So here I am in Greece having decided to spend my last couple of weeks where the sun still shines. After negotiating the Athens metro, which is actually really good, I finally found my hotel but of course not after getting completely lost. Not advisable when nightfall is approaching and you're wandering aimlessly around the red light district...
Happily the hotel is great - see suitable fabulous image shot from the bar where I contentedly spent my first evening watching the sunset and the not-hard-to-take view.
Then off for regulation sightseeing to the Acropolis which is Athens' Eiffel Tower, ie. you can see it from pretty much everywhere in the city (shot here from the hotel bar - again).
Apparently it's been undergoing constant restoration since 1975 and having experienced Greek efficiency, it's no great surprise it's taken this long.
Up close it's a little like the Mona Lisa - all jostling tourists trying to get a photo. I saw one woman actually trying to take photos with her ipad. Madness.
They do however seem committed to the effort (the archeologists that is) and it's amazing to see the whole site littered with artefacts that have yet to receive attention - some simply roped off with bits of string, and others just literally lying around.
My favourite however was the theatre Odeon of Herodes Atticus which is on the same site. It's awe inspiring and they still hold live shows there, but alas not while I was in town.
And last but least - and an absolute must-see if you ever go to Athens - is the new Acropolis Museum. It's built over a working excavation of the old city and most of the ground floor is perspex so you can watch the archeologists working as you wander around the museum. Awesome. Best not to wear a mini skirt though...
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