Day 11 – Tuesday, May 17: Extension to Greece or Flight Back Home
The day started early (2 am) for those of us who flew to Athens today. Others in the group flew directly back to the U.S. at noon. The weather in Greece was sunny and warm, with highs in the mid 80s.
Flights from Tel Aviv
For those going on the Greece extension, we left the hotel around 3 a.m. for the Ben Gurion Airport. Our 7:15 a.m. flight took us directly to Athens. For those ending the trip, David and Shlomo drove 10 in the group to the airport at 8 a.m. for their noon flight back to the U.S.
Athens
We arrived at about 9:20 a.m.in Athens where we met Thassos, our agent, and our driver (Stephenos). We landed the bus and drove to the area of the Acropolis where we met Aliki, our Greek guide.
Acropolis
The Acropolis is the archaeological and ancient cultural highlight of Athens. We walked slowly up the steps of the Propylaea (gateway/entrance) to the top. Here we saw the Erechtheion. This was a most important temple dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and Erechtos. The Parthenon is the most identifiable structure on top. It was built with 17 pillars on the long side and 8 on the short side (based on the classic ratio). The columns are of the Doric order. It was finished in 10 years (447-438 BC). Another 5-6 years was spent in decoration. In 432 BC it was finally completed. The architects were the best Greece could offer. Phidias was one of the supervisors. 4000 people worked on the Parthenon. It was not built by slaves but rather the best of Greeks. The Athena statue stood inside the temple. It was 40 feet tall. 5000 pieces of marble taken in early 19th century by Englishmen. This collection is now displayed in the British museum.
Rock of Aeropagus/Mars Hill
We met at the bottom of the Acropolis and walked together up to the Rock of Aeropagus (Mars Hill). This is where Paul spoke of his faith to the philosophers of the day. With the Acropolis above us and the agora (marketplace), Stoa, and other temples below us, we could almost hear Paul’s words as he spoke His word in reference to the “Unknown God” of Athens. We read his words shared precisely at this location from Acts 17. Dionysius and Damaris and “a number of others” (v.34) who listened to Paul came to faith in Christ!
“We rose early this morning for our flight to Athens. It was exciting flying into Greece. As we visited the Acropolis, it is incredible to see the Parthenon standing on top and the place where Paul shared about Christ below.”
City Bus Tour of Athens
After enjoying a “gyro” for lunch at the base of the Acropolis, we boarded the bus for a brief city tour of Athens. We saw The Temple of Zeus, the Arch of Hadrian, the Olympic Stadium (restored and used in the 1896 Olympics), and Constitution Square. We also saw impressive neo-classical buildings of the 19th century (e.g. Science & Art, Education, and National Library buildings).
Constitution Square & Botanical Gardens
We checked into our hotel around 3 p.m. After a much-needed rest/nap, most in the group met at 4:30 to walk to Constitution Square. We saw the changing of the guards at 5 p.m. Close by is the Botanical Gardens. Some enjoyed walking through and admiring the trees and plants.
We walked back to the hotel for dinner at 7 p.m. It’s exciting to be here in Greece and we look forward to seeing some of the country tomorrow on our drive north to the classic site of Delphi.
Day 12 – Wednesday, May 18: Delphi, Athens, Lycabetus Hike
