Syntagma, Acropolis, Plaka...and more!

            A lot has happened since the last time I posted! Most notably, I just finished up my first week of classes here in Athens. The four courses I am taking this semester are Ancient Greek (Lysias), Latin (Seneca), The Near East during the Hellenistic Period, and Bronze Age Art and Archaeology. It is just as amazing as I thought it would be to read Ancient Greek and learn about the Bronze Age in Greece itself! I have even had a class on site at the National Archaeological Museum already!

            Before classes started, I spent last Sunday exploring Syntagma Square. In addition to finding a store where we could buy school supplies, my friends and I also wandered up to the Parliament building. We happened to arrive right before the changing of the gaurd ceremony in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was enthralling to watch the regimented and precise steps of the two gaurds and two soldiers.

            Right next to Parliament is the Syntagma Square metro stop inside of which is a mini-museum. All around the underground station are samples of Ancient Greek pottery, sculptures, and even an exposed section of the underground earthen layers with ancient roadways and even burials! My friends and I had to take a picture next to the full skeleton in the subway station, although I’m not sure it came up clearly in the picture.  

          On Tuesday, after my second day of classes, I finally made it up to the top of the Acropolis! I don’t think there will ever come a time when I am not in awe of the Parthenon and its surrounding buildings.  I made it up the steep marble steps and found myself staring in amazement. Since I went just before dusk the whole city had a warm glow as I looked down on it from the walls of the Acropolis. Additionally, it was a great time of day to visit because there wasn’t a huge mob of tourists crowded around. Instead, I was free to slowly wander around and take everything in. One new thing I noticed was evidence of later Roman and Byzantine occupation of the site, such as a damaged corinthian capital and an engraved cross (see pictures below). It’s easy to forget that other groups saw the significane of the Acropolis and altered the buildings for their use (such as converting the Parthenon into a church). It was such an amazing experience walking amoung these buildings and I can’t wait to go back many more times!

            Since I can’t help gushing over Greece’s food, I have to quickly mention my new favorite lunch/dinner spot in Pangrati: Grill and Pita.  My roommates and I have already gone twice this week for dinner! By far the best thing I’ve eaten in Greece so far has been the chicken gyro from Grill and Pita. It’s a delicious combination of shaved chicken, lettuce, onions, fried potatoes and tzatziki sauce all wrapped in a warm pita. It’s amazing!

            That brings me to today’s adventures which included an extensive shopping trip in Plaka, the area just under the Acropolis.  In addition to browsing the jewelry and leather stores, we made our way to the Poet Sandal Maker, a famous family run leather shoe-making shop. Two of my roommates and I happily purchased a pair of custom made leather sandles which we will always remember came from Athens, Greece! As often seems the case in Greece, we stumbled upon some ruins on the way to the sandle maker! Right across from all of those modern stores stood the site of Hadrian’s Library (the same Hadrian who I talked about in my previous post).  Of course, I was mesmerized so I stopped to take a few pictures.

            I’m sorry if this post was a bit long-winded, but I am so excited to share all of my experiences and pictures. I hope you enjoy the stories and I can’t wait to write all about my trip to Crete when I arrive back in Athens next week!

Sam