Greece Travelogue. It is the morning of the second day in Athens. This day is a sightseeing until about 4:00 pm, then transfer to the airport for a flight to Santorini at 18:30.
Morning at the hotel. Breakfast is buffet on the roof. The view you see!
The Acropolis in the morning sun is very beautiful.
It’s going to be another beautiful day.
Now, the first sightseeing of the day starts from the « Ancient Agora » which spreads at the foot of the Acropolis where we visited the day before.
Agora means « marketplace, » but in ancient times it had a broader meaning, functioning not only as a place to shop but also as a place to discuss politics and religion.
We will head to the Agora on foot with a view of the Acropolis hill.
We arrived at the ancient Agora as if we were going around the hills of the Acropolis.
There seem to be several entrances, but we entered from the northwest entrance.
As you enter the northwestern part of the city, the first thing you will see is the Temple of Hephaistos, probably the most famous of the ancient Agora.
It was built around 440 B.C. and it is the most original temple in Greece.
This temple is the only one of the magnificent buildings from BC that remains, and most of the rest are so-called ruins.
However, when you look at the Temple of Hephaistos and the Parthenon from such a « market », you will feel as if you are imagining the scenery of the ancient times. After all, the weight of history is amazing, isn’t it?
Some modern churches and other buildings were still there.
I like Orthodox churches, which are different from Catholic ones, because they are very quaint.
Now, in the midst of such ruins, there is an area that is exceptionally beautiful.
« The Colonnade of Athalos is the only one of the Greek monuments that has been completely restored.
The colonnade here was lined with magnificent Greek seal carvings that were probably excavated in the agora.
All of them are big and powerful. I guess it is the greatness of civilization that these things are strewn about. After all, you can feel the weight more when you see them there than in the British Museum or the Louvre.
古代アゴラ満喫のあとは、すぐ近くにあるプラカ地区を散策します。（続く）
