From Barcelona to Tehran: Day 35

Day 35: Athens the Ancient City

June 4, 2012; Distance covered today: 0 Km; Total: 2555 Km

I miss my tent. The hostel was hot with mosquitoes. I couldn’t sleep well last night. I woke up at 7:15, had breakfast which was provided by the hostel, then went to see the Archeological Museum. I was there at 8:30 and I didn’t know that it was free today. I went in and got lost in the world of statues, from tiny to humongous statues. They were splendid. It was pointless to take pictures, so I just pleased my eyes with their beauty.

I then went to a travel agency and got a ferry ticket to Hios, from which I should take a ferry to Ceshme, a port close to Izmir. Then I went to Acropolis. It felt somehow ashamed that I hadn’t seen Persepolis although I lived in Iran, and now I am visiting Acropolis in Greece. I promised myself I would visit Persepolis when in Iran. 

Unfortunately, there isn’t much left of Acropolis in the site. There are the columns, but that is all. The site itself has a strategic location from which the whole city Athens is seen. It is told to be built on a holly stone which is a hill. It is such a pity that now there isn’t much left of it. 

Crusaders destroyed some of  the statues and turned it into a church, Ottoman Turks turned it into a mosque, explosions destroyed a big part of it, looters stole the remaining statues. Despite the destruction, it still has a lot of glory.  I also saw the Olympic Stadium where the first Olympic games were kicked off.

In the evening, Demitra, Majid’s friend, who is now my friend too, came to the hostel and we went to some really interesting places. We walked in Palka, an pedestrian street where there were many buskers, handicraft vendors, and restaurant. It was very interesting for me because part of it was very much similar to Darband in Tehran. There were restaurants with tables outside where you could sit and have a meal. People were taking a stroll. The atmosphere was so calm. I loved it to death. 

Dimitra and I

The restaurant we went to was great. It was a little away from the touristic area so it was quiet. There was live traditional Greek music and the food was awesome. I am so grateful to Dimitra for her time, showing me around, and answering all my questions about Greece.

Looks Familiar?