Athens, the spectacular city of the Greek Gods

Athens a historic town, mythological, of Greek gods, of ancient civilizations, we can talk about many things this city that would lack adjectives to describe how special Athens for the world and for us.

We had always wanted to know not only Athens as the Greek Islands also, we know many countries in Europe, but Greece wanted very, and this summer we got last minute a deal on a cruise with Pullmatur trip plane ticket to and from Barcelona to Athens.

We chose the first flight of time between the cities, to allow time to meet Athens before boarding the ship, that would leave the port at Piraeus 23:00h, to try to do with Pullmatur if it was possible to postpone the flight back, but as it was chartered was no way, so we had a few hours to meet Athens, arrived at Athens Airport ace 11 am in the morning, the package that had bought the airport to the port of Piraeus (town located next to Athens, us 50 minutes), as soon as we arrived at the port we checked in, we were afraid of not having where to leave our backpacks (were our hand luggage), They warned us that the cabin would only be available the 15hs, yet as soon as we entered the ship, around 12h, we went to the cabin to see if we could leave the bags there, for walking all day with them, the immense heat of Athens, It would not be legal, our luck was that the cabin was open to be groomed by the valet and we talk to him and ask to leave the bags there, and it worked. The bags that were dispatched would come later.

Without backpacks, We eat some quick thing on the ship, and already we went out to explore the city on our own, because the ship's tours were very expensive, an avarage of 80 EUR per person, before the trip we saw that had buses and subways going out of the harbor and went to the center of Athens, but as soon as we left the ship to ask the taxi drivers the value to take us to Athens, and as I imagined, expensive, 40 euros, then even went underground, because the bus would have to take 2 and as it was Sunday we thought it might take a longer time, the subway is a few 25 a 30 minute walk from where the cruise ships leave.

After this walk we arrived at the station, the region there is kind of dirty and with a fair to open, We bought the ticket easily, 1,20 euros each, already I had a subway to exit, hard it was no air conditioning and that day was making a 42 degrees, almost fry, but as they were a few seasons not die.

The port of Piraeus and station calls the station in the center of Athens may be the Thissio (Greek ΘΗΣΕΙΟΥ) ou Monastiraki, we went down this last season, but as I said, I had little time to get acquainted with Athens as the ship departed ace 23hs and already were 13hs, so first we focus on knowing the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis of Athens, We had read in a travel blog that the Acropolis might have queue to buy the ticket and this blog suggested purchase tickets at the Temple of Zeus, we have done, We left the direct subway to the Temple.

Things to Do in Athens? What are the main attractions?

Athens, as Rome, It is an open-air museum, and in that way we passed several old parts of the city and of course, million took photos.

Getting close to the Temple passed the arc Adriano, right in front of the Temple, a whole rainbow of beautiful marble, built between 131 e 132 a.C.

At the box office of the Temple of Zeus, we saw that had a ticket that cost 30 EUR per person, which gave the right to visit the 7 main tourist attractions in Athens, only to know the cost Acropolis 20 euros, more 6 Zeus Temple euros, we saw that it was better to buy all this ticket for so we could visit all, and even jump the queue, this ticket for those who will stay more days is also very good, it is valid for five days.

Already with the tickets in the hands, we know the first attraction Temple of Olympian Zeus, there are the ruins of the temple in honor of Zeus, the God of ancient Greece built in the sixth century A.C., this place has more than 2.500 years!! what an awesome!! At the time of construction, this temple was the largest and most important of all Greece.

The ruins today are due to the time, but also to the robbery that happened at the time of the Romans, some of the huge marble columns were stolen away and were used in the construction of temples in Rome, one is the Temple of Jupiter Capitoline, and Catholic churches near the site.

Today remained only 15 the 104 gigantic columns of the temple, That's it, or statues or other things left over, a feather, imagine the grandeur of the Temple.

Almost the entire city of Athens you can see the Acropolis, she's right on top of a hill, Temple also has a beautiful view of the Acropolis.

When we bought the tickets, the box warned us that some of the ticket attractions, closing soon, as Hadrian's Library and the Roman Agora, so we left there and went to see these two.

A Adriano library, closed ace 15hs, we got there 10 for the 15hs, but still the reception woman, a boring, did not let us enter or to take some pictures, even with another person who had let us go, But, do what? short time to explore the city can give it, but this place as well as others can be very well seen from outside the site also, the pictures we took of it is out, and you can see all, at the end he gave well enjoy the view of the Library, it was built by the Emperor Hadrian, in 132 there was a space to store books, obvious lol, an extensive collection, and also had a reading room and another convention.

There is next to the Now Roman or Roman Agora, it closes at 17hs, but this time we had a long time to know, It was an ancient Greek square, place markets and meet people.

Within this square stand the Port Atenea Arquegetis, Fethiye Mosque, and the Tower of the Winds, the best preserved part of the square.

The Tower of the Winds is a clock, with 12 meters high and 8 meters in diameter, it is all built in marble.

A Acropolis of Athens It was the next stop, because the Roman Agora is on the mountain, and close to the Acropolis, only has a subidinha there.

One of the most beautiful views of the Acropolis is a gazebo that is on the way, from there you can see all the closer to complex and it all, It looks like it was beautiful the picture of all the Acropolis.

Acropolis is nothing more than a city built on top of a mountain to escape the raids that took place in these times, the most famous of all is the Acropolis of Athens, and there are two monuments of the most famous in the world the Parthenon and the Erechtheum, these buildings are 450 B.C and was dedicated to Goddess Athena.

Many of the Athens Acropolis structures are in ruins, those that are still standing, are Propileu (gateway), O Partenon (the main temple), Erectu (Temple field gods) it's the Templo Athens Nice.

As we said above in the text, to enter the complex of the Acropolis of Athens, you pay 20 euros, we bought the ticket to see the 7 main monuments by 30 no Temple of Zeus euros, for they said that there would be lining up to buy the Acropolis, but we saw this queue, not to buy, not to enter, then we can not say if it's better or not to buy the Temple of Zeus, for we did not interfere shop there, but it can be other day queue having, so ensure good.

The Acropolis is open in the summer until 20hs, so we stayed there a long time, contemplating this wonder, we studied both at school, one of the cradles of modern humanity, with beautiful stories of Greek gods, finally it is a very magical and beautiful place, We spent in all buildings, We took several photos.

On top of this the view you get from there, and beautiful too, You can see the whole city and other monuments, as the Temple of Zeus, the Theater of Dionysos, and many other things.

Across the Acropolis is the Odeão of Herodes Atticus, an ancient Greek theater built by Herodes Atticus, in 174, at the time it had the capacity to 5 thousand people, It was a closed theater, today there is no longer a part of the ceiling, but still have many shows there, it should be beautiful to see anything there, just by being there.

In another part of the mountain foot of the Acropolis are the ruins of Theater of Dionysos, It is considered the cradle of the plays of tragedy and Western, the first stand was built in wood 410 A.C. and after stone 330 A.C, at the time it had the capacity to 17.000 people.

Continuing our tour we went to now Athens, a center of political activities, administrative, commercial and social of ancient Athens, as well as the Acropolis many of the buildings are in ruins, what stand are: Temple of Hephaestus, Stoa de pray that the Church of the Holy Apostles (Greek Orthodox Church).

O Temple Hefesío, a Greek temple that was rebuilt, after the Medical Wars, after its reconstruction was Catholic church of the seventh century XIX.

We are ending our visit in Athens Now, for I was starting to get late, we had to go back to the ship and we were very tired having slept little because of having left Barcelona early in the morning and know the entire city walk that caloooor the high summer in Athens.

On the way back we took the subway, We got off at another station, in Faliro and we took a bus that left us in front of the harbor where stood the Cruise Pullmatur.

Places passed between return from major monuments were: Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, Glebe Holy Sepulchre (Greek Orthodox Church), National Folk Art Museum, Ekklisia Kimisi Theotokou Mitropoleos (Greek Orthodox Church) e Byzantine Cistern.

Our passage through Athens was quick, some hours, more was intense, We would love to have stayed longer in the way or on return from cruise, but as I said it was not possible to defer the passage because our flight was chartered.

Now begins the cruise to the Greek islands, stopping on the islands of: Mykonos, Chalk, Rhodes (Wheels), Patmos Island e Santorini, soon we will post a text of each of these islands, continue to follow us on this trip and others that are yet to come.