A Travel Blog
The focal point of Chania’s Venetian Harbour is the lighthouse, which sits at the tip of a very long breakwater. This breakwater wall protects the inner harbour from the full force of the crashing waves from the Aegean to the north.
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We visited the Benaki Museum in Athens. The museum is housed in the former mansion of the Benakis family, who donated their vast collections of Greek art — along with the house — in 1931.
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On our second and final day in Delphi we woke up early and made our way to the archaeological sites of Ancient Delphi, located roughly ten minutes by foot from the town center along the main road.
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The neighbourhood of Gazi in Athens is not far from our place in Thissio. It’s just a short hop over a railway bridge… and then across a wide avenue filled with speeding cars and smog-spewing scooters. It’s a bit reminiscent of the waterfront in Toronto, so close yet so far.
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Anafiotika is a small yet distinct neighbourhood in Athens. It’s hidden in plain site in one corner of the larger Plaka neighbourhood, just underneath the steep northeast slope of the Acropolis. We took a wander through one morning and found it to be very quiet, well-kept, and populated by some of Athens luckiest cats.
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The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens dates to around 330 BC, when it began as a mere racecourse in a ravine between two hills. It was rebuilt in marble in 144 AD, then fell into disrepair for many centuries. It was restored again in marble for use as the primary venue for the first modern Olympics in 1896. The stadium also served as the finish line for the marathon in the 2004 Olympics.
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A short distance from the Temple of Olympian Zeus stands Hadrian’s Arch, erected by Emperor Hadrian in 161-162 AD to mark the boundary between old and new Athens at the time.
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The combined ticket for the Acropolis includes free admission to several other historic sites. Most don’t take as long to see as the Acropolis or Agora but they are still very impressive. One of these is the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
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We tend to be home and in bed before it gets late when we travel, but the sun sets early in January. Athens feels very dark at night, with fewer functional streetlights than most cities. But no expense is spared when lighting the historic monuments.
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The Acropolis is the most famous symbol of Athens. Lonely Planet modestly describes it as “the most important ancient site in the Western world”. The cluster of marble structures loom over the city on a jagged, rocky outcrop. We got used to seeing the Acropolis from afar for several days before finally making the climb to see it up close.
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Northwest of the Acropolis in Athens is the Ancient Agora, a sprawling area where much of public life took place in ancient Athens. Buildings here were used for city administration, courts, and markets. This was the center of Athens where people gathered.
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A few blocks east of Monastiraki is Syntagma Square. This is the more modern heart of Athens: Syntagma means “Constitution” in Greek.
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