October 18, 2009

Athens

We found Athens to be a study in contrasts. On the one hand, the city is (obviously) full of history and ancient landmarks that are fascinating to see and to learn about. On the other hand, we found the "non-ancient" parts of the city to be a little rougher (i.e. more litter, smog, stray dogs & cats, etc.) than some of the other cities that we have seen. Despite the downsides, we really liked the feeling of the city - the people were friendly, the transportation systems were good and the weather and the food were great!

Athens:


Temple of Olympian Zeus. Construction began in the 6th century B.C. but wasn't completed until the 2nd century A.D. Of the original 104 columns, 16 remain (15 standing, 1 tumbled):


View of temple from the Acropolis:


Above the Theatre of Dionysus, which was built in 325 B.C.:


Waiting for the show to start:


The Parthenon, which is undergoing renovations:


At the 1896 Olympic stadium:


Our favorite thing to eat while we were in Athens - pitas from a place right by our hostel:

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