Greece & The Balkans

After visiting the Acropolis, we joined a guide for a driving tour of Athens. Our first stop was to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Our guide, Michael, explained that each piece of the guard's uniform has a symbolic meaning. The kilt has 400 pleats representing 400 years of oppression under the Ottoman empire. The hat is red for the blood shed by the soldiers. The long black sash on the hat represents the tears of the mothers. The guards raise their feet high in the air and stomp loudly on the ground so the dead will hear them and know that all of Greece remembers their sacrifice.

Our next stop was the Panathenic Stadium. It is believed to be constructed on the site where Pheidippides completed his run from the Battle of Marathon to announce Greece's victory over the Persian army. It is the only stadium in the world constructed entirely of marble. It was first built in 330 BC, then expanded by Rome in 144 AD by Herodes Atticus, and modernized in 1869 before hosting the first modern Olympic games in 1896.

We then drove to the top of Lycabettus Hill for a panoramic view of Athens and then visited the Agora as the last stop of our tour.

Our guide dropped us off at his favorite gelato shop for an afternoon treat. Then we returned to our Airbnb in time to meet the courier who was delivering our delayed luggage.Read more