My first visit to Greece lasted only three days but it was packed with places to go and things to do on a busy Easter weekend.
An amazing shot by astrophotographer Anthony Ayiomamitis
However, as you drive along the coast you can see this wonderful 5th century ruin off in the distance, jutting out over the Aegean Sea. In ancient times it was the last thing Greeks saw as they sailed away from the island and the first upon returning home.
Myth has it that Sounion is the spot where Aegeus, King of Athens, leapt to his death off the cliff, thus giving his name to the Aegean Sea. The story goes that Aegeus, anxiously looking out from Sounion, despaired when he saw a black sail on his son Theseus ‘s ship, returning from Crete.
Aegeus distraught at seeing a black sail for his son, Theseus.
This led him to believe that his son had been killed in his contest with the dreaded Minotaur, a monster that was half man and half bull. In reality, Theseus had slain The Minotaur and merely forgot to change the sail to white en route home.
There is a typical tourist cafe right at the site but the coffee is just awful. It is much better to stop at the tavernas just below Sounion, before or after sunset…….or bring a bottle of wine and have a sip as the sun sets. The views are breathtaking.
Mountain of the Gods
There are terraced plateaus along the way but there is a lot of climbing to get to the stadium on top, site of the Pythian Games, precursor to the modern-day Olympic games. The ancient stadium is still evident, including the bleachers, and it was so fantastic during my visit to see high school kids on a day-trip actually racing around the track. It sort of brought history to life at the old stadium. Before heading home you should stop in the museum at the bottom of the mountain, which is full of artifacts and antiquities from in and around the site.
The ride to and from from Delphi takes you through the tiny village of Arahova, where the streets are so narrow that it is amazing both cars an pedestrians don’t just jump off the nearby cliffs in frustration. True it was Easter weekend and the locals were busy placing open barbecue spits in the streets for roasting the Easter lamb, but I am sure it is even worse at the height of the tourist season. Just plan accordingly for traffic jams as there is no other way up or down the mountain. And do leave enough time for exploring this picturesque village of shops, eateries and hotels. My one regret is that I was so tired from over-doing it up the mountain that we ran out of time to explore Arahova.
Acropolis from the Hotel Grand Bretagne
Once down the hill, I ventured over to the Agora. That was a pleasant walk and pretty, imagining the hustle and bustle of the ancient market amid today’s park-like setting, right in the middle of downtown Athens. It must have been flowing with life 2,000 years ago.
It is easy to get lost in Athens because there are many hills and little side streets and “it is all Greek to me” when it comes to reading signs in the cyrllic alphabet. I also found that the people of Athens, especially the women, are a little off-putting at helping tourists. They do not leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I did not feel threatened, however, just not welcome. Best to buy a really good street map for getting around town or bring along the GPS application on your I-Phone.
One last word on the Greek gods……today, all that’s left is a myth. Despite their dark, good looks, Greek men are not flirtatious and not one approached me during my entire three-day visit. That’s a good and a bad thing depending on your point of view.
All-in-all, I would definitely return to Athens, but would probably make it just a 24-hour pitstop en route to Santorini or Crete.
The next time the Catholic and Orthodox Easters fall on the same day is April 4, 2010. If you are planning a trip to Athens, that would be an ideal time to schedule, not just because of the festivities throughout the city, but also because you will save on all of the admission fees to the ancient sites since the fee is waived during the religious observance weekend.
“Ελπίζω να το απολαύσετε.” I hope you enjoy.
