Un Mundo de Maravilla Infinita: April 2014

It's all Greek to Me!

(Athens)

So, I loved Greece. It is beautiful and amazing! The people are the nicest most genuine people I have ever met. They are just thankful for your business they want you to enjoy their culture and love it as much as they do. Athens is a lovely city. Actual ancient history surrounds you all the time as you walk through the streets. Also, I completely understand the saying "It's all Greek to me". When I walked into the first little street food restaurant I looked at the menu and figured I would starve in Greece. I couldn't understand one word of the menu it may have well been in Arabic for all I knew.

The Acropolis

Acropolis comes from the Greek words "akron" meaning edge and "polis" meaning city. There is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC. It was Perikles in the 5th century BC who coordinated the construction of the site's most important buildings. It was so incredible being here. Just knowing that I was surrounded by some of the oldest buildings in the world and from one of my favorite periods in history was fantastic.

Parthenon

The Parthenon (Greek: Παρθενών) is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC. It is considered the most important surviving building of Classical Greece. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy, western civilization and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Parthenon is huge! It really is fantastic. Right now Athens is working to restore the history of the Patthenon. They aren't rebuilding it with new stone but if they excavate and find the correct pieces of the columns then they put them where they are suppose to be I think it is really cool.

Temple of Athena Nike

The Temple of Athena Nike (Greek: Ναός Αθηνάς Νίκης) is a temple on the Acropolis of Athens. Built between 427 and 424 BC, the temple is the earliest fully Ionic temple on the Acropolis. It has a prominent position on a steep bastion at the south west corner of the Acropolis to the right of the entrance. Nike means victory in Greek, and Athena was worshiped in this form, as goddess of victory in war and wisdom. I love this little temple. It kind of gets glossed over when you talk about the Acropolis Hill. But I find it really pretty.

Erechtheion

The Erechtheion (Greek: Ἐρέχθειον) is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis which was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. The temple as seen today was built between 421 and 406 BC. I loved this temple. This temple is distinguishable by the 6 maidens who are the columns of the building on one side. These maidens are to help Athena. It is very different than any other temple built and I like that.

Odeum of Herodes Atticus

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theater structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis.It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped amphitheater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive, cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and turned into a ruin by the Heruli in 267 AD. I wish I could see something in this theater. It was truly beautiful.

Temple of Hephaestus

The Temple of Hephaestus, also known as the Hephaisteion or earlier as the Theseion, is a well-preserved Greek temple; it remains standing largely as built. It is a Doric peripteral temple, and is located at the north-west side of the Agora of Athens, on top of the Agoraios Kolonos hill. From the 7th century until 1834, it served as the Greek Orthodox church of St. George Akamates. Hephaestus was the patron god of metal working and craftsmanship.The temple was officially inaugurated in 416-415 BC. This was a gorgeous temple. It was almost as if we were still in the some year BC. I feel so lucky to have been privileged enough to be here and see this.

Hill of Muses/Philopappos Hill and Monument

The Philopappos Monument (Greek: Μνημείο Φιλοπάππου) is an ancient Greek mausoleum and monument dedicated to Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos (Greek: Γάιος Ιούλιος Αντίοχος Επιφανής Φιλόπαππος, 65–116 AD), a prince from the Kingdom of Commagene. It is located on Mouseion Hill in Athens, Greece, southwest of the Acropolis. We didn't even know that we were going to find a piece of history when we went for a walk and ended up going on more of a hike. Also, a stray found us and hung out with us. Strays aren't sad like they are in most countries. They are well fed and really happy. The whole community takes it upon themselves to keep them happy and healthy. I wish we could have taken him home, but he had a good life.

Pynx

The Pnyx (Greek: Πνύκα) is a hill in central Athens, the capital of Greece. Beginning as early as 507 BC, the Athenians gathered on the Pnyx to host their popular assemblies, thus making the hill one of the earliest and most important sites in the creation of democracy. The right side of the picture with the rocks is the Pynx hill. It has a great view of Acropolis Hill. We didn't even know what this hill was when we stumbled upon it. It really has lovely views. It is a little piece of serenity.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Greek: Ναὸς τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου Διός, Naos tou Olympiou Dios), also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a colossal ruined temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC 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 AD 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. This is just such a huge temple. I couldn't even imagine what it would have looked like when it was not a ruin.

Constitution Square (Syntagma Square) and The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Syntagma Square (Greek: Πλατεία Συντάγματος, English: Constitution Square) is a town square located in central Athens, Greece. The Square is named after the Constitution that King Otto was obliged to grant, after a popular and military uprising on September 3, 1843.[1] It is the oldest and socially most important square of modern Athens, at the epicentre of commercial activity during the nineteenth century. Also here the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Memorial guarded by Evzones (Greek: Εύζωνες, Εύζωνοι) the Presidential Guard (Greek: Προεδρική Φρουρά).I have to say this was the BEST changing of the guards I have ever seen and I have seen a few.

Random Greek Beauty

This house was just lovely. And it in on the side of Acropolis Hill.

This little guy was so cute. He was in a historical are next to the ruins of a library. We fed him one of our strawberries. He was stoked about the strawberry. He is a marginated tortoise. They are native to this area of the world. You see them everywhere!