Well Worn Paths

I attempted to get an early start in hopes of covering as many of the 6 major historical sites in the area (Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Kerameikos/Cemetery, Temple of Zeus and Olympic Stadium). Breakfast took a bit longer as I sat with Frances and a new friend Stephen. It was hard to leave good conversation. Roughly around 10am I made it to the Acropolis to begin my day's discoveries.

It's hard to describe the expansive views and vast marble creations as you walk around on the highest hill in the area. The packed in city below sprawls all around dotted with ancient ruins and very modern glass buildings. What didn't make sense on the map a few days ago was much clearer now. I'm glad I went to the museum yesterday to give some perspective to what I was seeing today. From here I worked my way to the Ancient Agora to discover that this was where I had ended up a few days earlier when I was "lost." This time I knew exactly where to go. The Agora is HUGE. I must have spent a good 1.5 hours there trying to get around to everything. Towards the end my camera battery started to flash at me. I wasn't sure how much more time I'd have so I tried to cover things quickly so I could still make it to the Roman Agora and the cemetery. To come back to one or two of these would make for a long walk and "wasted" time.

Fortunately the Roman Agora is quite small in comparison and was easy to breeze through. What I didn't realize was how long it would take to walk from there (NE corner of the Acropolis) to the cemetery. I think it took close to 20 minutes. When I arrived I had 20 minutes to cover the entire town/cemetery. I was close to sprinting through the rocky, winding pathways up and down hills. I managed to get shots of the overall areas and what I think might be all of the explanatory plaques--all with a low camera battery. Now that's what I call impressive!

After a much deserved rest, I hit a local crepe restaurant for dinner. For E10 I had a Sprite, Tiramisu and a crepe with chicken, tomatoes, green peppers and mayo. Needless to say, I was quite full. I spent the rest of the evening researching trains, planes and ferries to figure out my next step on the journey. Hopefully this will include a day trip to Piraeus and Hydra on Sunday and moving on to Corinth on Monday.