I was excited to go exploring today on my first full day in Athens. The weather was a little mixed, but still perfect for sightseeing. So, after breakfast I set off for the Parliament Building that has the Presidential Palace next door. Every hour there is a changing of the guards here, but I had unfortunately just missed one. So, I then continued to walk through the National Gardens, which is one of the first public gardens of modern Athens that was originally designed as the gardens of the Royal Palace. The idea of the modern gardens was brought by Queen Amelia from Germany to Greece and has now grown into a 38-acre landscaped area with lots of winding paths and beautiful flowers and trees. The park also contains an animal park and some ponds. I saw turtles, fish, goats, birds, and even a wild tortoise crossing the road outside the gardens! This was a particularly special sighting for me, as I have a pet tortoise at home that has been with me since I was five years old when my parents bought her for me as a birthday gift!
After exiting the gardens, the walk from there took me to the ‘Temple of Olympian Zeus’ which is a colossal, ruined temple near the Acropolis that is dedicated to the King of the Olympian gods. It features huge Corinthian columns that are built from marble.
I then reached the ‘Arc of Hadrian’ which is also known as Hadrian’s Gate. It is a 2nd-century AD monument that was built in honour of emperor Hadrian and marks the boundary between ancient and modern Athens. After a great morning exploring, it was eventually time to take a lunch break before commencing an exploration of the outside of the Acropolis.
If you come to Athens, you mustn’t forget to walk around the area that winds round the outside of the Acropolis, as it is such a rewarding walk that takes in quaint and narrow streets with authentic, colourful, and utterly charming Grecian properties. There are little cafes dotted around and a selection of artists selling their works. The walk eventually brings you out at the ‘Roman Agora of Athens’ which is a key commercial centre that was built in the 1st- century BC with funding from Julius Caesar and Augustus. Then there is the ‘Tetraconch church’ that is a 5th- century early Christian church built within the centre of Hadrian’s library and is one of the earliest Christian churches in the city, signifying the transition from paganism to Christianity.
After a busy day of taking in many sights of Athens, I had a special evening planned. I had booked a table at the rooftop terrace restaurant at my hotel: The Hotel Plaka, which does get booked up quite quickly – and when you see the view from the restaurant you can see why! My table looked directly out towards the Acropolis which I witnessed changing from daylight viewing to nighttime viewing. It looks quite different in both settings, but particularly stunning after dark when it is all lit up. The meal was wonderful, too, and consisted of Greek salad, fresh warm bread, chicken, gnocchi and a pistachio tart – a perfect way to end the day, and the staff were more than happy to take lots of photos of me enjoying my meal and in front of the Acropolis!
