Athens is the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewellery and more from Ancient Greece. We arrived in the port of Piraeus, the largest port in Athens and one of the largest in Europe. The airport here is 50 km away. The population of Athens is approximately 660,000. The first thing we noticed was very dusty haze and all the cars were covered in dust. We were told the southerly winds from Africa bring the dust here for 4 months of the year. 

We have had 2 days in Athens, the first day we visited the Plaka (old town of Athens). the cobblestone streets were lined with shops, restaurants and ancient sites. Every corner had something different to see. We explored the New Acropolis Museum which is dedicated to the archaeological findings of the Acropolis site, too many to name, but great to see.  That night we had dinner watching the beautiful sunset overlooking the Acropolis as it lit up and dominated the view. A truely spectacular site and such an enjoyable backdrop to our dinner. So much history here, hard to believe when we are such a young country in Australia.

The next day we rose early and embarked on our tour showing us the local sites. Our guide was informative and we headed straight to the Acropolis to avoid the crowds. A good move and it wasn't too hot. This is the highest point of Athens overlooking the city dating back to fourth century B.C. They are slowly restoring it. The view was incredible. The ground was mostly marble and very slippery. This enormous structure was a marvel and impressive to say the least, considering its age. One of the amphitheatres  is still used today (after being rebuilt) and the other one remains in ruins. The view of Athens from the Acropolis is a site to believe, 360 degrees and beautiful in the morning. We then visited the temple of Zeus, ruins of the temple completed in the second century A.D. We then went on to Panathinaiko Stadium, which hosted the first modern Olympic games in 1896 and then to the Temple of Hepaistos, part of Ancient Agora. This was the social, political and commercial hub of the city during Ancient Greece. The Temple is one of the best preserved temples of Ancient Greece and was built between 449 and 415 BC. We then had a tour through the streets of Athens, very busy and graffiti is everywhere. We passed the changing of the guard of the unknown soldier. This is guarded by soldiers  24/7, 365 days of the year. Every man in Greece has to do military service for 1 year once you turn 18. Passing on the streets we came to the Arts and Science Academy and the National library made from 100% marble.

On to lunch to a small marina overlooking fishing boats. Mark had char grilled octopus and I had crab salad. Just yum. What a beautiful lunch to end a great 2 days in Athens.