Behold The Acropolis And Parthenon At Night!
Behold The Parthenon – one of the great Greek monuments, sitting high above the city of Athens at The Acropolis…it’s a fitting start to a series of posts I will share about my 15-day exploration of Greece and The Greek Islands!
My wife Alex and I finally took out long-delayed vacation to Greece….as with everyone who has lived a #quarantinelife since early 2020, it’s great to have the world safely reopening again!
Our first hotel in Athens, the famous King George, sits with a beautiful view of The Acropolis directly across from us….both the day and night views are spectacular….we did what everyone does when in Athens: see it up close!
We signed up with Viator for a guided tour, which begins down below…so get ready to take a hike!
We took a tour, so we’d have lots of information and insight provided as we explored these ruins of a long ago time….what’s really cool is that,, when you are done taking the path up to the top, you actually enter the exact same way as they did so long ago…
Check out the video:
The Parthenon’s Restoration!
You will find out on the tour that much of ancient Athens was destroyed: either in centuries of battle, or pillaged for building materials…so they are working to preserve the ancient buildings and monuments that remain.
As you can see, a few cranes are in the shots, as a meticulous restoration is still underway:
The Acropolis of Athens is a Citadel, perched high above the city on a rocky outcrop. It contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance. The word “Acropolis” is from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, “highest point, extremity”) and πόλις (polis, “city”).
The term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropoleis In the country. During ancient times it was known also more properly as Cecropia, after the “serpent/man” Cecrops, known as the first Athenian king.
A Long History!
According to wikipedia, there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC. However, it was Pericles (c. 495–429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the buildings whose present remains are the site’s most important ones…
The Temple Of Athena Nike!
As you can see, there are multiples citadels atop the Acropolis, and you can explore them all…
Of course, there is so much more history to uncover here, and there are many books and online sources for that…I can add that The Acropolis is the second highest point in Greece – and this video will show you the first, as well as a 360 degree look at the view from the top of The Acropolis:
You simply cannot spend a day in Athens without climbing up the Acropolis…it is a bit of a hike, but well worth it for the views and for a closeup look at history!
This is the Orange Colisseum in Provence France…Alex and I got to see some ancient roman ruins on a trip there – you can see more of this incredible area, as well as lots and lots of wine, by clicking on my story here:
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If you enjoy these moments, please share on social media – and get ready for more Greek adventures….like this!
Categories: Art, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
What a fantastic post, John. Your photographs are wonderful. So many great places to visit.
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Thanks Robbie! More to come, including some food review and more ancient ruins!
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I love the Acropolis at night. The food, the history–I’m happy for you two for getting there.
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Such an amazing architectural accomplishment that these structures are still standing. The shot from inside the Colisseum is amazing too.
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Thank you for the virtual tour, John it all looks fabulous as does Alex love the scarf…So lovely to see lots of restoration going on 🙂 x
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I may never get there so thank you for taking us on a walk into history! 🙂
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This is a wonderful tour, John. Thank goodness you finally had your vacation to Greece. Thank you for sharing this with us.
I love history and architecture. My husband is the real authority and lover. He read this post with big smiles, because he was in Athens in the early ‘70s. He was most struck that the portico with columns of women are now attached to a structure. When he was there, it was a stand alone structure. He is so pleased that the restoration has done a magnificent job. He thanks you for a walk back down memory lane. 🙂 I’m pleased to be a tourist via you.
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How wonderful- have a great trip
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Looks like you two are having a great holiday! Alex looks fabulous as always. Love her outfit.
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Thanks! I have some really fun adventures to come – hope not to bore!
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Looking forward to them!!
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I have been to Athens twice, both times before 1985, and there was no restoration of the Acropolis at the time. But I was younger, so didn’t mind the hike up there. There was very bad vehicle pollution back then though, with a hazy sky, and stuffy heat. I think they have been tackling that issue recently.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes Pete, I think they have realized the value of restoration and tourism! Thanks for reading!
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