A ticket to Ancient Athens
By Helen Grubner. Filed in Uncategorized |
The Erechtheion, Acropolis, Athens
Began the day negotiating a better room rate – from tonight 30 Euro which is very reasonable for Athens. I actually like my small room and to date, no one else has used the shared bathroom. I was told this morning the mattress is new on my bed which explains why it is this comfortable – a very rare thing in Greece!
This morning I visited the Vodafone shop and 5 Euro procured me a card and phone number for Greece. I will return tomorrow and have a staff member there set it up for me as most of you know, I’m not at all technically minded.
Something I meant to write about yesterday – the street sellers everywhere – mostly African (probably all here illegally) – they place on the pavement a sheet with their wares, e.g. bags, watches, sunglasses and trade until they see the police approaching. Within seconds everything is bundled up and they’re hot footing it until the coast is clear, then they start all over again.
And so to my main activity of the day – visiting firstly the Theatre and Sanctuary of Dionysos, the Odeion of Herodes Atticus and the Acropolis. Then to the Ancient Agora – on the north-west slopes of the Acropolis, this was the heart of ancient Athens from the late 6th C BC onwards. It was a place for political gatherings and debate, for elections, religious occasions and trading activities, theatrical performances and athletic competitions.
Walking further along I came to The Kerameikos, the most important and official cemetery of ancient Athens. An archaeological site different from others in Athens, a place that received the bodies of thousands of Athenians for over 1,500 years.
At every turn there is another photographic opportunity.