Greece Summary & Review

Visiting Athens and the Greek islands were at the top of our "places to visit" for this trip.  With all of the traveling we've done in Europe to date, we had never been to either location.  Last Summer we did stop in Olympia, Greece on our cruise and loved the city.  What's not to love about Greece?!  Succulent seafood, delicious cheese, beautiful architecture and the cradle of modern civilization as we know it are all in abundance here.  Taking in all the history, we were amazed at how much has been discovered and how much took place in Greece.  Such a proud set of accomplishments.

It's was almost sad to know this once strong country, now has such a poor and difficult future ahead of it.  While news back in the states was centered around the U.S. debt ceiling, the world news was focused firmly Greece's sovereign debt crisis (along with the other four countries in the EU with financial trouble, of which we would ultimately visit four of the five: Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, excluding only Portugal.)  When news of the severity of Greece's solvency problem broke, the people of Greece were very upset (as most of the country worked for government-owned companies and many lost their jobs).  Riots and strikes broke out in Athens.  Even though the riots were contained near parliament (away from the touristy areas), this was obviously not an ideal time to visit Athens.  In addition, there was a lot of "anarchy" graffiti (you would've thought the Sex Pistols were in town!), but we don't know if this was a "new" phenomenon in Athens.  There wasn't much impact on the islands - arguably Greece's most profitable business is tourism, especially in the islands.  Our main concern was using the public transportation, cabs, and ferries to Mykonos from the airport.  Playing it safe, we took a flight to Mykonos but were able to take the ferry back.

Mykonos was absolutely amazing.  One of the top, if not the top, beach that we've ever been to. The water is a clear teal blue, the sandy beaches are soft and clean.  Mykonos is one of many Greek islands. We would've liked to island hop but we really wanted to use these four days to relax.  We will have to go back and visit the other islands at a later time. Mykonos is apparently known for being very vibrant, trendy and almost club-like.  We visited the party beach, Paradise, one day and a calmer beach by our hotel another day.  We prefer the less crowed, calmer beaches for the daytime and heading out to the town center at night.  Even though the island had cabs, we took the public bus.  It was cheap, safe and reliable.  July is a busy time at the islands and it was difficult to get a cab. We mentioned this on an earlier post but we would highly recommend the hotel we stayed at: Artemis Hotel.  It's a small, family-owned place that's right on the beach and across from a bus stop.  They had free breakfast, wi-fi internet, and airport pick-up/drop-off service.  Getting all these things for free is very hard to find!

Athens.  We really wish we had more time to stay in Athens. Going off the advice of friends, we only stayed in Athens for two days.  However, after we arrived we realized all there is to see - especially for those history lovers like Chris.  Again, we stayed at a great hotel here in Athens: Athens Center Square Hotel.  It was walking distance from the metro and was very easy to find (there were even signs pointing to it along the walk). The hotel felt trendy without being expensive and had an amazing rooftop bar with a view of the Acropolis.  I wish we hadn't been so exhausted our only night there, otherwise we would've definitely partied on the roof!  Chris did go up and take some amazing pics (which you can see on the blog post before this).  The staff at the front was very helpful in recommending which sites to see and which restaurants to dine at. Staying true to it's Greek roots, the restaurants in Athens were so delicious!  And the weather was nice enough for us to eat outdoors.

Athens and Mykonos were two more successful and amazing stops on this trip that we'd highly recommend visiting!

Thoughts on the history and monuments:  While touring through Athens several particular discussions came up between us as we visited the sites, observed the monuments and learned more about the history.  We thought it might be interesting to some of you (though probably not everyone which is why this part is going at the end of the post... if you don't want to hear about the evolution of modern democratic society or the rise and fall of the eminence of the Acropolis, stop now.)

The golden age of Greece occurred shortly after the Greeks led by the Athenians and Spartans defeated the Persians.  In order to achieve this victory, the once separate city-states of Greece had joined together in an alliance known as the Delian League to which they committed their soldiers and their tax revenues to support the war.  At the war's end, the treasury at Delos (the island for which the alliance was named and where these funds were kept) was moved to Athens on the decision of Pericles, the leader of the Athenians.  It is no coincidence that the massive and unrivaled construction followed shortly thereafter on plans also conceived by Pericles. 

Contributing to this outburst of artistic and philosophic brilliance was a series of political reformations made by Solon, a former king of Athens who later abandoned the city to avoid having to interpret the laws he put in place.  Solon, established the first most complete democracy the world has ever seen. Unlike the representative forms of government we are accustomed to today, the Athenian democracy was pure.  Everyone could become a citizen of Athens and every citizen voted directly their own conscience. 

The Greeks are, justifiably, proud of this heritage, but it does not come without its flaws.  This system of government led to systemic injustice.  The majority rule often crushed the rights of the minority and led to factions within the society that bred violence and distrust.  Ultimately, the Greek experiment in democracy only lasted a few decades before strife across the peninsula reduced Athens to a shell of its former self.

The monuments themselves, while still obviously grandiose in their scale, are only a shadow of the greatness they clearly once were.  Almost 2 and a half millennia have passed since their construction, and during that time they have been ransacked for spare parts or demolished in religious fervor.  The Christians and Muslims destroyed many of most remarkable sculptures ever created for the Parthenon because they were pagan as they converted the historic temples to churches and mosques.  Looking over the shells of these iconic buildings often served as a sad reminder of much of the greatness that has been lost to time and human destructiveness.

Athens, Greece

After spending a wonderfully relaxing few days in Mykonos, we made our way back to the mainland to spend a couple of days in Athens.  We were a bit tentative about our time in Athens for a couple of reasons:   

1. The country had been undergoing a great deal of civil unrest due to a series of austerity measures stemming from their soveriegn debt crisis.  Most of this centered in a very small part of Athens that we had no intention of visiting, but we had to change our travel plans to Mykonos in order to avoid potential delays.  Ultimately we didn't expect to have any problems, but the situation stayed in the back of our minds.
2. We had heard simply terrible things about Athens from our friends who had visited previously.  We were told specifically that Athens was dirty, unpleasant and unattractive, and that we should only stay long enough to visit the Acropolis and the two main museums:  The Acropolis Museum and the Greek Museum of Archaeology.  Then, we were told, it is in your best interest to get out of Athens. 

We decided to only stay for two days in Athens, but our experience was fantastic and Chris felt like he could have stayed for significantly longer. 

We spent our first day making our way over to and visiting the Acropolis.  On the path we stumbled upon the Library of Hadrian. 

Library of Hadrian

Library of Hadrian

Making our way further up the hill we came across the Roman Agora, an area of private residence and governmental functions dating back to the 6th century BC. 

The Roman Agora

Finally we began making our way up the hill of the Acropolis.

The Acropolis and its monuments, universal symbols of the classical spirit and culture, form the greatest achitectual and artistic contribution of Greek antiquity.  The most famous of these buildings were erected in the second half of the 5th century BC when Athens, with victory over the Persians, and the establishment of the truest democracy the world has ever seen, was the leader of the other city states of the ancient world.  With the cultural and artistic flowering that ensued, an outstanding group of artists, under the direction of the sculpter, Pheidias, applied the monumental plans of the politician Perikles and transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of the human spirit and of art.

Approaching the hill

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre along the hill on the way to the Acropolis. It was built in 161 AD by 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, and was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. Considering how old it is, it's very well perserved.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The stage

What we can only assume were "box seats"

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Another one of the sites on the way up the hill is the Theatre of Dionysus, a major open-air theater and one of the earliest preserved in Athens and the world. It was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysus, the god of wine and the patron of drama.

Theater of Dionysus

At the top of the hill are many stairs leading up to a large group of buildings which you must walk through and serves as the beginning of the Acropolis. These buildings are collectively known as the Propylaea. Built from 437 BC to 432 BC, these are the first known building with Doric and Ionic colonnades visible at the same time. It is also the first monumental building in the classical period to be more complex than a simple rectangle or cylinder. Entrance into the Acropolis was controlled by the Propylaea. Though it was not built as a fortified structure, it was important that people not ritually clean be denied access to the sanctuary. In addition, runaway slaves and other miscreants could not be permitted into the sanctuary where they could claim the protection of the gods. The state treasury was also kept on the Acropolis, making its security important.

Temple of Athena Nike standing out in front of the Propylaea

The entrance to the Propylaea

Entering through the Propylaea

Columns of the Propylaea

After walking through the Propylaea you notice to the left the Erecththeion, an ancient Greek temple notable for a design that is at once elegant and unusual.The temple as seen today was built between 421 BC and 407 BC, but it is believed to be a replacement for an older temple, since it is on the site of some of the most ancient and holy relics of the Athenians including the Palladion (a wooden effigy of Athena Polias, Protectress of the City) that fell from heaven according to myth, the tomb of Cecrops (the mythical king of Athens), the tomb of Erechtheus (the mythical demigod and ancestor of all Athenians), the marks of Poseidon's trident, and the salt water well that resulted from Poseidon's strike.

On the north side, there is a large porch with columns, and on the south, the famous Caryatid Porch, or "porch of the maidens," with six draped female figures (Caryatids) as supporting columns.

Erecththeion

Opposite from the Erecththeion stands the famous and incredible Parthenon. The Parthenon is the most famous surviving building of Ancient Greece and one of the most famous buildings in the world.

The Parthenon has stood atop the Acropolis of Athens for nearly 2,500 years and was built to give thanks to Athena, the city's patron goddess, for the salvation of Athens and Greece in the Persian Wars. The building was officially called the Temple of Athena the Virgin; "Parthenon" comes from the Greek word parthenos, "virgin."

Throughout its long life, the Parthenon has functioned most importantly as a Greek temple, but has also been a treasury, a fortress, a church, and a mosque. Today, it is one of the most recognizable icons and popular tourist attractions in the world.

Parthenon

Reminded us of Manhattan's Central Park.  A large tree-filled area in the middle of a large city.

Parthenon

Parthenon

Parthenon

Parthenon

Parthenon

Erecththeion

Erecththeion

Erecththeion (north porch)

Erecththeion (north porch)

Temple of Athena Nike

Leaving through the Propylaea

Exiting the Propylaea

After coming down the hill we visited the Acropolis Museum which holds many of the artifacts found in the Acropolis and is situated over the ruins of the ancient city.

Ruins benieth the Acropolis Museum

Ruins benieth the Acropolis Musuem

On the way home we snapped this great picture of the Acropolis behind the Roman Agora in the nighttime.

The area around the Acropolis, called the Plaka, is full of beautiful restaurants and cafes that have musicians playing traditional Greek music. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is serene.  It sits right in the shadow of the Acropolis and is an amazing place to go for dinner after a day touring around the "ancient city".

The Acropolis at night from the roof of our hotel.

The next day we visited the Greek Archeaological Museum which holds some of the most notable historical items from antiquity.

Death Mask of Agamemnon (though it is not believed to have belonged to him)

Statue of Apollo found at the Theater of Dionysus

 By now everyone knows the story of the Greek warriors who fought the Persians to the death at Thermopyles (the story is so great, Hollywood made it into the movie 300).  The below picture shows the bronze and iron arrowheads and spearheads uncovered on the Kolonos Hill, where the last Spartans fell.  Dating from the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC, the majority of the weaponry belongs to Asian origins.

Weaponry from Thermopyles

Monumental head of Zeus

Cult head of Heracles

Two headed vase

Chris tried posing like the statue in this picture, but got yelled at by the museum staff.  Whatever, they'll be bankrupt soon anyway.

Mykonos, Greece

Our last few days in Istanbul we began watching the news intently.  The number one story at that time was the civil unrest in Athens, Greece due to an impending parliamentary vote on austerity measures stemming from their sovereign debt crisis. Riot police had been called in, unions were striking and there was general anarchy taking place... or so the media would have you believe. 

This was all happening a mere two days before we were to depart Istanbul.  Our original plan was to fly from Istanbul to Athens, take a cab from the airport to the seaport and catch an express ferry from the port of Piraeus to our next destination:  Mykonos. 

Luckily, we had a few friends from Columbia Business School that were already in Athens as part of their summer travels.  A quick email to them and we found that the reported unrest was far overblown and Athens was generally peaceful so long as you stayed away from the national parliament (which isn't exactly on the tourist agenda anyway).  While this gave us some assurance and comfort, Chris was still concerned about the workers on strike.  A CNN article detailing stranded vacationers in Piraeus Port due to ferry workers on strike was the final straw and we emailed our travel agent back in NYC, Sophie, to find out how much a flight from Athens to Mykonos would cost... no Athenian sailor was going to keep us from getting to our hotel and the beaches of Mykonos (and the thought of spending the night in a hot and humid Greek port was simply too much to bear). 

For the bargain price of $400 we guaranteed our on-time arrival and a warm bed in an air conditioned room next to the turquoise waters of Mykonos.

We spent four relaxing days in Mykonos, mostly laying on the picturesque beaches during the day and enjoying the quaint island town at night. Mykonos has truly fantastic beaches, some of the most beautiful water and a culture all its own.

Mykonos City

We really liked where we stayed, the Artemis Hotel.  It was a small, family run hotel that was right on the beach.  The price was extremely reasonable, the staff was so nice, breakfast and internet was included in the price of the room, and the public bus stopped right in front the hotel. There's a limited number of cabs on the island so it was great to have easy access to public transportation to take us to and from town for 2 Euros.

Morning pot of coffee on our balcony at our hotel

View from our hotel room

View from our hotel room

Our future boat.

And then there was the food. Oh dear God, the food was amazing. The fish jump right out of the ocean onto the grill and cook themselves making it the freshest seafood you can get if you're not a shark. If you haven't had the opportunity to eat seafood in the Greek isles, stop what you are doing right now and go try it.

Seafood salad.

MMMMmmmmmm.  I'm going to eat you.

The beach in front of our hotel.

Beach in front of our hotel.

View in the evening.

Mykonos Town Center

Having dinner with a view of the town

The crab with risotto and a Greek salad

Celebrating the 4th of July with a glass of Jack Daniels.

Here fishy fishy...

Chris had been looking forward to some Greek baklava... and getting a tan.

If you haven't been to the Greek islands yet, please go!  We'll be back for sure.  There are some Greek beaches that are more of a party scene and some are more relaxed or family oriented.  We hit up both. The Greek islands are way up there with Hawaii as the most beautiful beaches and oceans in the world.