A Greek Odyssey, Part 1

I've just returned from a wonderful vacation with my husband in Greece, and there is so much to share. Many years ago, I studied Classics in college with lots of Latin and Ancient Greek, so I had a special sense of anticipation as we set off to visit Greek culture and ancient ruins!

We started our trip in Athens in a hotel with a fabulous view of the Acropolis and the remains of the Parthenon...

and the temple of the Greek god Zeus...

We went on a bus tour, which included a stop at the bottom of the Acropolis, from which point we climbed,  over irregular marble stairs, rough paths and lots of rocks...

until we reached the top, where we were able to take in a spectacular view of Athens.

Here I am, on top of the Acropolis...

and here is my husband Bill. A tough climb, but we made it!!

It's sad that the ruins of the Parthenon are in such a state of disrepair, after centuries of war and destruction...

but it was good to see this model of what it looked like when it was built, in the museum at the base of the hill.

Our tour guide also explained the different gods whose statues decorated the original Parthenon, shown here in meticulously carved miniatures.

Back on the bus, we passed this horse and carriage,

stopped at the Panathenaic Stadium,

and went by the library at the Athens Academy.

We shopped at the Plaka, a busy outdoor marketplace...

where Bill bought a dashing new hat...

and we tried taking a 'selfie'!

At lunch, musicians circulated through the streets, as we sat and ate Greek salad.

At the end of our stay in Athens, we met up with two other couples. The three men are business associates and we had arranged ahead of time to rent a large van.

Together we would embark on the second part of our adventure, as we traveled to a seaside village in southern Greece! I'll tell you about that in my next post.

Our internet connections were spotty in Greece, so I haven't been able to comment on my friends' blogs, but I'll be catching up in the next few days.

Hope you've been having an enjoyable August!