Wednesday 4th November

Athens was worth the battle through the traffic yesterday.  The Acropolis really is spectacular, especially in the brilliant sunshine which thankfully made our waterproof jackets redundant today. SPOT There is also considerably more to see than just the Parthenon (although this is still the main draw),

with the Theatre of Dionysos

and Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the way up,

the entrance complex (the Propylaia),

and the almost complete Erechtheion.

The scaffolding and reconstruction work limit your view at times and the Temple of Athena Nike is cordoned off, but you cannot help staring in awe at the 2500 year old buildings.

Definitely one of those spectacles that lives up to its reputation.

The ticket for the Acropolis also gives entry to the Ancient Agora just off to the NE, Athens’s old central meeting place where Socrates often hung out.

The Temple of Hephaestus may be the best preserved Doric temple in Greece, but it just doesn’t create the same impression as the Parthenon.

The reconstructed Stoa of Attalos (which would have originally housed expensive shops) helps you visualise a bit more how all the other building on the site would have looked in their prime.

Lunch was had with a view up to the Acropolis and Anne said she didn’t know which to look at, me or it - she chose the Acropolis (apparently she can see me anytime).

A wander through the flea market led us to the touristy but still pleasant Plaka area, lined with shops, cafes and restaurants all touting for your trade.

The changing of the guard outside the parliament building was entertaining, although I think Anne could have done without being accosted by a tout in the parliament’s square who grabbed her hand and shook bird seed into it before she knew what was going on.  As the pigeons descended, the man wanted to take a photo and sell it to us, however Anne’s cries of “Flying rats!” soon put him off.  We wandered back to the hotel through the Zappeio gardens, buying the best chocolate brownie ever from a local baker on the way (it seemed to help Anne recover from the pigeon trauma anyway).

We ventured back out in the evening to view the Acropolis all lit up and soak up the city’s atmosphere, as well as to sample a giro for supper - very tasty and a bit different to a midnight kebab from Theo’s Charcoal Grill in Leeds.