Athens, Greece, part 2
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After visiting the Acropolis, we walked along towards Areopagus Hill, to get unobstructed views of the Acropolis and the city of Athens. It is not a place that you have to pay to visit, and therefore, it is a popular one. More often than not, you will find a crowd there, especially during sunset - don’t blame them, though - sunsets in Athens are breathtaking.
However, this hill is not just about pretty views. It has an important significance in ancient Greece, as it served as a high court for homicide and serious crimes.
On our walk there, we ran into [stray] cats like the one below, enjoying their siesta (yes, they were everywhere *sad face*) and more of the ancient ruins.
Getting to Areopagus Hill calls for a bit of courage as it is treacherous, requires some stair-climbing and it’s all open, with terrain and rocks that are slippery, so caution must be practiced (especially if you are afraid of heights). Don’t you think these views are worth it though? I couldn’t get enough!
Areopagus Hill, Athens, Greece
After spending a bit of time there, we decided to visit some other historical sites included in our ticket, since it was still early in the day and some were nearby. One of them, the Ancient Agora of Athens was located just below Areopagus Hill. So we made our way there.
Once there, we visited the museum first, which houses artifacts found during excavations done on location, as well as other bits of European history.
After visiting the museum, we paid a quick visit to the Church of the Holy Apostles, which stands since around the 10th century, continuing our stroll among the ruins after.
Ancient Agora of Athens
Since the heat of the day squeezed the energy out of us, we decided after to head back to the hotel.
We had a nice dinner at Wyndham Grand’s “Above” rooftop restaurant while enjoying the view of the Acropolis and another gorgeous sunset.
On our last full day in Athens, we went to visit the Roman Agora and Hadrian’s Library (or the ruins of), erected during the Roman period in Athens, some time between the 19th to 11th century BC. There, you’ll also find the “Tower of the Winds”, an ancient tower which was used for “telling” the weather.
Next to the tower is the Fethiye Mosque Museum, which has a bit of a hidden entrance on the side. We weren’t sure at first if it was open to the public, but after seeing a few people exit it, we figured we’d try visiting it, and I’m glad we did. This little museum offers good insight into Greece and even this building’s history throughout the years - Europe, and Greece alone has sure been through a lot.
Roman Agora, Athens, Greece
The last place on our list to visit was Kerameikos Cemetery. A bit more remote than the other ancient sites in Athens, it seemed a lot less visited, which is a pity.
While at a first glance it doesn’t seem like much, once you venture out and follow the signs here and there explaining some of its history, it becomes fascinating.
The space used to be a city once where potters and vase painters were established, attracted by the abundance of clay from the river running through (today it is only but a small creek). Eventually, the inhabitants got tired of being flooded by the overflowing river, at which point they converted Kerameikos into a cemetery.
To this day you can see the walls of the city, the sacred gate used by pilgrims, as well as some wells used in the households. I was thoroughly happy to find an “orchard” of olive trees - can’t explain it but I’m obsessed with them.
While the area has not been excavated fully, some of the archaeological finds (including ancient pottery as well as gorgeous gold jewelry) from these grounds are displayed at Kerameikos Museum.
This limestone was too pretty to resist
After visiting Kerameikos, we headed towards Monastiraki Square, where we had a small meal and some drinks at “A for Athens Rooftop”; the food was nothing spectacular but the view of the square and Acropolis was amazing.
After, we decided to peruse the flea market for souvenirs - how that went I shared here.
I wish we had more time in Athens to explore, but I guess we now have a reason to go back. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice and hospitable the people in Athens were, and I would have loved to eat more of the delicious Greek food.
If you happen to be in the area, between Wyndham Residence and Stanley Hotel is The Corner Cafe (not really a seat-down place); we had the best pastries and especially pies there; they were so busy that we often saw them stay open well after their hours. We got our snacks and smoothies there and from The Bread Factory.
With August being the month when people take their vacations in Athens, the majority of the businesses/restaurants choose to remain open. As our taxi driver informed us on our way to the airport, many of them cut their vacations short to take advantage of tourists- the travel and tourism industry being one of the main drivers of the Greek economy. Notable is that Athens was also the most affordable place out of all the countries/cities we visited within the European Union. It is definitely one country that I can’t wait to explore more of, as its beauty is well-known worldwide.
Until next time.
xoxo,
Em
