The Many Faces of Athens

Location: Athens, Greece (written in Athens, Greece)
Mood: Homesick
NP: Black - Wonderful Life

Athens

At the end of our rental car run of the Peloponnese with Delphi and Thebes we returned to Athens.

This city is much bigger than any other in Greece and this shows as different areas of the capital city feel quite different: in some we've gazed at ancient ruins and felt at ease and in others the atmosphere changes to something akin to an urban jungle. And it can change quickly, within a block or two.

Yet there is lots to see in Athens. Staying only for three nights we did the basics: The Agora, the Acropolis with the Parthenon and the National Archaeological Museum.

The National Archaeological Museum is vast, containing mostly disorganized exhibitions from the neolithic age to Cycladic and Mycenaean, from Roman times to Egypt and, for example, the beauty of the human body through ages. Worth seeing for all that is there, perhaps most importantly (for us) for the relics from Mycenae. You can easily spend 2-3 hours or more here.

Agora
Tickets: 8 euros, student cards are not recognized
Time: 2-3 hours

The Agora is a vast area that functioned as the ancient market of Athens. It has several ruins of temples, fountain houses, stoas and workshops among other things. The highlight may be the temple of Hephaestus, the god of fire, volcanoes, metallurgy, blacksmiths, artisans and other craftsmen, that stands relatively intact in the northwest corner of the Agora of Athens.

Temple of Hephaestus

There is also a small museum that looks impressive from the outside and hosts the toilets in the same building but is relatively thin on content. Unfortunately much in the Agora is rubble where ancient buildings used to be - not unlike from several other ruins we'd visited.


Acropolis
Tickets: 20 euros, student cards are not recognized
Time: 2 hours

Perched on top of the highest hill in Athens sits the Acropolis, an ancient citadel containing the remains of several ancient buildings. Views of the city are magnificent and the Parthenon and the Erechtheion still stand relatively well preserved offering great views into the past.

The Parthenon

The climb up the hill is not difficult but tourist crowds are massive and winds can get pretty strong so high up, blowing sand into your eyes and caps off your head. Still, the Acropolis is worth the visit just for the few ancient buildings that still stand (although 20€ is a steep price).

There's also an old museum with toilets near the Parthenon, but it was no longer in use as a museum (the new one is on the bottom of the hill but perhaps not worth a visit because photography is not allowed). Note that you are not allowed to bring in drinks that you buy outside the area.

Not Quite Like the Egyptian Namesake

Location: Thebes, Greece (written in Athens, Greece)
Mood: In pain from too much standing
NP: Ozzy Osbourne - Dreamer

Thebes (Thiva)
Tickets: 6 €, students enter for free
Time: 2-3 hours

A lively modern town that is built on top of the ancient ruins, some of which are from Mycenaean times. For excavating, this is of course a problem, but a couple of ruins have been found.

The excavated ruins outside in the town center are passable, but most of all, Thebes contains the best museum so far on this trip, by far.

I would go as far as to say it competes with the British Museum in London - not in the amount or variety of items to be seen - but in the way the museum explains the history related to the items. In this the museum in Thebes is the best par none I've seen. But they could use a few more benches.

The exhibits start from stone age and run to Roman (and Byzantine) times. Some more ruins have been excavated underneath the museum and they are visible to visitors.

The center of town is just 400 meters from the museum. Go south up the hill and one block to the right after the second block with a ruin for some lively restaurants at the very heart of Thebes. We visited during a pork festival and sampled.

Consulting the Oracle

Location: Delphi, Greece (written in Athens, Greece)
Mood: Sapped
NP: Elsa & Emilie - Chains of Promises

Delphi
Tickets: 12 €, student card not recognized
Time: 2-3 hours

The road by the sea from Rio to Delphi presented the most beautiful scenery of the trip so far. Coves and villages by the sea and houses on small islands looked almost absurdly charming. After a longer drive by mountains and valleys you'll finally arrive on the winding road leading up to Delphi. You will pass through the small village on the way to the archaeological site.

Plentiful ruins (with a vast museum) in a relatively compact area describe the site of the ancient oracle of Delphi. It is quite a climb all the way up to the stadium but important ruins such as the Temple of Apollo can be seen after a short climb only. A little way higher you'll find the theater and the stadium is up above everything else.

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

For those interested in such mundane things: A drinks dispenser is located by the archaeological site entrance and toilets reside by the museum.

The view from the ruins and from the road leading to the village is as breath-taking as Keanu Reeves  in his E3 2019 presentation. You'll gaze towards the mountain range, the valley and the sea down below and may wonder what kind of fervor drove ancient rulers to Delphi and all the way up the mountain to seek the Pythia's guidance at the temple of Apollo in days long past.

And wonder further how satisfied they were to hear this: "I count the grains of sand on the beach and measure the sea; I understand the speech of the dumb and the voiceless. The smell has come to my sense of a hard shelled tortoise boiling and bubbling with a lamb's flesh in a bronze pot: the cauldron underneath it is of bronze, and bronze is the lid."

Town by a Bridge

Location: Rio, Greece (written in Athens, Greece)
Mood: Entombed
NP: Lil Nas X (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) - Old Town Road

Rio

Located in the very north of the Peloponnese, Rio is the gateway to the Peloponnese in the south and connected by a long, beautiful bridge to Antirrio on the mainland in the north past the Gulf of Patras.

Patras is also its much larger neighbour city, or rather, Rio could be called a suburb of Patras. The port seemed active until late in the night and it was possible to swim in the sea relatively close to the bridge (though the beach was full of pebbles).

Rio seemed like a small Mediterranean town with a calm atmosphere. We only stayed there for one night at the very friendly but a little quirky Hotel Apollon which is right by the bridge to mainland Greece (road toll on the bridge was 13.50€).

Fields of Olympia

Location: Olympia, Greece (written in Athens, Greece)
Mood: Energetic
NP: Katy Perry (feat. Skip Marley) - Chained to the Rhythm

Olympia
Tickets: 12 €, free for students
Time: 2-3 hours

Birthplace of the Olympic Games, Olympia is located in a wide valley in the western part of Peloponnese. The archaeological site of Olympia offers views into the training and competing grounds of the ancient athletes. In addition to the ancient ruins there are two museums (though we only visited the main one).

Olympia sprawls out into a disorganized set of ruins. Apparently there used to be over 70 temples as well as treasuries, altars, statues and other buildings. Many are still visible, most importantly the temple of Zeus and temple of Hera. The ancient stadium is also accessible for a jog.

Gateway to the stadium

Unfortunately the enormous chryselephantine statue of Zeus (13 meters tall), that was named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Antipater of Sidon, was lost and destroyed during the 5th century AD.

Olives from Kalamata

Location: Kalamata, Greece
Mood: Calm
NP: Alannah Myles - Black Velvet

Kalamata

The port city of Kalamata served as our base after Elefsina, Corinth and Argos before we would head out to the northern parts of Peloponnese. Kalamata is the second most populous city of Peloponnese after Patras and an important port with about 70,000 inhabitants. The history of the city begins with Homer who mentioned a city called Firai built where Kalamata Castle stands today.

Famous for its olives, Kalamata presented itself to us as mostly clean mediterranean residental buildings and a charming waterfront with several restaurants right by the beautiful sea.

We stayed two nights at an Airbnb location a few blocks from the beach. From here it wasn't too difficult for us to explore ruins such as the Palace of Nestor and the museum of Chora (where they didn't accept student cards) near Pylos and ancient Messene (not Messini).

In the Shade of the Olive Trees

Location: Sparta, Greece (written in Kalamata, Greece)
Mood: Overheated
NP: Metallica - Turn the Page

Sparta
Tickets: Free entry
Time: 1 hour

Ancient Sparta relied on the prowess of its warriors and refused to build walls around the city. Now not much remains of this once powerful state.

What does remain is the foundation of the "Round Building" (ca. 600 BC), parts of St. Nikon's Basilica, Sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos and the theatre among other patterns of scattered stone.

The heat was intense during our visit in August (around 39C). Even the shade offered by the many olive trees was not enough to sustain a lengthier visit. In the distance the modern Sparti beckoned.

The House of Tiles

Location: Lerna, Greece (written in Kalamata, Greece)
Mood: Interested
NP: Savage Garden - To the Moon & Back

Lerna
Tickets: 2 €, free for students
Time: 1 hour

A few mostly deteriorated ruins and the House of Tiles (protected under the roof of a modern building) make up this site of rubble and legend near the village of Myloi. This is where, according to legend, Hercules killed the Lernaean Hydra as the second of his labors. Lerna was also one of the entrances to the Underworld.

The House of Tiles is from the Early Bronze Age, dating to the Early Helladic period II and built between 2300 and 2200 BC. The two-story building measures 25*12 meters. The walls have stone foundations with a superstructure of unbaked bricks coated in plaster and the floors are covered in fine-grained yellowish clay. Wood was used in the construction of the roof, the ceilings and staircases.

A large number of clay seals found at the House of Tiles were used to seal the contents of boxes and other storage vessels, and their storage here confirms the existence of an early urban system with a central government. The House of Tiles was destroyed by fire in the 22nd century BC.

Argos of Argolis

Location: Argos, Greece (written in Kalamata, Greece)
Mood: Cheerful
NP: Dave Stewart (feat. Candy Dulfer) - Lily Was Here

Argos

This very old but comfortable town of 25,000 people is often overshadowed by the bigger Nafplion just 12 km away. We used it as a base for two nights (staying at the pleasant Hotel Apollon) in our trip to ancient ruins in the region (such as Tiryns, Dendra and Midea).

Argos has the charm of a little town that has a wonderful center boasting a shallow pool of water crossed by a bridge or two and surrounded by restaurants, a church and a children's playground that is bustling with activity until late in the evening.

The food was great where ever we ate and there's something to be said about such a wonderful central plaza that gathers all the locals together for the evenings. Outside of the very center, though, things get much more quiet. Up on the hill looms Larisa Castle.

A Place of Healing

Location: Epidaurus, Greece (written in Kalamata, Greece)
Mood: Refreshed
NP: Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World

Epidaurus
Tickets: 12 €, free for students
Time: 1-2 hours

An ancient sanctuary and healing center, the asclepeion of Epidaurus, is located on the Argolid Peninsula. The modern towns Palaia Epidavros and Nea Epidavros are located nearer the coast, a few kilometers away from the site.

Said to have been founded and to be the birthplace of Apollo's son Asclepius the healer, Epidaurus sanctuary welcomed ill people that hoped to be cured and was the most celebrated center of healing of the Classical world. This brought prosperity to the sanctuary that was in part used to build a huge theatre that is still impressive and in use (again) today.

Other buildings at the site include ruins that were used as a hostel and a hospice building that hosts some old statues, photos and other archaeological finds.

Between the gate and the parking lot you'll find stalls selling snack food and drinks. And plenty of wasps.

Through the Lion Gate

Location: Mycenae, Greece (written in Argos, Greece)
Mood: Ecstatic
NP: The Beloved - Sweet Harmony

Mycenae
Tickets: 12€, students enter for free
Time: 3-4 hours

There once was a palace in the barren foothills of Mt Agios Ilias and Mt Zara, home of the mythical Agamemnon, that ruled over or held sway over the Argolid and other Mycenaean kingdoms. Mycenae was the most powerful kingdom in Greece for 400 years (1600-1200 BC) only to suffer a similar fate as most of the other Mycenaean settlements did at the end of Bronze Age - to mysteriously disappear from the civilized world.

Entrance to a tholos tomb

There are many theories about the disappearances from the invading Sea Peoples to volcanic eruptions to climate change leading to drought and famine, that may all have worked to diminish the power of Mycenae and its ancient inhabitants. Now only mighty ruins stand as testament to the marvelous engineering and power this ancient city once held.

The Lion Gate

Burial Circle A

The Lion Gate welcomes visitors to the fortress after a short climb, followed by slippery stone stairs and further climbing to the top of the hill where the palace once stood with its megaron and circular hearth. Around the palace there are burial circles with tholos tombs and buildings that may have served as workshops and homes of the artisans and stonemasons. Behind the palace there are further ruins (house of columns for one) and a cistern, leading through a dark, steep tunnel all the way down to smelly water, before you reach the north gate of the complex.

View over the lands Mycenae once ruled

Mycenae is the most important and impressive sight to visit for anyone interested in the Mycenaean civilization.

On the Mycenaean Trail

Location: Archaia Korinthos, Greece (written in Argos, Greece)
Mood: Bloated
NP: Poets of the Fall - Carnival of Rust

Corinth
Tickets: 12€, students enter for free
Time: 2-3 hours

Temple of Apollo

There is evidence (pottery) that the area of Ancient Corinth (from which the modern city of Corinth is located about 5 km northeast) has been inhabited as early as 6500 BC, but the area seems to have been only sparsely inhabited immediately before the Mycenaean period.

There are myths about the founding of the city of Corinth (either by Corinthos, a descendant of Zeus, or by Ephyra, daughter of Titan Oceanus) and in the Iliad the Corinthians followed Agamemnon to war against Troy. Now all that remains are extensive but compact ruins by a friendly small village with hotels and restaurants.

The ruins are dominated by the pillars from the temple of Apollo that was built on the ruins of an earlier temple. When once the temple was supported by 38 pillars, now only seven stand. High up above the worthwhile museum, on the mountain, looms the fortress of Acrocorinth.

Fortress on the mountain

Ancient Corinth has some excellent ruins that are very easy to visit from the village of Archaia Korinthos that sits right by the ruins. Stop by at the impressively deep Corinth canal if you're coming from the direction of Athens by land.

Ancient Ruins of the Peloponnese

Location: Elefsina, Greece (written in Argos, Greece)
NP: Kingston Wall - Shine on Me
Mood: Mellow

Peloponnese, a peninsula in Southern Greece and the mythological land of monsters where Hercules (Herakles) fought the Nemean lion, gods walked the earth and, most importantly, the ancient Mycenaean civilization flourished during the Bronze Age from 1600 BC only to mysteriously disappear around 1100 BC.

Here I have gathered some brief information about significant ruins we visited during our trip in Greece, mostly from the Peloponnese, where we drove around in rental cars. Ancient ruins are marked in magenta and other towns or cities we stopped over for the night in white. Under the name of the archaeological site I will give the price of the ticket for an adult (and student) and my estimate of how long it will take you to explore the site.


Eleusis
Tickets: 12€, international student card not recognized
Time: Can be seen in 1-2 hours.

Our trip began with a stop-over at Elefsina that embraces the ruins of ancient Eleusis within the town limits. Ancient Eleusis hosted the Sanctuary of Demeter, goddess of the harvest and agriculture, and was the home of the Eleusinian Mysteries, during Mycenaean times.

Plutonion

A local "guide" or employee of the site kept an eye on us and followed us around and in the tiny museum you feel watched at all times, but it didn't really retract from the wonder of the ruins around us.

The modern Elefsina itself seemed like a nice small town with narrow streets. Parking space was at a premium and the car park in Hotel Elefsina was a narrow tunnel down a steep ramp to cramped but adequate parking hall underneath the hotel. The hotel was relatively nice and the pool in the inner courtyard gave an illusion of luxury, but the central air-conditioning was vastly inefficient during the grueling +36C weather.

Elefsina

It was within walking distance to the ruins of Ancient Eleusis though.