September 1, 2011 (continued)
Meanwhile back at the mother ship, all the smaller shuttles had managed to drop off all the other tourists who had arrived for an Athenian Adventure. So, the adventure begins as we weave our way through the sea of traffic. Just imagine this huge bus as a whale with a sea full of little fishes all swimming about.
Our tour guide attempted to set some general rules and guidelines both for our safety but also to enhance our experience in Athens. I can only imagine that working with tourists might be a lot like working with a slew of children in a busy classroom. As a tourist, I often consider myself a student. You could say that I am studying the world one adventure at a time. As I study this world I find that it is always a good idea to pay attention to your surroundings. And while I consider myself fortunate to have Greek friends that speak English they weren’t with me on this particular tour and as I hadn’t established any real bearings I really didn’t want to get left behind. At the time, Greek really was all ελληνικά to me.
Travels With Jim Explores Athens - Part Two
Our first stop was the Panathinaiko Stadium (Παναθηναϊκό στάδιο). At first sight it didn’t appear to be an ancient architectural treasure per se. But this stadium that was most recently renovated in 2004 in order to host the Summer Olympics is built from the remnants of the original stadium dating back to 566BC. The stadium received its first face-lift in 329 BC when the structure was re-built to include marble seats and steps. In Greek culture it is also proudly known as Kallimarmaro (Καλλιμάρμαρο) which translates to “marbled beautifully.”
Back in its heyday this stadium could hold 80,000 excited spectators. This more modern version holds a mere 45,000. Just imagine this is the only major stadium in the world that is created entirely of white marble that comes from Mount Penteli. As I traveled around Athens and other parts of Greece I did observe that marble has survived in many unexpected areas. In the next few days you will come with me as I walk to Philopappos. The path to that monument is replete with all sorts of marble laid out in varying patterns on the path itself.
Panathinaiko Stadium
Some 2,577 years ago the ancient Greeks were able to establish what is now considered the ideal specifications for the design of the track which curves in the traditional hairpin pattern. It has remained unchanged since that time. It appears that the Ancient Greeks set the standards way back then.
The Panathinaiko Stadium is located in downtown Athens in close proximity to other Ancient Greek attractions. Amazingly many of these areas are within walking distance of one another.
Our tour guide allowed us to explore the area on our own but did ask that we be back on the bus within a fairly short period of time as this particular tour was only scheduled for a half day. My Greek friends suggested the half day tour for two reasons. First off, the mid-day heat can be exhausting. And then more of a cultural consideration is the “necessary siesta period.” I have siesta in quotes because that’s exactly how it was presented to me. If you look closely at some of my pictures you will see many animals that just plop down anywhere for a siesta.
As you might imagine our departure from this venue was delayed as one of our group became lost. And our poor guide had to go search for her. Quite frankly I was impressed that the tour guide could keep track of all of us. Later, after leaving Greece and arriving in Edinburgh, Scotland I have a funny story to tell.
Archeological Museum, Athens, Greece
Tomorrow, once we find and rescue the lost woman we will take a first visit over to the amazing Archeological Museum.
Tags: Archeological Museum, Athens Greece, http://empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=JimT, Jim Talbott, Merrymeeting Gifts, Travels with jim
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