The Acropolis

Location: Athens, Greece
Address:  Athens 105, 58
Date:  July 2000
Website:  odysseus.culture.gr

  The Acropolis sits on a flat rock overlooking the city of Athens.  Acropolis means highest point and there has been some form of monument or structure up on the hill since at least 600 BC.  It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since it is a great architectural achievement and a place filled with history.  Thousands of tourists brave the heat of the mid-day sun to climb up the hill and explore the site.

  In 447 BC the Athenian Empire started construction of the Parthenon.  It is the most visible structure standing today.

  The temple was attacked in 1687 by the Venetians and the structure was heavily damaged.  Restoration attempts continue to this day.  When you visit the site you will see scaffolding and equipment as workers painstakingly restore the Parthenon to its former glory. 

  We toured the site and could see how many of the columns had been put back together.  This one column above appeared to not quite be a perfect fit.

  As the repair continues, new marble is used to match the existing pieces.  You can see in the photo above how the new white marble stands out.  Someone will have to match the new stone to the old stone by hand.

     The Parthenon is an impressive site as its columns stand tall reaching up towards the sky.

  On the north side of the Acropolis stands the Erechtheion.  It contains several caryatids which are female figures used as the columns which hold up the building.

  On one side of the Acropolis sits the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.  This is an open air theatre that was built in 161 AD.  In the 1950s it was restored and in 1957 the famous Greek opera singer Maria Callas peformed there.  Since then many performers have taken the opportunity to play this unique stage. Sting, Foo Fighters, Placido Domingo, Frank Sinatra, Florence & The Machine and Elton John are just a few of these performers.

  Standing up at the Acropolis you can see Athens sprawling out around you.

    From the Acropolis you can also see Lycabettus Hill.  Lycabettus Hill is actually the highest point in Athens.

  After a day spent soaking in history up on the Acropolis you should enjoy a drink and a nice meal in one of the endless restaurants located back down in the city below.  Sit back and relax and let the sun set.  Next, the Acropolis will wow you once more as the Parthenon is lit up against the night sky.

---

Map of Our World
Acropolis Of Athens

---

Post # 288

Mavrovouni

Location: Mavrovouni, Greece
Address: Mavrovouni 232 00
Date: Aug 2015

   Mavrovouni is a small Greek village located in the South Pelopponese.  The name Mavrovouni means Black Mountain.  The village sits on the top of the mountain above. 

  A short distance from Mavrovouni is the larger fishing town of Gytheio.  You can see the homes of Gytheio and Cranae Island as you look across the water.

  As you work your way to the top of the mountain you go past the homes with their terracotta rooftops and white painted walls.  We made this climb several times in the heat of the mid-day sun.

  At the very top of the village stands the church The Three Holy Hierarchs.

  On land next to the church sits Goulades Castle.  This castle was built in the late 1700s.

  The view from the hills spreads out revealing the beautiful scenery.

 

    As the sun begins to set, you get an even more spectacular view as you look towards the Mediterranen Sea.

  The sun sets behind the rows of olive trees.  The sky, sea and land come together as one to reveal shades of blue, orange, pink and yellow.  A typical end to another day in a small village beside the sea.

---

Map of Our World

Mavrovouni
The Three Holy Hierarchs , Goulades Castle , Ahmotiko Cemetery

---

Post # 284

Mavrovouni Dining

Location: Mavrovouni, Greece
Address: Mavrovouni 232 00
Date: Aug 2015

  There is no shortage of restaurants in Greece.  To get yourself a good meal you can usually just walk into any one you please.  This blog is about some of the restaurants in the area of a small village called Mavrovouni.  It is also not so much about the food, but the dining experiences.

  The beach area is a popular tourist destination.  Everyone wants to enjoy a meal while watching the waves of the Mediteranean Sea.  Hotels and restaurants line the road that runs the length of the beach.

  One place that we chose to eat was Ammos Restaurant.  Its blue chairs and checkered tablecloths sit in the shade of the covered patio.  Aside from good food, it has another feature that is very common in Greece.  Cats.

  As soon as we sat down, we knew that we were being watched.  A scan around revealed that feline eyes were spying on us from behind planters or from the bushes.  They were watching in hopes that some scraps would fall to the floor.  Once in a while they would walk past in hopes that they might entice you to drop something for them to eat.

  A small kitten came up to us and tried to use its cuteness to score some scraps.  While we did admit that it was cute we still did not part with our meals.  The kitten became more and more aggressive and less cute.

  We managed to finish our meals with minimal feline interference.  The small kitten was not pleased.

  The next morning we enjoyed some crepes at STILVI cafe.  It is near the main road away from the beach.  The crepes were delicious and the collection of coloured chairs on their patio were delightful.  It looked just like a postcard.  There were no cats in sight.

  We traveled further down the beach that evening.  The mountains were different shades of blue across the water.

  We walked until we decided upon a restaurant.  We went inside.   Little did we expect that we would  have an unusual dining companion this evening.  We had to do a double take as at the table next to us was a chicken.  It sat there quietly during our meal and only stood up once or twice to look around.  We did not see it eat anything while it was there, but whatever it did eat would have been the chicken dinner.
 Always an interesting dining experience in a small village by the sea.

---

Map of Our World
Ammos , STILVI cafe

---

Post # 197

Western Rock Nuthatch

Location: Delphi, Greece
Address:  Τ.Κ. 33054, Delphi
Date: Aug 2015
Website:  odysseus.culture.gr

  When we visited the sacred site of Delphi, Greece we noticed more than just ancient ruins.  Some little birds hopping amongst the rocks grabbed our attention.  These are the aptly named Western Rock Nuthatch and are found in rocky, mountainous areas throughout Greece.

  Their colouring often makes them difficult to see against the rock, but the fact that they are constantly on the move and constantly chirping makes it easier to spot them.  We took the video below of nuthatches singing while we tried to keep the camera on them as they bobbed about.

    The rock nuthatch prefers being on the ground and spends its day looking for insects.  They build their nests in the crevices of the rocks and the nests are made mostly out of mud.  While our tour guide explained the history and significance of ancient Delphi, we found ourselves distracted by our small, feathered friends.  That is okay as the history will always be there for us to read about later, but we were enjoying the sights and sounds of the moment.

---

Map of Our World
Western Rock Nuthatch

---

Post # 113

Dimitrios Mitropanos

Location: Athens, Greece
Address: First Cemetery of Athens, Logginou
Date: Aug 2015

  Dimitrios Mitropanos was one of the most highly regarded Greek musicians of all time.  On April 17, 2012 he passed away leaving millions of fans saddened.  At least his music will live on and bring them comfort.  Some of his most popular songs are Ta Lathathika, S'Anazito and Panta Gelastoi.  When we were in Athens we decided to pay our respects. At the front gates of the First Cemetery of Athens was a woman selling flowers, candles and other religious articles.  Her stall was surrounded by the ever present pigeons and at least one sleeping street dog.  We purchased some white roses that we planned to leave at the grave of Mitropanos.  We knew that he was buried somewhere in the cemetery, but despite trying to do some research beforehand we did not know exactly where.

  After entering through the front gates of the cemetery we came across the Church of St.Theodori.  We had seen video clips of Dimitrios Mitropanos' casket being carried through the crowds and into this church.  Now we just had to find his final resting place.  We knew that he was in an area of the cemetery along with other artists and musicians.  We walked up and down the rows of graves in hopes of spotting his name on one of them.  After some time we decided to ask for help and consulted with a guard at the western gates.  He sent us towards an area on the other side that we had not checked.  Again we walked up and down the rows with no luck.  The cicadas buzzed in the trees that sheltered us from the midday Athens sun.  We were prepared for the heat, but we feared the flowers may not reach their intended destination.  As we headed back towards the front gates, a groundskeeper approached us.  He had no doubt been observing this couple wandering from row to row with flowers in hand.  We asked if he knew where Mitropanos was buried and he said "Of course".  We followed him as he wound his way through the cemetery until we reached a section far in the back corner.  We realized that we never would have found this place without his help. 

   We thanked the groundskeeper and then placed our roses at the foot of Mitropanos' grave.  We stood in silence for a moment and then turned to be on our way.  We took one last look as a dove flew down and landed on the cross of the grave next to Mitropanos.  As Dimitrios sings in his song Akou, "Listen, I'm still living".

---

Map of Our World
First National Cemetery of Athens (Dimitrios Mitropanos) , Ekklisia Agii Theodori Malamou

---

Post # 107

Mykonos Windmills (Bourne Identity)

Location: Mykonos, Greece
Address: Mykonos Windmills
Date: June 2000
Website:  caprice.gr

  During our visit to the Greek island of Mykonos we stopped by their famous windmills.  These windmills were originally created to use wind power to grind wheat.  Today they stand as one of the most recognizable features of the island.  We recently discovered that the picture above is the only one we have that includes any part of these windmills.  You can just see one of the blades and rope from the windmill that we were standing beneath. This is back in the days before we owned a digital camera so we are still going through old shoe boxes and albums in the hopes that something may turn up.
  What we did capture perfectly is the scooter rental store from the end of The Bourne Identity.  In reality it is a restaurant called Sea Satin Market.  We know that the movie was still filming in 2001, so we expect that we beat Bourne to the island by about a year.  This restaurant is where Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is finally reunited with Marie (Franka Potente).  Franka Potente is best known for her role in the wonderful film, Run Lola Run, where the story unfolds in 3 possible outcomes.  In The Bourne Identity, Marie rents a couple of scooters out front and then turns and heads inside.  She starts to tidy up the store when Jason suddenly appears in the doorway.  As the couple embraces the camera flys out away from the building and Extreme Ways by Moby starts to play.  We finally get a glimpse of those Mykonos windmills and then the credits begin to roll.
  Do you think there are more pictures somewhere in that other box ?  

Oh baby.  Oh baby.  Then it fell apart. It fell apart.

 

---

Map of Our World
Sea Satin Market
Mykonos Windmills

---

Post # 52