Athens Day 2

We had an early wake up call this morning (Sunday) so that we would be ready for our guided tour of Athens. We made our way through the city streets (by a really nice air conditioned small coach). There were only 7 of us (Plus the driver & the tour guide.) We got dropped off at the Acropolis with our tour guide, who was really interesting for the first 10 minutes, 10 minutes after that we started to get bored and 10 minutes after that we were dying for her to stop!

89 steps up to the top of the Acropolis (which actually wasn't too bad, but a lot of the surfaces are marble so you had to watch where you stepped).

Spent about an hour looking at the Acropolis. I should add here that they are 'restoring' it. The work has been going on 25 years and nobody knows how long it will take, they estimate another 40 years but the tab is being picked up by UNESCO so they are in no hurry!

Here's some pics but I have forgotten what a lot of the places were called.... (Read on below the pictures because there is more to come.)

View from the top. You are looking down on an outdoors theatre that is still use to this day. It was restored about 70 years ago for a Maria Callas concert and recently Andrea Bocelli performed there. Apparently it costs an arm & a leg to get in and only holds around 500.

 

The tour of the Acropolis was followed by a tour around Athens city. I have mentioned it before but graffiti is EVERYWHERE! Our guide explained that this was due to the protest about government cutbacks and especially the Uni students because 2000 professors had been sacked at the insistence of the German government.

We went back to the hotel to freshen up and then had a look around the local area to check it out.

The museum of antiquities

 Below are a couple of pics of the graffiti, the first picture shows a wonderful statue that has been completely covered in it. The 2nd picture shows a typical shop plastered in the stuff.

 

Athens is a candle in the wind. It's had it's day and is almost snuffed out. The Greeks are a proud and very hospitable people but sadly poverty has overtaken them and they are rapidly becoming a third world country.

We set off on the cruise early in the morning and as I said previously internet access may be limited for the next few days.

See you when I can!