Greece -- Athens

Greece is the best place I have visited. It has an amazing history, and phenomenal beaches. I have been to Greece three different times, and am hoping to go again, as soon as I can scrape together the money. My Greece trips have been broken into two parts: trying to see as many ancient sites as possible, and unwinding on the beach. In terms of ancient sites, the Acropolis in Athens is one of the best.

Athens

The Greek capital has a lot of neat things to see crammed into a relatively small area. The Acropolis is thee must see site in Greece. Although the site is often crowded with tourists, and covered in scaffolding from the ongoing restorations, it is still impressive. The thing I like most about the Acropolis is that from Plaka, the tourist area, it is visible from every intersection. I can't count the number of times I have been walking around, and have just stopped at an intersection to look up at the Acropolis. One of the best views of the Acropolis comes from the top of Lykavittos Hill, at the Chapel of Agios Giorgios (Right).

The Parthenon, Theater of Herodes Atticus, The Caryatids

The Parthenon is the largest and most impressive building in the Acropolis. However, each time I have visited, it has been covered in scaffolding. A restoration project with no end in sight! The Erectheion, to the left of the Parthenon, is in pretty good shape. The six Caryatids looking out over Athens are well preserved.

At the bottom of the Acropolis are two theatres: The Theatre of Dionysos, and the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. The Theatre of Dionysos is in rough shape, but the Theatre of Herodes Atticus is still used for performances during the Athens Festival in the summer. I saw an opera in the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. Although the words were in Greek, I was able to get the gist of the play. Seeing an opera in an ancient Greek theatre is definately something to put on your life resume!

Not very far from the Acropolis is the Ancient Agora. Much of the Agora has been destroyed, however, a few of the stoa remain in good shape, and the Temple of Hephaestus (left) is still remarkably well preserved.

A visit to the National Archaeological Museum is a must for history buffs. Hop on the subway and ride to the Viktorias station. The museum is a short walk from there.

The museum features many excellent collections: Neolithic finds from Thessaly, Cycladic pottery and tools, Statues from a variety of times and locations, and treasures from Mycenae. The golden Mask of Agamemnon is the prize of the museum's collection, and well worth seeing. It would take several hours to really do justice to the collection, however, I find that after an hour all the statues start to look the same to me. If you are like me, start with the Mycenean collection, it is the best.

When staying in Athens, I love the Student & Traveler's Inn. It has nice clean rooms, a courtyard for mingling with other travelers, a good yoghurt and honey breakfast, is relatively cheap, and is situated near a little square (right) with good restaurants. Some people will find this area too touristy, but I have enjoyed my stay each time.

There is so much more to see and do in Athens, but these things were the highlites of my trips.