I woke up at around 8 a.m, went for breakfast near the hostel. I ate all sorts of pastries. They do have GREAT pastries honestly. LOL. I decided to join the walking tour for a fee of 13 EUR because I was too lazy to navigate by myself to the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Ancient Agora, the Olympic stadium etc.
The tour wasn't really that great honestly. Yes, it did cover all the major sight-seeing sights that I wanted to be at but there wasn't much information provided. The guide simply brought us to the site then gave us 20-45 minutes depending on how huge the place is. That's it. But he's a nice guy. I talked to him during breaks or when I reached the meeting point earlier than scheduled and that's how I dig out stories from him. haha..
Athens in Ruins.
it's the Library of ..... Can't recall the name anymore.. hahaha..those greek names are just too complicated...
I know this is a picture from the tower which they use to determine the wind direction. It's shaped like an octagon and each side of the tower has some god-like structure.
He comes from Southern coast of US and apparently, his fiancee is Greek which explains why he is staying in Athens. He majored in Ancient Greek which explains his interest in this country.
More interesting people I met along the way....
1) Argentinian who works in London. He shared with me a lot about the state and situation Argentina is in. Of course I am interested because I have this SABF Business Forum which I am eyeing to go and he provided me with a local perspective. Everyone's getting out of the country. There's a brain drain. Why? Your income is not tiered to the level of education you get. You may have a medical degree but don't be surprised that you are working as a receptionist. :) That's Argentina!
Catch the beautiful skies of Athens! Aren't we supposed to be looking at the same sky? Why is that Singapore doesn't have such clear blue skies?? Or is it because I never bother to lift my head up to look at them. People, do it and tell me about it! :)
Not the Parthenon! It's a temple. I can't remember the name as usual.... haha.. Please forgive me
2) Family from Western coast of Australia. A family of 5 traveling in Europe for 2 months on a backpack! Gosh! That's the most adventurous thing that can ever happen. But never with my family I think. :) The dad was super energetic though he's like 55 already but the mom and daughter were restless most of the time and they left halfway on the tour. The other 2 sons apparently skipped the tour completely because they had a hangover from last night and his dad could openly tell me about it. I doubt that will ever happen in Asia?!
The Parthenonic way they call it. It's not the Acropolis from afar. It's actually the 2nd highest point in Athens (after Acropolis) where you have breath-taking sceneries. Look at those broken pieces lining the way. Apparently, there used to be a wall that leads all the way up to the Acropolis along the parthenonic way. Somehow, it was shattered into pieces by war.
Before I reach the peak. I had to climb these really slippery steps! Scary..
Yes, the Acropolis in the background. In ancient greek times, people live by the Ancient Agora while priests live at the Acropolis. The Acropolis acts as a fortress of Athens. Whenever the city is being attacked, the Acropolis acts as a shelter. During the 2 world wars, the acropolis suffered much bombing too, either by the allies or the axis powers.
3) Couple from Florida. This guy had been to Europe to backpack a year ago and he kinda like it. So this time round, he brought his girl with him. I would say he's quite meticulous. The girl was walking beside me and we were chatting about traveling and the guy will always turn behind to check on her from time to time. He would ask her questions like "Are you still doing well?", "Do you want some drink?" etc. Though I find him a bit judgmental and biased against Asians through my conversation with him, I applaud him for his concern for his girl. :)
All about the Acropolis and the Parthenon.
Back to the sites that I visited. Most of Athens is in ruins today seriously. Yes the government are making efforts to restore and preserve this heritage but frankly speaking, it's not enough. The countless invasions and wars over the years had landed the country in a devastating state. Stones lying all around, destructions etc. I believe more can be done honestly. :)
The spot to take photo. You capture the Acropolis right in the middle. :)
Oh yeah, watched the Change of Guards for the palaces. It's hilarious. The change of guards takes place every hour and each procession takes around 30 minutes. That means that each shift lasts 30 minutes. The most hilarious thing is the way the guards lift their legs and march. See the video!
See how high he lifts his legs! haha..
Last but not least, everyone knows Athens is where Olympics originated from. I went to both the Original Old Olympic Stadium and the newly built one for the 2004 Olympics when the torch returned to Athens. It's amazing! The new Olympics Stadium was not part of the tour. I went there by metro by myself.
According to the guide, the original Olympics stadium was built by some filthy rich merchant with an interest in sports. Really? I don't know if he's just bull-shitting. haha.. It's a simple ground honestly compared to all the extravagance spent on building Olympic stadiums around the world.
Where the Olympics originated.....
I would say I was pretty lucky because usually entrance into the new Olympics stadium is not available most of the time. However, there were some international games and competition going on so the stadium was opened! Sure enough, you needed a ticket to get in. I explained to the security that I am a tourist so he was kind enough to let me in for FREE and take some photos for a few minutes. :)
Football Stadium
Outdoor Swimming Pool
Indoor one.
Catch some swimming LIVE!The new Olympic Stadium! Ongoing Basketball Match.
Headed back to the hostel by 7 because I needed to catch the night bus to Corfu. Short and Sweet day. :)
The sightseeing tram.
All the fake goods for sale. If you need one, tell me. :)
The BEST CHOCOLATE PASTRY I've EATEN in EUROPE so FAR. I don't know how to describe it but the moment you bite it, you will have the same sentiments as me. It's FREAKING DELICIOUS!
No comments:
Post a Comment