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October - November 2021
A 23-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 23

    More Ancient Athens

    November 20, 2021 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    There is so much here to see that I've decided to gather together a few pictures of other historic places here. Some of what isn't here are the old market that goes for blocks, the many squares where people meet and fountains spray, the modern city and more.
    The 1st picture is the Arch of Hadrian that was apparently not built by Hadrian as so much else was, but seems to have been built to honor him on his 1st visit to Athens. It sits astride the ancient road from the center of Athens to the Olympieion with the temple of Zeus. The 2nd picture looks along the the field in front of what remains of the Temple of Zeus that at its largest, consisted of 104 columns that were 17 meters tall.
    The 3rd picture is of the remains of the Lyceum, the School of Aristotle. It is extraordinary to walk in the steps of a man who was considered so brilliant that he was consulted on most subjects for 18 centuries.
    The 4th picture is of the Kerameikos. It is the potter's quarter of the old city (notice the root for ceramics) and is located along the Sacred Way from Athens to Eleusis (see another post). Processions began here for the Eleusinian Mysteries and for the Panathenaic Festivals.
    The last 2 pictures are the Areopagus located between the ancient Agora and the Acropolis. This is the judicial hill where certain law courts were held. It is also presumably the place where the Apostle Paul preached. The 5th picture looks at the Areopagus from near the Acropolis' gate, and the 6th looks from the top of the Areopagus over the ancient agora.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 22

    Ancient Agora of Athens

    November 19, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    This is the place where democracy came to be. The agora was the heart of the city where all activities--commercial, political, social, etc.--were centered.
    The 1st picture looks over the agora from the hill with the Temple of Hephaestus. In the distance on the far side of the agora is the restored Stoa of Attalos. The original had 42 spaces for shops on 2 levels. The 2nd picture is taken from the upper story looking back towards Hephaestus. Today there are museums on both levels of the stoa.
    The 3rd catches a lot of the ruins. The entrance to the Odeon of Agrippa is in the back.
    The 4th and 5th pictures look along the 2 levels of the restored stoa. You can get a sense of scale and see some of the artifacts recovered from the agora
    The last picture is tangentially related to the agora. This is Socrates (who did hang out here) and Confucius (who didn't) in conversation. I would love to see a transcript of such a conversation.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 22

    South Slope of Acropolis Hill

    November 19, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Both the north and south skies of Acropolis Hill were developed, but the north slope was closed for construction during my visit.
    Being the sunny side of the hill, Athenians put their most important sites here. Most obvious is the principal shrine to Dionysus with it large amphitheater shown in the 1st picture. Also significant is the Asklepion or Sanctuary of Asklepios. Asklepios is the god of healing. So a location in the sun is no surprise. Also, the cleft behind the sanctuary held a sacred spring, providing water for the temple.
    The 3rd picture are various stele that have been found here and placed under a roof to protect them from further weathering.
    The 4th picture recalls that the south slope also contained commercial activity. This is the remains of one of several bronze foundries here.
    The 5th is a Byzantine era cistern.
    The last picture is originally the Choragic (in a cave) monument of Thrassylos. During the Christian era, this space was converted to a church dedicated to St. Mary of the Rocks.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 22

    Acropolis of Athens

    November 19, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    What might just be called the crowning glory of Athens, the Acropolis is an ancient fortified hill with evidence of human activity dating to at least the 4th millennium BCE. However, what we see today dates to about the 5th century BCE and the building program of Pericles after the old Acropolis was destroyed by Persians.
    These pictures are all taken on the Sacred Rock, as it is sometimes called, except the 2nd picture which looks up at it from a distance.
    There is only one way to start a set of pictures of the Acropolis in my opinion, and that is with the Parthenon. This is the "new" temple of Athena, goddess of the city and one of the most recognizable buildings in the world.
    The 3rd picture is the Propylaea or entrance to the sacred site. This is taken from inside the Acropolis. The 4th picture is a small temple adjacent to the Propylaea called the Temple of Athena Nike. Built to honor Athena and Nike (goddess of victory), it asked for victory in the Peloponnesian Wars
    The 5th picture is the Erechtheion for (possibly) Poseidon and Athena. The picture is taken from the side with the unusual Maiden Porch with it's series of female statures holding up the roof.
    The last picture is an olive tree located where it is said Athena won the contest against Poseidon with her gift of the olive over Poseidon's gift of salt water. As the winner, she was chosen as goddess of the city.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 22

    Roman Agora of Athens

    November 19, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    The Roman agora was begun in the 1st century, reportedly with funds from Julius and Augustus Caesar, largely because, it seems, that once the Romans took over, their buildings began to encroach upon and even build upon the ancient agora.
    The 1st picture looks along the length of the agora. The 2nd picture looks in the same direction, but in this one you can see the rubble from the collapsed stoa and shops. In both pictures you can seen the Tower of the Winds in the background.
    This tower, also called the Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes, is considered the world's 1st meteorological station. It is an octagonal tower that combines sundials, a water clock (driven by water from the Acropolis), and a wind vane. It may even be older than the agora. In the 3rd picture you can see the building and the round extension that held the mechanism for the water clock. In the 4th picture you can see the floor inside with all the holes and drains to support the mechanisms.
    The 5th picture is the Vespasianae, which I suspect Vespasian may not have appreciated. This is the public sanitary facilities in the agora.
    The last picture is not taken within the agora, but it is of the Fethiye Mosque from the Ottoman era that is located within the agora precincts off to the left of the Tower of the Winds in the 1st picture. It is currently used for cultural exhibitions.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 21

    Byzantine Monastery of Daphni

    November 18, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Daphni is an 11th century monastery not far from downtown Athens and located along the Sacred Way: the road from Athens to Eleusis (see another post). The monastery was actually founded in the 6th century on the side of a former sanctuary of Apollo. The monastery fell into decline until the 11th and 12th centuries when it was restored and the octagonal church was built. It fell into decline again after it was sacked by Frankish raiders (crusaders) in the 13th century.
    This is another of the UNESCO sites considered masterpieces of Byzantine architecture (see Hostias Loukas post).
    The 1st picture is of the facade of the church, which is itself beautiful. The rest of the pictures are inside the octagonal, cross in square sanctuary. This place is known for its mosaics, especially from the glass and gold tesserae that seem to shine.
    This is not an active monastery, but it is an art and architecture treasure.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 21

    Eleusis

    November 18, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Now in a suburb of Athens, this is the site of the Eleusinian (Elysian) Mysteries, aka Mysteries of Demeter and Kore (Persephone). And it is the birthplace of Aeschylus, author and father of Greek tragedy.
    Eleusis sits on a coastal hill opposite the Island of Salamis. This is where the naval battle took place at the same time as Thermopylae (see another post).
    The 1st picture is s large marble platform that left me a bit in awe of walking on 2,000 year old marble flooring. The 2nd picture is the well of the Fair Dances, said to be where Demeter rested during her search for Persephone.
    The 3rd picture is of the "Sacred House" that dates to the 8th century BCE and was dedicated to a hero ancestor. Around the 6th century, it was replaced by a smaller building that is thought to have housed priestesses of the temple to Demeter for centuries thereafter.
    The 4th picture is the Temple of Pluto, situated at the entrance of a cave, symbolic of Pluto's subterranean home.
    The 5th picture looks at part of the wall with one section (the round if you can tell) of the outside of a cistern.
    The last picture looks up to the acropolis. The only thing left is the chapel to Saint Zacharias with the bell tower wrapped in scaffolding at the top. This post-byzantine chapel is built on a portion of the 5th century church.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 20

    Ancient Corinth

    November 17, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Corinth is an ancient and important city located about halfway between Athens and Sparta at the isthmus between mainland Greece and the Peloponnesian peninsula. Pottery found here has been dated to about 6500 BCE, but it remained a backwater until about the 8th century BCE which is when the city began to grow into a wealthy and advanced Greek city. However, the classical city was destroyed by Rome and sat deserted until refounded by Julius Caesar in 44BCE. It's this city with it's expansions and remodeling that we see today.
    It's likely that much of our familiarity with Corinth comes from the correspondence of St. Paul, along with Luke's recounting in Acts. I rarely post selfies, but I had to do this one. I'm standing on the Bema of the Roman forum where Paul was tried by the proconsul Gallio. Visible in the background is the Roman forum.
    The 2nd picture looks down from the forum level to the Lechaion Road, the main north-south road from the forum to the port on the Gulf of Corinth.
    The 3rd picture looks across the forum to the "northwest shops".
    The 4th picture looks along the Temple of Apollo from the front. The standing pillars are in the rear. The 5th picture is the Peirene Fountain as it was redone by the Romans. It was a water source for the city from antiquity.
    Greek cities of the period had a high city or acropolis that was the center of government and a fortress defending the city. Corinth is no exception and their acropolis is extraordinarily high. The last picture is the mountain with the acropolis on top. You can just make it out in silhouette.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 20

    Corinth Canal

    November 17, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Another important fact of Corinth's history is the canal. The idea of a canal here goes back into antiquity. The 1st proposal build it came in the 7th century BCE, but the project failed and was abandoned. Instead the Diolkos was built as a stone paved portage road up and over the isthmus. Ships were towed from between the gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf.
    After numerous starts and failures over the centuries, the canal was started in 1881 and finished in 1893. Even then, it still was difficult due to unstable rock, tidal currents in the canal, ship's wakes undermining the walls, etc. Given the navigation challenges and it's narrow width (a bit more than 21 meters at the waterline), the canal is mostly used for recreational boating.
    The 2 pictures are taken from the bridge at the top of the rock cut looking in opposite directions. The depth of the rock cut isn't clear, but it is more than 50 meters    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelGreece
    Day 20

    The Temple of Asklepius at Epidauros

    November 17, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    This is the main site dedicated to Asklepius, dating the the 4th century BCE. It was important enough at the time to rival Olympia and Delphi. This, like the other important sites has a main temple of the primary god worshipped plus a number of smaller temples to other gods. Add in all the supporting facilities, and this is a huge site.
    Asclepius is a god of healing, and people traveled great distances. They used water from the holy well (not the springs, see below), and then slept in the temple awaiting a healing dream from the god.
    Today, the site is probably best known for its theater in the 1st picture. Notice both the entry gate and the guys climbing the stairs. You can get a sense of scale of the place.
    The 2nd picture looks at the Temple of Asclepius itself. (The columns on the scaffolding are in the rear of the temple.) The 3rd picture is the stadium. Athletics and theater were generally part of most cultic practices in ancient Greece.
    The 4th picture is the ruins of one of the large buildings providing hospitality for pilgrims. The 5th picture is one of the fountains on site fed by a spring up the hill and piped into the temple area.
    The last picture is the inside of the small museum exhibiting archaeological finds from the site. Most are replicas as the originals are in Athens.    Read more

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