Greece, the inspiration for so many things in the world we now live in, was the next pitstop for this leg of the race.
Athens, its chaotic capital, was our first port of call – a necessarily-brief one, given that we only have nine days to see this diverse and scattered land of statues, saints, sea, soccer and souvlaki. Actually, you can’t really have a land of sea.
The prime attraction of Athens is the Acropolis, the ancient city representing the pinnacle of Greek civilisation, and in modern times, providing the inspiration for the title of Acropolis Now. The scope of the construction is incredible, but the actual appearances are mildly tarnished by the many titanium rods, pulleys and cranes required to maintain and preserve the buildings’ structural and historic integrity. The Parthenon, in particular, looked like a giant game of Mouse Trap. Still, nice views from on high. On the first Sunday of the month, admission to the Acropolis is free – fortuitously for us.
Later that night, we indulged in yet more opera – a very avant-garde production of Carmen, part of the Hellenic Festival (similar to the Melbourne Festival?). The performance was held in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a Roman-type amphitheatre that is part of the Acropolis complex but only open to the public for performances. Despite the cool open air, the crowdedness (having non-reserved seats, we had to sit illegally on the marble partitions) and the lack of English, it was excellent, beautifully staged and sung. Carmen herself was played by – shock! – a black woman (possibly the lead singer of the M People) who at times wore hot pink and fluoro orange. There was a cast of at least a hundred, including several deliberately naughty children, lots of black-clad Spanish dancers, motorbikes, an open-top convertible, and a conductor with such enthusiasm he appeared to be having an incredibly-well-controlled seizure.
With only two exits, surely the greatest fire hazard in the Acropolis.
Literally a cast of hundreds.
The night was topped off by another uniquely Hellenic experience – the post-midnight souvlaki (or “gyros”, to use the correct term). In fact we managed to visit what were purported to be Athens’ two best souvlaki joints, located directly opposite one another, in the middle of tourist ground zero (Vicky was unwillingly serenaded during her meal). The gyros is a €1.80 (A$3) miniature souvlaki which sometimes contains hot chips (yes!) in addition to spit-roast meat, yoghurt, paprika and vegies. It is possibly the perfect midnight food, perhaps explaining the lack of visible KFCs in Athens.
Earlier in the day we had wandered through the Athens flea market, a Sunday tradition. It is incredible to see the kinds of things people think they can sell, and the haphazard manner in which they are displayed in their stalls. Amongst the treasures on offer: musical instruments of every kind and shape, all kinds of religious iconography, sew-on swastikas, medieval weapons, and surgical and gynaecological equipment.
Note mace, front left, on table. A perfect wedding gift.
Please do not take junk from middle of pile!
Essentials for the DIY surgeon.
Spot the rusty speculum.
Our visit to the National Archaeological Museum was another opportunity to see the countless treasures amassed from civilisations past. Humanoid figurines from Mycenaeans and Cycladians from the 2nd millennium BC; statues tracing the development of sculpture in stone and bronze from Hellenistic to Classical eras; and actual arrowheads from the Battle of Thermopylae, the inspiration for the film 300, were among the riches.
The famous Cycladian "Man Eating Two Icecreams At The Same Time".
"The Olympic Spirit" - bronze and Limmy.
Finally we boarded our ferry, the Knossos Palace, for our overnight journey to Crete – only to discover it actually was the size of a palace. With eight floors, lifts and an escalator, a disco, cinema, several bars and restaurants, a “dog’s village”, and a shopping area, it is a floating hotel. A nice way to finish Athens.
Dogs love village-style living.
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