Athens

There is nowhere in the whole world that can quite compare with The Acropolis of Athens. And The Acropolis’s ‘crowning glory’ is undoubtedly ‘The Parthenon’ which towers above the seething city and dominates the sprawling metropolis that personifies modern-day Athens.



Athens’ origins first evolved more than 5,000 years ago, and the city’s name is derived from the Greek goddess of wisdom – namely Athena. Athens is literally ‘the gateway to Greece’, and its ancient sites seem to intermix with the frenetic pace of the ‘modern city’ with perfect harmony. In Athens one can ‘go back in time’ while still participating in the ultra fast pace of the prevailing ‘present’. For be it night or be it day, Athens is always ‘a hive of activity’.

On my first visit to Athens, the moment I arrived at my hotel – even before unpacking my bags – I hired a taxi and sped across the city towards the Acropolis. It was evening and the site was almost on the point of closure for the day. But I made it – even though minimally later arrivals were turned away. And it was a perfect time to view the ancient site because there were fewer people present, and it was also pleasantly cool. I passed through the Beule Gate – the visitors’ entrance – and moved on towards The Propylaea, which incorporated both Doric and Ionic columns.

I also saw The Temple of Athena Nike which stood to the right of The Propylaea – the temple from which Theseus’s father King Aegeus, believing his son to be dead, is purported to have leapt to his death as he watched his son’s ship returning from Crete with black sails (signifying death) – Theseus having forgotten to change them for white sails (signifying life). Knowing that ‘time was running out’ for me – in that The Acropolis site was scheduled to close for the night at any minute – I didn’t linger long at any of the other sites.

I literally rushed up the marble hill in the direction of my ultimate goal, namely ‘The Parthenon’, described as ‘one of mankind’s most outstanding achievements’. And as I stood beneath its massive marble columns and surveyed the vast city of Athens that lay far below, and the panoramic view that stretched beyond it, I felt that every second of my flight from Heathrow and subsequent manic taxi ride had been fully justified. It was a sublime moment, and I recalled the quotation of the French poet, Lamartine, who described the Doric temple as ‘the most perfect poem in stone’!

I also managed to dart across to the famed Erechtheion, described as ‘a temple unlike any other in the ancient world’. I found myself spellbound by the sight of the ‘Caryatids’ – the ‘larger than life marble maidens’, on whose heads was balanced part of the porch roof. I would have liked to have visited The Acropolis Museum but it was already closed for the night. And suddenly I was alerted by the loud deafening ringing of a bell! The Acropolis was about to ‘close’ for the night……..

Spectacular though the site might be, I had no wish to spend the night alone amongst the ruins, so I hastened my downhill step – along with all the other remaining visitors. But I did manage to catch a glimpse of The Theatre of Dionysos, which lay beneath The Acropolis, and which was a truly spectacular sight – claimed to have once held a total of 30,000 spectators! Later, I also looked down at the restored Odeon of Herodes Atticus, where plays and concerts are still regularly performed. I had only been in Athens for a couple of hours - yet already I felt that I’d seen so many unforgettable ancient sights……

The hotel where I was staying was situated in a particularly busy part of the city, and was several floors high. And it had a rooftop swimming pool and bar area – with waiter service providing both tea and coffee. Furthermore, it also overlooked a panoramic vision of the towering Acropolis On the rooftop there were also sun beds and parasols, where one could relax in the sunshine by day, and recline in comfort with a drink in the evening – while feasting one’s eyes on the floodlit spectacle of The Acropolis rising above the city beneath a blanket of black sky.

The hotel had an excellent restaurant too, which was pleasantly air condition, and its food was rated as ‘excellent’. But I wanted to experience the thrill of ‘The Plaka’ – one of Athens’ oldest quarters, and comprising a maze of narrow winding streets situated in the shadow of The Acropolis. Quiet by day ‘The Plaka’ was reputed to metamorphose by night, with bars, night clubs, and tavernas suddenly springing into life with the coming of darkness.

Here revelry was purported to be rife, with bouzouki music filling the air, along with the aroma of a surfeit of cooked charcoal-grilled Souvlaki emanating from every taverna. And an abundance of retsina was reputed to be found flowing freely from every available wine bottle….. This then was where I chose to dine on that first night. And it was a ‘never-to-be-forgotten’ experience! Everyone was friendly – taverna owners, native Greek diners and visiting tourists alike – and there was a ‘party atmosphere’ everywhere. Dining in ‘the Plaka’, after all, was a communal occasion…..

Having failed to visit The Acropolis Museum on the previous evening, I decided to make The National Archaeological Museum my first priority the following morning. I knew that Athens had other major museums and galleries one could visit, such as The Benaki Museum, The Byzantine Museum and The National Gallery of Painting, but I opted for The National Archaeological Museum. I failed to get a taxi to take me there, so ended up having to make the journey to the museum ‘on foot’. But it proved to be well worth the effort, and I would describe it as one of the most interesting museums I have ever visited.

It’s claimed that it ‘holds more masterpieces of ancient art than any other museum in the world’ and I’m inclined to agree with this prognosis. I shall always remember standing in stunned silence staring at the ‘golden death mask’ of Agamemnon!. And I could scarcely tear myself away from the museum’s collection of Minoan frescoes, which had been unearthed and transported from the volcanic island of Santorini – an island that was believed to be Plato’s Atlantis. In fact, seeing the exhibits strengthened my determined resolve to visit that distant shore that represented that unique volcanic island of Santorini!

A stay in Athens offers a wealth of sightseeing possibilities. Apart from the many historic sites that can be located in Athens itself, day-trip possibilities abound, which include visits to innumerable classical destinations, including Sounion, Daphni, Eleusis, Delphi, Corinth, Mycenae, and Epidaurus. And from Athens’ Port of Pireaus the Argo Saronic Islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra, and Spetses can also be easily reached – Aegina’s Temple of Aphaia being of particular classical interest. In fact, selecting Athens as a holiday base offers a wealth of Grecian exploratory options. And Athens itself is a city where, figuratively ‘the sun never sets’…

Roberta Crookes has worked as a newspaper journalist throughout most of her life, writing news stories, editorial features, advertisement supplements, and reviews. And in the course of her work she has interviewed many famous people from all walks of life. She has also managed to combine parallel careers in both journalism and acting, and, being Welsh speaking from North Wales, her main television featured parts have been Welsh language roles with BBC Wales.