The Acropolis

Greek statues on Acropolis hilltop

The Parthenon

Our time on the islands sadly came to a close with our return to Athens we did, however, still had time to hit the sites in Athens, finally getting to explore the Acropolis we were teased with our first day. It was a gorgeous, sunny, hot day so we headed up in the morning cool to traipse up the hill, passing through the remains of amphitheaters and other structures. The Parthenon, perched on top, is under deconstruction at the moment. Apparently, during the last period of preservation, stones were, put up but no necessarily where they belonged. There was also rebar used for strength and it has rusted along some of the stones. They are now taking parts of it apart and rebuilding according a new imaging system that identifies the correct placement for blocks. Let's hope it is truly more accurate and that our materials don't cause future problems. 

In the gardens

We hiked around the back of hill, through large winding gardens, past various temples, waterfalls, and finally down to a famous shopping area, an area where Socrates used to sit and talk while his wife ran their shop. Of course these days there are indeed shops there…but a bit more upscale, of course.