Day 11 – Tuesday, May 14: Greece Optional Extension: Athens
The day started early (a 4 am departure from the hotel) for everyone but one of us who flew to Athens today. Mike was the only one who caught his earlier morning flight back to the U.S. The flight to Athens went well. When we arrived, the weather in Greece was partly cloudy but pleasant, with highs in the low 70s.
Athens
We arrived at about 9:20 a.m.in Athens where we met Takis, our agent, and our driver (Nikos). We boarded the bus and drove to the area of the city center where we met our wonderful and sweet Greek guide, Aliki.
Acropolis
The Acropolis is the archaeological and ancient cultural highlight of Athens. Following a quick bite to eat at the base of the Acropolis, 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 by 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 “high court” 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! It was incredible to hear this three minute summary of Paul’s defense of his faith here!
City Bus Tour of Athens
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).
“We flew to Athens early this morning for the optional extension to our trip. It’s like going from one culture to another. It was incredible to see the Parthenon up close and to also climb the Rock of Aeropagus (Mars Hill) and read Acts 17 where Paul himself spoke!”
Constitution Square
We checked into our hotel around 3:15 p.m. After a much-needed rest/nap, most in the group met at 5:35 to walk to Constitution Square. We saw the changing of the guards at 6 p.m. We walked back to the hotel for dinner at 6:30 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 15: Delphi, Athens
