The best flight we found to Athens left Newark airport just before midnight. To get to Newark, we took advantage of some American Airlines miles we had accumulated, and booked a $22 flight for the two of us from our local airport in Knoxville.
It meant we would have an epic travel day (or two), since our flight left Knoxville just after 11am for Charlotte. Then a four-hour layover before the next leg to Newark, which would arrive about 6:30pm. So we would still have over five hours before our Emirates Air flight for Athens would take off.
Well, at least we wouldn’t be rushing around.
Long story short, we left Knoxville about 11am Thursday and arrived in Athens at 4:30pm local time on Friday – about 36 hours later.
Still, we felt pretty good! Our ride was waiting for us at the Athens airport, we easily checked into our first AirBnB in Athens, and we were able to walk just a block and a half to find a nice outdoor restaurant for dinner and a convenience store to pick up supplies for breakfast.
The next morning, oddly refreshed in spite of the long travel, we set out to walk to our first objective. We had been careful in picking our AirBnBs to be close to the attractions we wanted to visit. In Athens, we were within a couple of miles of the major sites. Our target for the day, Lycabettus Hill, was only about a mile away, so we jauntily set off.
Unfortunately, it was almost all uphill the entire way.
Now we knew we were going to a hill. Lycabettus is actually a little higher in elevation than the Acropolis. In fact, most of the pictures you’ve ever seen of the Parthenon were probably taken from Lycabettus. So we knew part of the path would be uphill. On the nice, flat map we used before we started walking, we could see that there was a funicular that would take us to the top, so we weren’t too concerned.
What the map didn’t show us was that we would have to conquer about half of its 907 foot altitude on foot before reaching the funicular. This involved steep hills, and multiple sets of stairs in the rapidly warming morning.
Finally, drenched in sweat, we arrive at the station, and took the funicular up through the mountain to the summit. Almost. There were still several flights of stone steps to deal with.
Once we were at the top, the views were just as spectacular as advertised, as you’ll see in the gallery below.
The next day we were up early, and off to one of the few guided tours we had signed up for – an early morning pass to visit the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. Our thinking was we wanted to get up the hill before it got too warm, and also our tour guaranteed us tickets. This turned out to be wise, because we saw people being turned away at the ticket booth as we entered, since they restrict the number allowed on site.
On our walk to the meeting point, we passed the old Olympic stadium, and the ruins of the Temple of Zeus. It’s really hard to walk in any direction in Athens and NOT see some piece of history.
After meeting our guide, we were led onto the site and began the long climb to the top. Along the way there is plenty to enjoy, and we appreciated that our guide took several breaks to explain what we were seeing, and to allow everyone to catch their breath.
After 45 minutes or so, we were at last joining the crowds on the final steps leading up to the Acropolis.
Finally, there we were, at one of the most iconic historical sites in the world, the Parthenon. I have to say that in spite of the damage, it does not disappoint.
The Parthenon is not the only site on the top of the Acropolis, of course. There is also the Temple of Athena, the goddess that gave the city its name. Six female forms hold up the edifice, although they are replacements of the originals.
We were given plenty of time to wander around the Acropolis, soaking in the experience, before we were led back down the hill by another route and into the Museum and some blessed air conditioning.
While interesting, we weren’t particularly impressed with the layout and displays in the museum. I admit they are hampered by the fact that much of the Parthenon has either been destroyed or has ended up in the British Museum. We did run into those original six ladies of Athena inside.
It was a full morning, and we were more than ready for a treat for lunch. We found it by visiting the Plaka district, right next to the Acropolis.
Our wanderings about led us eventually down to the outskirts of the old Agora, which we planned on visiting later. Athens is wonderfully walkable, and there was something new to see around every corner. Like for example this group of buskers.
All of this, and only our second day in Athens! More to come in Part 2.