Athens, Greece

Our final destination was Athens, Greece.  For this stop, we docked in the nearby Piraeus Port, which is obviously a popular spot for cruise ships.

We had shuttles going into Athens which took about 30 minutes.  Once in the city, we drove by a few governmental buildings and sites before arriving at the National Archaeological Museum.  Our included tour on the cruise had us going to this museum, then to the Plaka district although not to the Acropolis itself, so we later broke off.

The museum itself was great.  We had an amazing guide who did a great job of telling interesting stories and keeping everyone entertained.  We saw the famous golden funeral mask of Agamemnon.

 This statue found on an ancient shipwreck, which is impressively still in amazing condition.

 This is a bronze statue of either Zeus or Poseidon, raising up either his trident or lightning bolt.

These are hand weights which the long jumpers would hold onto then let go after jumping to help with their momentum.

There are plenty of statues which showcase the famous Greek long second toe.

After touring the museum, we then got to check out to location of the first modern Olympic games.  It's not the most impressive place in the world, so we declined to go inside.

We then headed over to the Plaka district which surrounds the Acropolis.  We broke off from our group and decided to check out the Acropolis on our own.

Starting at the base of the hill, you'll climb upward to the Acropolis which was purposefully built on the top of this rocky outcropping in order to overlook the entire city.  There are still building regulations today to prevent buildings being built too high and blocking the view of the Acropolis from the surrounding city.  Due to the entrance we used, we first went by the Theater of Dionysus, dedicated to the aforementioned god of wine and theater.  You can walk the spectator areas surrounding the stage or take a rest on the benches if desired.

 We then climbed up the hill to our ultimate destination.  We used Rick Steve's European tour recordings as we did not have a local guide for this site.  It seemed to be of good quality and can be downloaded for free online.

 Finally we made it up top at the Acropolis.  You'll enter through the propylae, or monumental gateway.

 Up top on the acropolis, you'll have plenty of photo opportunities.  We had a gorgeous sunny day, although it was extremely windy.

 

 

In addition to the Acropolis, the Temple of Athena and other temples are located around the grounds.

You can also get a great view of the surrounding town, as well as a few other ancient landmarks on nearby hills.

 After touring the Acropolis, we then wandered around the Plaka district.  Most of the areas are fairly touristy, although you can find some interesting stores if you can a few blocks away from the main drags.  After getting some souvenirs, we then made our way back to pickup spot.

We had one last night on the ship, then got up early the next morning for the drive to the airport which took a bit over an hour.  Overall, we had a wonderful time and made some wonderful memories.