Our day in Athens began early in the morning at the Acropolis. The taxi dropped us off at the wrong entrance. Rebecca spent 15 minutes on the phone trying to find the correct entrance. We found it just in time for our tour. We made reservations in the morning to avoid the crowds. However, the place was packed. The crowds only got worse from then on. It was Mid-October and way too crowded!
We didn’t take the museum tour this time, but I was looking forward to the climb up to the Acropolis. The term acropolis means the highest point in the city. Many Greek cities have an acropolis. However, Athens has THE most famous Acropolis. On top are the remains of the Parthenon—a huge temple dedicated to the god Athena (there are other buildings on the Acropolis, but the Parthenon is the most famous). Parthenon History:
447 B.C. to 432 B.C. – Built between 447 BC and 432 BC.
6th century – Converted into a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
1206 – The Germanic Franks refurbished he Catholic church into a Gothic architectural style. Rededicated as the “Notre-Dame of Athens.”
1456 – Muslim Turks turned the Catholic church into a Mosque following its takeover of Athens.
1687 – Venetians battled the Turks for control of Athens. Gunpowder was stored in the Mosque. During the battle with the Venetians, a cannonball struck the Mosque and ignited the gunpowder. The explosion caused significant damage.
When we reached the top of the Acropolis, we were able to take pictures toward the city below. I had been to Athens twice before, but I had no pictures of the Aeropagus (where St. Paul preached) from the top of the Acropolis. Nor had I climbed the Aeropagus. This time it was going to happen.
After lunch we walked to the base of the Aeropagus. There is sign as you begin climbing the stairs noting the biblical significance of the site. After several pictures, Rebecca and I sat down on the top to reflect on St. Paul and his famous speech to the Athenians. I suppose we were looking at some of the same mountains in the distance that he did.
We walked around the City for a while, and then went to Mass at the Catholic Cathedral of St. Dionysius the Areopagite. Built in 1853, the cathedral is the largest Catholic church in Greece. Of course it is named after St. Dionysius, the Greek identified in the Book of Acts as one of St. Paul’s Athenian converts.
We finished the day at New Rigas Music Folk Dancing for a fine Greek dinner, music, and dancing. We arrived too early and was met by the Owner. I told him we were from Texas and I wanted to drink Ouzo. He game me a glass on ice and charged nothing. At one point I was pulled up on the stage with the belly dancer (along with several other guys). Rebecca has video but I told her to destroy it. She looked cute from a distance, but up close—a completely different story. Enough said.
A good day in Athens.