Parthenon Ruins

The area on the top of the hill is very large and there were thousands of visitors. The lines were very long, but we had a guide so we got right through. I want to preface this section with our personal beliefs. We believe in and follow Jesus and while the ruins were very interesting, all the stories of the Greek mythology and gods became wearing. At one point, it became so overwhelming, we left the tour early.

Because this is so well known and visible, the ruins have been well preserved and are in a constant state of reconstruction.

Let's start with the view - the Acropolis is a very tall mountain that sits right in the middle of Athens, which, as you can see, is very large. The city literally circles the Acropolis and is bordered by mountains on three sides and then the sea. This is the side bordering the sea but the compactness looks the same all the way around it. Notice almost all of the buildings are multi-storied - again this is true of the entire city. Single family dwellings are more typically found outside the city. Current population of this area is 3.1 to 3.6 million people.

Notice the very large ‘corncob’ shaped building in the background. This is the first high-rise under construction. It sticks out like a sore thumb and the locals are not happy about it. Who knows, maybe one day this will look like the skyscape of New York City.

This is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheater. It holds 5,000 people and is actually still in use today. This venue has hosted some very famous musicians such as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, and many more. How amazing it would be to hear these performers in this amazing setting.

This is one of the castles. A lot of restoration has gone into this already.

Another building, notice the female statues / pillars.