop, so impressing the judges with her almost divine form that she was summarily acquitted.
Tourists to the site today see almost no evidence of this long history; what they do see are impressive views, and that is of course what drew us up here. Begin with the panorama I made and have put in the scrollable window below:
Of course, there are great views of the city of Athens, and you can use the clickable thumbnails below to see some of these views:
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The views of Athens spread out in front of us were impressive, but, turning around, so were the views of the Acropolis.
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Fred also got a nice close-up view of tourists going in and out of the Propylaea, and you can see that view here.
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From Mars Hill, Fred and I went back down to meet Greg near the entrance to the Acropolis, and from there we began our walk along the South Slope to see the numerous ruins there.
The South Slope of the Acropolis
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We went first to a perch above the Odeon of Herodes Atticus to look down into it, and then followed the walkway down to the front of the theatre for some views there. Next, we walked along the Portico of Eumenes and gazed up on the hillside towards the Asklepieion.
Next, we took a short detour across the street to the New Acropolis Museum, and then entered another gate to visit the Theatre of Dionysos. We wandered all through this theatre, ending up above it. Then we exited the east gate of the Acropolis and walked through city streets to find a main avenue leading north (so we could get around the Acropolis without having to retrace our steps).
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Our first stop was a vantage point above the Odeon of Herodes Atticus- a relatively small, covered theater at the western end of the southern slope of the Acropolis. It is considered to have been the most magnificent such structure in the Roman Empire, and we got excellent views down into it from the hillside above (while Fred took a picture of me and Greg).
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Herodes Atticus was a famed orator, high priest of the imperial cult at Athens, and friend of the Emperor Hadrian. Among his other philanthropic deeds, he financed an odeon in Corinth. Use the clickable thumbnails below to see some of our views of the Odeon:
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The odeon had a roof made of expensive, cedar of Lebanon timber and accommodated between 5000-8000 people; even so, it was smaller than the nearby Theater of Dionysos. It was built of porous stone blocks on the wall surface with quarry faced stones in the interior. The auditorium was hewn from the rock of the Acropolis. The odeon of Herodes Atticus was destroyed in 267 B.C., although much of the stonework still remains.
While we were up here, I wanted to get the entire Odeon in a single picture, but we couldn't get back far enough. So, I took these three pictures...
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...and then stitched them together into this panorama:
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From our vantage point above the Odeon, we went back to the pathway that led us south and down to the base of the Acropolis hill, and we walked a bit east to come in front of the Odeon. Sadly, it was closed due to the restoration work that was going on, and so we couldn't get inside the theatre. I'd wanted a picture looking back up to our previous perch, but that was not to be had.
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The Portico (Stoa) of Eumenes
Following the "Peripatos," the ancient road that circled the Acropolis, we came next to an unusual structure- a long, colonnaded porch with no rooms- just the porch.
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Below are clickable thumbnails for two views of the portico, the first from the west end (near the Odeon) and the second from the east end (near the Theatre of Dionysos):
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It was two-storied, 150 feet longer than the Stoa of Attalus and unlike had no rooms behind its two-aisle hall, meaning it was designed for promenading rather than business. Originally marble-faced, its arcades were built into the 1060 Byzantine defensive wall and are still visible. It had 64 Doric columns externally, 32 Ionic columns on the ground-floor interior and Pergemene-type capitals on the top floor interior. In front of the Stoa are the foundations of the 320 B.C. Monument of Nikias.
Today, the visible part of the monument is the north retaining wall, reinforced with butresses connected by semicircular arches. This wall was constructed to hold the north earth embankmane in place and to support the Peripatos. One can also see the stylobates of the inner colonnade on the ground floor and the foundation of the exterior colonnade. A part of the substructure of the east wall has also survived.
The Asklepieion
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The New Acropolis Museum
The walkway we were on descended the slope to a city street, and we continued east on it towards the Theatre of Dionysos. We walked through shaded city neighborhoods; the houses and cars seemed quite nice. After a few blocks, we came out in front of the New Acropolis Museum, which is just across the street from the Theatre of Dionysos. The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site that is just a thousand feet away.
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The first museum was on the Acropolis itself; it was completed in 1874 and underwent a moderate expansion in the 1950s. However, successive excavations on the Acropolis uncovered many new artifacts which significantly exceeded its original capacity.
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The new museum was founded in 2003; design competitions, controversies and actual construction kept the new museum from opening until June 21, 2009. Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 125,000 square feet. Space was the primary impetus for the construction of the new musuem, but an additional motivation was to provide space to display the "Elgin Marbles," artifacts that Greece continues to pressure the United Kingdom to return to it. Previously, Britain had asserted that there was no suitable display space for the marbles should they be returned. To this date, no agreement has been reached between Britain and Greece.
There were numerous controversies before an during construction. At the center of one controversy was the composer Vangelis, who owns a house in front of the museum that was targeted for demolition. According to Greek officials the house obstructs the view to the ancient Theater of Dionysos, but Vangelis claimed that the real reason was that his house blocked views of the Acropolis from the museum restaurant, and he accused the Greek government of “architectural terrorism”. As of this date, Vangelis' house has not been torn down, and you can see it in the movie and behind Fred here.
We took some additional pictures around the front of the museum, and also some views from the museum across the street to the Acropolis complex (where we will be heading again next). You can use the clickable thumbnails below to have a look at these pictures:
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The Sanctuary of Dionysos
From the museum, we re-crossed the street to find the entrance gate for the theatre complex. It required another of our sheaf of tickets, but we were soon inside and walking up towards the theatre. There are actually two sites here- the Sanctuary of Dionysos and the Theatre of Dionysos. The sanctuary site is adjacent to the theatre, and even though we visited it in the middle of our walk through the theatre, we'll take a look at it first.
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The sanctuary was enclosed by a peribolos wall, which is preserved, with a monumental propylon (gateway) at the east. Here, the Street of Tripods ended, the name of which comes from the tripods of the choregic monuments dedicated by the victors in drama contests. The propylon, of which only the foundations have survived, was constructed in the 4th century B.C. on the site of an earlier one; archaeologists are attempting a reconstruction.
Two temples existed on this site. The archaic temple was of the Doric order; today, only part of the foundation and the stepped platform of the temple have survived, though some similar column fragments are on display. The later temple was built about 330 B.C. According to Pausanias, a traveler of the 2nd century A.D., it housed the gold and ivory statue of the god, a work by the sculptor Alkamenes. But today, only the foundations of the temple and the statue have survived (and have been partly covered for protection).
In the northern part of the sanctuary is a long stoa, most probably of the Doric order, which had one floor; it separated the Sanctuary from the theatre. Today, all one can discern is the foundation and a small part of its north wall. Most of what remains from the stoa and the temple are fragments, and a large area has been set aside near the theatre to organize them and perhaps try to re-create the grandeur of that structure. Use the clickable thumbnails below to see some of the activity going on in this effort:
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The Theatre of Dionysos
The Theatre of Dionysos Eleuthereus is one of the earliest preserved open-air theatres in Athens. It was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysos.
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During the early 6th century B.C., performances associated with the festivals of Dionysos were probably held in the Athenian agora, with spectators seated on wooden bleachers set up around a flat circular area, the orchestra. These collapsed in the early 5th century B.C., an event attested in ancient sources. The dramatic and musical contests were moved to the precinct of Dionysos on the slope of the Acropolis and the first theatre was built.
The early theater there must have been very simple, with a few rows of wooden or stone benches set into the hill. The orchestra is thought to have been circular, with a diameter of around 85 feet. A wooden scene building (skene) was apparently introduced at the back of the orchestra, serving for the display of artificial scenery and perhaps also to enhance the acoustics. It was in this unpretentious setting that the plays of the great Attic tragedians of the 5th century B.C. were performed.
By the end of the 5th century B.C., some of the wooden constructions had been replaced with stone, although the present theatre dates largely to the period of the Athenian statesman Lycurgus (390-325 B.C.), who, as overseer of the city's finances and building program, refurbished the theater in stone in monumental form. This 4th-century theater had a permanent stage extending in front of the orchestra and a three-tiered seating area (theatron) that stretched up the slope. The scene building had projecting wings at both ends (paraskenia), which might have accommodated stairways or movable scenery, and is the oldest such building for which remains exist.
I positioned myself right in the middle of the area where the skene was and took five pictures panning across the theatre to get the view from the stage. I then stitched them together into the panoramic view below:
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Before I climbed up the hillside to the back of the theatre, we took a few more interesting pictures from the stage and from the first rows of seats; you can use the clickable thumbnails below to have a look at them:
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Dionysos was the god of wine and the patron of drama; among those who competed in the festivals were Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. Many of their works have survived, and perhaps you have read some of them. The advent of tragedy, in particular, is credited to the Athenians with festivals staged during specific times of year. These dramatic festivals were competitive among playwrights and involved the production of four plays, three tragedies and one satyr play featuring lighter themes. Early on, the subject matter of the four plays was often linked, with the three tragedies forming a trilogy, such as the Oresteia of Aeschylus. This famous trilogy- the story of the curse on the House of Atreus- won the competition of 458 B.C. held here.
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We sat and walked around up here for quite a few minutes, taking in the panorama of the ancient theatre and the city behind it, trying to imagine what it must have been like to be in attendance when the classic plays that I read a half-century ago in school were being presented for the first time. Impressions from movies and television come to mind, but I found myself wondering how accurate those depictions are.
Use the clickable thumbnails below to have a look at a few more pictures we took from our vantage point up here:
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In the Roman period, "crude Roman amusements" that were ordinarily restricted to the amphitheater replaced the sacred performances once held in the theater, and by the Byzantine period, the entire complex had been destroyed.
Our visit to the Theatre of Dionysos brought our visit to the Acropolis to a close, and now it was time to head back to Monastiraki Square where we had arrived this morning. Our plan was to follow our noses down the east slope of the Acropolis to find a major street heading north and then walk through the city north of the Acropolis back to the square. This trip began with a walk east along the path above the theatre, past the base of the Asklepieion, and out the east gate of the Acropolis complex and into Athens proper.
Walking Through Athens (back to Monastiraki Square)
We began our walk back to Monastiraki Square by leaving the Acropolis to the east and walking through some crowded city streets.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus
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We crossed above the Theatre of Dionysos and then began to descend the hillside to the eastern gate of the Acropolis. Ahead of us we could see the old neighborhood of Plaka- one of Athens' oldest and most historic. Just outside the Acropolis gate, we found a quiet little side street that led down into the neighborhood itself.
When we got down into it, all the little streets were very crowded; although it was after one in the afternoon, it seemed as if everyone was just sitting down to lunch. The Plaka area had its own small, central plaza; here there were trees to shade the sidewalk cafes and restaurants.
The streets were really charming, and it's nice that they were busy; there was lots to look at. If you'd like to experience a few moments of walking along with us, just use the movie player below, left. One thing I found was a vendor selling the same toy that I've seen at just about every port of call, and if you haven't already seen what it is and what it does, use the player below, right, to have a look:
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The Streets of Plaka |
The Ubiquitous European Toy |
I was intrigued by the little toy, and would like to have investigated it further, and perhaps bought a couple to bring home. But since I'd seen them just about everywhere so far, I was sure I would get another opportunity to buy one (and I did, indeed, see them at all the remaining ports, in Rome and in Florence).
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We continued southeast through Plaka, eventually coming out onto a broad boulevard that ran north-south in front of us. On the other side of the street, I could see the ancient gate that led to the area once occupied by the Temple to Olympian Zeus.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century B.C. during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century A.D. some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.
The temple's glory was short-lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century A.D. It was probably never repaired and was reduced to ruins thereafter. In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the temple was extensively quarried for building materials to supply building projects elsewhere in the city. Despite this, substantial remains remain visible today and it continues to be a major tourist attraction.
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Once there, I found that while I could get around on the other side of the ancient gate, the actual area surrounding the temple was fenced off- and I didn't see an entrance in either direction along that fence. I thought about finding the entrance, but not only was this not one of the sites on our comprehensive ticket (and which would involve another fee), but looking across the broad open area, I could see that visitors inside the site could still only get within a hundred feet or so of the columnar ruins. I I thought that actually if I got much closer than I already was, it would be hard to get good pictures. So I contented myself with a couple of pictures of the ruins that I took through the fence in front of me- in one of which you can see the column that collapsed in 1852; have a look at them using the clickable thumbnails below:
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Then I headed off up the avenue on the side I was on, keeping an eye on the other guys who I could see walking along the other side of the street.
Zappeion Park and The National Gardens of Greece
I continued north on the east side of the avenue, watching the guys walk along the west side. I saw that I was walking along some sort of park, so when I got to the next corner where they could cross, I yelled at them to come over and walk through the park with me. They did so, and we found ourselves on a tree‑lined street leading into what we found out were the National Gardens. Right on the corner where we were standing, there was an interesting sculpted tower. There was no water, so it did not seem to be a fountain, and we couldn't quite tell if the structure on the top was lighted or not.
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Heading further north, we found ourselves in the National Gardens proper. The gardens were designed by Amalia, the first Queen of Greece, and were quite beautiful. Henry Miller wrote in 1939 "It remains in my memory like no other park I have known. It is the quintessence of a park, the thing one feels sometimes in looking at a canvas or dreaming of a place one would like to be in and never finds." In addition to the obvious wide range of plants and trees, the gardens also contain a duck pond, various fountains, pools and monuments, a Botanical Museum, a small cafe, and a Children's Library and playground. Running through the middle of the garden was a two‑block long arbor.
We took quite a few nice pictures here in the National Gardens; there are clickable thumbnails below for some of them:
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Syntagma Square
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This brought us in front of the Greek Parliament building to the east and, looking in the opposite direction, we could see Syntagma Square, sloping down to the west.
This was a busy intersection, with lots of traffic- buses, cars, trucks and motorcycles (some with interesting riders) whizzing by in all directions.
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We walked west along the sloping south side of the square and found a neat fountain at the southwest corner. There are clickable thumbnails below for pictures of me and Fred at the fountain:
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Near the fountain there was a monument on which someone had added another inscription- possibly relating to Greece's current economic difficulties; you can have a look at the add-on here. We left the square at its southwest corner and continued west towards Monastiraki Square.
Some blocks west, we came to the Greek Cathedral of Athens. It had an open square with some statuary. You can see a couple of views of the carvings and paintings adorning its entrance here and here. You can see some of the statuary here and here.
Back to Monastiraki
From the Cathedral, it was a pleasant walk through crowded streets to Monastiraki.
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And with that, we were back in Monastiraki Square, ready to go visit Hadrian's Library (now that we had tickets for it).
Hadrian's Library and the Tetraconch Church
The Library of Hadrian is located on the north side of the Acropolis, immediately north of the Roman Agora. The entrance to it is just off Monastiraki Square.
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Although the building has been called the "Library" of Hadrian since the early 19th century, it is important to realize that it was much more than that. Archaeologists recognize that the architectural form of the complex is closely modeled on the Temple Pacis ("Temple of Peace") in Rome, one of a series of Imperial fora constructed by the Roman emperors. The Library of Hadrian provided the people of Athens with a new, multi-purpose, public square and cultural center that contained a garden, works of art, a library, and lecture halls.
The Western Entrance and Forecourt
We gave our tickets to the attendant and entered the complex.
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There were faint remains of frescoes on the outer wall of the library. The columns had mostly intact Corinthian pediments. Fred took a picture from the north that shows the exterior wall and some of its columns and the columns of the propylon beyond to the south, and you can see that picture here.
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Right after that, I snapped a picture of Fred at the exterior wall of the library.
We took a few minutes to walk down to the southern side of the western forecourt. (You can see the extreme southwest corner of this area if you glance to the right at the beginning frame of the movie.) Here, we found that the work of restoration is ongoing. Recent excavations have shown that there were Hellenistic and Roman houses in this area before the construction of the Library of Hadrian. After the Herulian invasion and destruction of Athens in 267 A.D., the line of the "Post-Herulian" (Late Roman) fortification wall followed the line of the walls visible here, encompassing the western, northern, and southern sides of the Library of Hadrian. From here, we could look back north at the partially‑restored propylon.
To get into the main area of the ruin, we walked east just a few feet past a restored marble corner and then down some steps behind (east) of the long wall of the propylon. You can see a view looking west back towards the street here.
The Area of the Churches
This brought us to the main area of the ruin, and I stopped at the top of the steps to take a couple of pictures looking at the north and south sections of this area. You can see those pictures below:
 North End |
 South End |
The library was seriously damaged by the Herulian invasion of 267 and repaired by the prefect Herculius in AD 407-412. The purpose of the site began to change during Byzantine times; three churches were built at the site. The first was a tetraconch in the 5th century A.D. It was a monumental tetraconch church, which ocupied the inner peristyled courtyard of Hadrian's Library. It was built either by the Prefect of Illiricum (Herculius) or by the empresss Eudocia, wife of the Emperor of Byzantium.
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This church was ruined towards the end of the 6th century A.D. Two churches were built subsequently at the same spot. The first was a three-aisled basilica in the 7th century, and second was a simpler cathedral from the 12th century- probably the first cathedral built in the city of Athens. It was It was known as the Megali Panagia, but it fell into ruin and was demolished in 1885 so that archaeological excavations could begin. Around the same period as the cathedral another church was built against the north facade, but no traces of it remain.
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One of the most interesting views from the ancient library was up towards the Acropolis, and Fred captured a beautiful view looking through one of the ancient arches left over from one of the former churches and catching one of the set of four columns still standing; you can see that excellent picture at right.
The Museum at Hadrian's Library
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Inside, we found the largest sculptural artifact found on the site- a large statue of Nike in the type of the Roman Victory. We took a number of pictures of it; the best one is at left. In the museum, there were also other artifacts- including vases and jars (apparently not actually found on this site, but on others nearby)- as well as a good many sculpture fragments, most of which were found here. There are clickable thumbnails below for some of the pictures we took of these artifacts:
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From the museum, we came back around by the north wall towards the entrance where we'd come it. We passed by some of the restoration work going on and came back around to the surviving library wall. This brought us back to the entrance and we exited to the street.
At this point, about two-thirty in the afternoon, Fred and Greg decided they'd had enough ruins and antiquities for one day, and were ready to return to the Noordam. I, however, wanted to use one more of our remaining tickets to see another site nearby, and so we split up temporarily, to be reunited later back on the ship. Fred and Greg headed into the Monastiriki train station to head back, and I headed off to another ruin site.
The Temple of Hephaistus
Nearby was the Temple of Hephaistus- just a few blocks from Hadrian's Library, so I headed off to see it.
Getting to the Temple (Location)
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Then there was a bridge across the tracks that took me to the entrance for the park in which the Temple of Hephaistus is located.
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Hephaestus was the patron god of metal working and craftsmanship. There were numerous potters' workshops and metal-working shops in the vicinity of the temple, as befits the temple's honoree. Archaeological evidence suggests that there was no earlier building on the site except for a small sanctuary that was burned when the Persians occupied Athens in 480 BC. The name Theseion or Temple of Theseus was attributed to the monument under the assumption it housed the remains of the Athenian hero Theseus, brought back to the city from the island of Skyros by Kimon in 475 BC, but refuted after inscriptions from within the temple associated it firmly with Hephaestus.
To get to the temple itself, I walked a bit westward through the area of the old Agora, and then followed the path that led up to the temple. The buildings that comprised the Agora are only ruins now, although there were markers to tell me what buildings had stood in the area previously. There were two of note, but of course only fragments of them, including columns, pedestals and statuary (in addition to their sites) remain.
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The other building of note was this Gymnasium, but only its foundations and one of the colonnades on its west side remain. The statues from the Odeion were moved here when that building was destroyed. Originally, th ebuilding was considered a gymnasium, but it was probably a palace, seat of a high administrative official.
Below are clickable thumbnails for some additional pictures I took walking through the ruins of the Agora and these buildings:
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I continued to walk westward, and ahead of me I could see the pathway that led up the east side of the Agoraios Kolonos hill to the Temple of Hephaistus on top. The view from here was pretty impressive.
After the battle of Plataea, the Greeks swore never to rebuild sanctuaries destroyed by the Persians during their invasion of Greece, but to leave them in ruins, as a perpetual reminder of the war. The Athenians directed their funds towards rebuilding their economy and strengthening their influence in the Delian League. When Pericles came to power, he envisioned a grand plan for transforming Athens into the centre of Greek power and culture. Construction on this building started in 449 BC, and some scholars believe it not to have been completed for some three decades, funds and workers having been redirected towards the Parthenon. The western frieze was completed between 445-440 BC, while the eastern frieze, the western pediment and several changes in the building's interior are dated by these scholars to 435-430 BC, largely on stylistic grounds. It was only during the Peace of Nicias (421-415 BC) that the roof was completed and the cult images were installed. The temple was officially inaugurated in 416-415 BC.
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The decorative sculptures highlight the extent of the mixture of styles in the construction of the temple. The Ionic friezes depict scenes from the battle of Theseus with the Pallantides in the presence of gods and the battle of Centaurs and Lapiths. Reconstructing the themes of the pediments is difficult due to the fragmentary nature of the surviving remnants. An earlier interpretation identified the birth of Erichthonios in the east pediment and Heracles before Thetis in the west. Later theories suggest that the west pediment was dedicated again to the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths while the east pediment depicted the "deification" of Heracles, the entry of the hero onto Mount Olympus.
 An Interior Frieze |
Only 18 of the 68 metopes of the temple of Hephaestus were sculptured, concentrated especially on the east side of the temple; the rest were perhaps painted. The ten metopes on the east side depict the Labours of Heracles. The four easternmost metopes on the long north and south sides depict the Labours of Theseus.
Below are clickable thumbnails for some of the many views I took of this beautiful example of Classic Greek architecture:
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According to Pausanias, the temple housed the bronze statues of Athena and Hephaestus. An inscription records payments between 421 BC and 415 BC for two bronze statues but it does not mention the sculptor. Tradition attributes the work to Alkamenes. In the 3rd century BC trees and shrubs (pomegranates, myrtle and laurel) were planted around the temple, creating a small garden.
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Around 700 A.D. the temple was turned into a Christian church, dedicated to Saint George. The first actual mention of the temple as a Christian church dates from 1690. The last Holy Mass that took place in the temple was on February 2, 1833, during the celebrations for the arrival of Otto in Greece. Athens was proclaimed the official capital of Greece in 1834 from this site. The area around the temple was also used as a burial place for non-Orthodox Europeans in the 19th century, among whom were many philhellenes who gave their lives in the cause of Greek War of Independence (1821–1830). John Tweddel, a friend of Lord Elgin, is buried here; excavations also revealed a slab from the grave of George Watson with a Latin epitaph by Lord Byron. In 1934, it reverted to its status as an ancient monument and extensive archaeological research was allowed.
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Before I left the temple, I took a few pictures of the view out across Athens and to the Acropolis afforded by my hilltop position; there are clickable thumbnails for some of these below.
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Finishing up at the Temple of Hephaistus, I was just in time, as someone came around announcing the closure of the site for the day. I took my last few pictures and then retraced my path back through the Agora to the entrance.
Spending Time in Monastiriki Square
From the bridge over the railway at the Hephaistus Entrance Station, I walked along the small street that paralleled the below‑grade railway line back towards Hadrian's Library. I took a few casual shots along the way, and a couple of interesting movies as well.
Very near that pedestrian bridge, I noticed a stray cat down below me on the stonework near what appeared to be a storage area for excavated items. It was after a bird, and you can watch my film of it on the hunt by using the left-had player below. Near the corner where I turned to go north into Monastiriki Square, I encountered an interesting tour conveyance, and you can use the right-hand player below to watch it pass me.
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A Cat and Mouse Game |
A Tourist Train Passes |
There was other interesting scenery walking along this small street; there were lots of people about even in mid-afternoon. Below are clickable thumbnails for some of the pictures I took along this street:
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I walked back towards the Library of Hadrian, turned left, and re-entered Monastiraki Square from the south.
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I did something else interesting here in the square; I took a series of ten pictures covering a 360-degree view from the center of the square, and then stitched them together into a single view that you can pan around. Use the scrollable window below to have a look at the square all the way around:
Of course I also took a number of candid shots around the square, and you can use the clicable thumbnails below to have a look at them:
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Well, Fred and Greg have already gone back to the ship, and it is time for me to follow them. I headed back into the train station to catch the next train back to Pireaus.
Getting Back to the Noordam (We Set Sail)
When I was done in the square, I went inside the train station, bought my return ticket to Piraeus, and went down to the platform. I was only there a couple of minutes when the outbound train pulled in. The ride back to Piraeus was about fifteen minutes; there are about ten stops between Monastiraki and the terminus. Arriving in Piraeus, I got off the train to exit the station. Before doing so, I got another view of the Piraeus station platform to complement the picture we took this morning.
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I might also mention that when Fred and Greg were on their own way back to the ship, Fred stopped right where I was and used his incredible zoom to take a picture of the Noordam, docked amid a number of other ships. It was over a mile away, but the picture turned out well, and you can have a look at it here.
Then I began the relatively long walk back to the passenger terminal that serves the cruise ship docks. Remember that this morning, we took a bus from dockside by the Noordam about a mile to this terminal, and then we walked to the train station from there. As it turned out, the train ticket was good for buses, too, so I thought I would try to find a bus going along the harbor that I could take. I got on one I thought would work, but just a few blocks in the right direction, it turned left to head back, apparently, into Piraeus or Athens. So I hopped off, walked back to the harbor, and then decided just to walk the rest of the way back.
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As I said, Fred and I made our way back to the ship at different times, and, on the way alongside the harbor itself, we both took pictures of some of the ships (and the Noordam) docked there. Fred's were taken as he and Greg walked along the row of ships near the Noordam, while mine were taken from the bus. Use the clickable thumbnails below to see some of these pictures (the four leftmost are Fred's and the others are mine):
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I was back on board and reunited with Fred and Greg by about four o'clock. We spent some time walking around on deck.
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In addition to the movie, I took some candid shots of the harbor here at Piraeus, and you can use the clickable thumbnails below to have a look at them:
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A little after 5:30, the Noordam headed out of the Piraeus harbor, on to our next port of call. Later on in the evening, after we'd spent some time in gym, I was out on our balcony, and I got a pretty good shot of the sunset behind us.
This Evening's Towel Animal
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This evening was typical, with dinner and a show in the lounge. No pictures, though.
You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.
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May 24, 2012: Kudasai (Ephesus), Turkey |
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May 22, 2012: Katakolon (Olympia), Greece |
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Return to the Index for Our Mediterranean Cruise |
