Athens - Acropolis

Today Carrie & I wandered around the Acropolis

We were able to walk through the original ancient entrance, the Propylea, walking in the same steps as Athenians did centuries ago. 

Doing so, we passed by the Temple of Athena Nike ( "Athena who brings us victory" ) ...

Across the hilltop a few hundred yards or so is the Parthenon.  The Greek government has a major restoration program on, so it's a bit encumbered with scaffolding, cranes, and the like.  But this is the building that housed the 13m high statue of Athina by the sculptor Phidias:

A short distance away is the Erechthion, the oldest temple atop the Acropolis, and to the ancient Greeks the most sacred.  It is famous for the porch of the maidens:

We then walked down off the rocky hilltop, through a sanctuary dedicated to Asklepios, the god of healing ( who cured the ancients by appearing to them in their dreams ), to the Theatre of Dionysos.   This was where the ancient Athenians saw the classic dramas and comedies by Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Sophocles.

Then across the street to the very new Acropolis Museum, where we pounded several corridor miles through exhibits of statuary and artifacts found on or near the Acropolis.  The top floor contains a replica of the Parthenon itself.  The Greeks have every right to be very proud of this museum: it is well-organized, informative, and loaded with artifacts that illuminate virtually every aspect of the Acropolis and the life of the ancient Athenians.  Alas photography is not permitted in the museum, so I don't have any photos from inside to share.

We staggered back to the hotel for a brief nap, then went wandering again through neighborhood north of the Acropolis.  We went back up on top of the Acropolis in the late afternoon.  The light had changed since the morning and now the pentelic marble of the structures glowed in the fading sunlight.

 We had the immense pleasure of watching the daylight fade and lights come on across the cityscape, including a floodlit Acropolis:

But now it's time to plop my still semi-jet-lagged self to bed.  A fine day ...

John