When I arrived to Athens, one of the first things that was visible to me was, in fact, the Acropolis. It is extremely hard to miss, being located on one of the highest places in the city. It is visible from most places in town, and the sight of it helped guide me from the bus station down a number of winding little side streets to the Plaka district, above which the Acropolis sits. Plaka is a very confusing place, especially for a person with only a vague idea of where he is going, as I was. However, a mere glance upwards orients you in the right direction.
The right direction, as it turns out, wasn't the only thing you need to navigate these streets. I eventually reached a neighborhood there that no cars could drive through, being instead reduced to a confusing network of stairs and sidewalks between houses built on the side of the hill. A number of signs pointed the way to the entrance of the Acropolis, but they usually went around in circles. Still, the place was extremely charming and a joy to walk through, even if I had no idea where I was or even what time it was (as if that really mattered).
Luckily, an old local man finally showed me the way, and I ascended the hill until I reached the Propylaea, the gigantic gates of the main complex. A huge restoration project is currently underway at the Acropolis and there is scaffolding everywhere. Still, the scaffolds do not detract from the beauty and scale of the place, and in fact makes you wonder how the old temples survived all these years, through wars and years of rule under different empires, without any sort of work until the project began only in recent history. It is a different sort of beautiful to know that steps are being taken so that future generations can come to see the place.
Just below and away from the Propylae, sits the gigantic Odeon, or the theater of the Acropolis. This was immediately recognizable to me for the reasons cited above - the image of Yanni burned into my memory, with the lights flashing all around the place and thousands of people in the stands watching the orchestra. Apparently, they still hold regular concerts here in the summer. I think that it would, in fact be an awesome experience to see a concert here, as the atmosphere is amazing. The back of the theater is amazingly preserved, lined with several elegant yet strong arches that have survived for thousands of years. The stands have been restored, giving a visitor an idea of what it must have been like to sit there so long ago. The Parthenon is visible just behind the theater, and past the arches lies the city, stretching on in every direction out to the Aegean sea. It's a pretty amazing sight.
Finally, at the top of the mountain lies the big daddy of all ancient temples - the Parthenon. This structure is receiving the most restoration work, and cranes jut out from the middle and scaffolds line the walls. It's an absolutely gigantic building, and pictures do not do it justice. I was surprised at the size and scope - having previously thought that there was no way it could be as big as people said it was. I was wrong. It towers over everything.
I arrived just before the hoards of tourists descended on it, and still it was pretty crowded. This is definitely one of the places that is special not because it's untouched and undiscovered, but precisely because so many people have been to it, connecting everyone who visits it, all the way through history. It's an incredible and indescribable feeling to stand in the shadow of the Parthenon and be amazed, just as the others there, and just as others in ancient times must have been amazed. The detail in the top of the Parthenon is evident, and you can still see the statues in the friezes.
Right next to the Parthenon is the Erechtheum, which I previously thought was much larger. It is however mostly untouched by the scaffolds, and gracefully sits at the edge of the Acropolis cliffs. The Porch of the Caryatids, seen on the side is pretty amazing in itself, and very beautiful. It's hard to conceive how the detail of these statues has remained intact, especially since they bear the weight of a gigantic stone ceiling, whereas most of the other ceilings around the Acropolis have been destroyed or otherwise collapsed. The other slender columns around the temple provide a nice contrast to the sheer, almost overwhelming massiveness of the Parthenon.
After leaving the Acropolis I went for a hike in the nearby hills, which have all been preserved as a sort of park, containing other interesting places such as the prison of Socrates and some old Byzantine churches. The best thing from this park however are the unspoiled views of the whole Acropolis complex, giving you a taste of what it may have been like to live there in ancient times.
The best vantage point was from the Hill of the Nymphs, atop which sits the remains of another temple, beautiful in itself. A nice path led up to the temple, which was part of another complex that served as a lookout and guard post towards the sea, which you can see from the hill. However, away from the tourist crowds, and directly across from the Acropolis, the main attraction was the view.
I walked around in the park for hours, just enjoying the views and the feeling of walking the roads that the ancients paced. There was a complex of old ruins that once housed philosophers, and another that served as a meeting place for politicians. Everywhere in the area there was something of former importance, or a place that some ancient deity considered sacred. This brought me back to the old stories we were taught in school - the old myths, and later Greek history. It all came alive for me, and it was easy to see how such places were considered important then. It was truly an inspiring moment to look out over the old city and reflect on how the events that transpired in this place have had such a profound ripple effect through history. Even today, we are still using Greek ideas and philosophies, and the places in which those concepts developed are still here.
I think that the most incredible part of it all was not seeing the ancient buildings. Though an amazing experience, being amongst the buildings was only a vehicle to experience the most amazing feeling of all - the connectedness that I felt to the past and the people that have lived there throughout the ages. Standing there on that hill and looking out over this marvelous place, the present is linked to the past - philosophers, politicians, artists, teachers, friends, family... even Yanni. Everything just comes together.
