Our Introduction to Athens

We were met at the Athens airport by a tour person who gathered us up and put us and our luggage (one checked bag per person) on a bus (Mercedes Benz) and headed into the city (over 3.5 million people in the greater metropolitan Athens area) to the plaka, the old historical neighborhood in the shadow of the Acropolis.

Loading the bus.

Even with all the ancient history, mythology literature studies, New Testament classes and Bible studies, I realize that I never really got all that Greek geography stuff straight, so here’s a short lesson from the trenches. The Acropolis is a large hill that was fortified by putting marble blocks/bricks into the side of the hill, so it looks a bit like a castle wall, but it is simply strengthening the hill itself. On the top of the hill is a leveled area about 186 yards by 382 yards, think 1.5 football fields by 3.75 football fields. On that tableland are the building remains that we had pictured in our history books as kids...the Parthenon being the most famous one.

So we spent our first afternoon in Greece  wandering the neighborhoods below the Acropolis. Old city and new intermingled. Stone streets, little shops of all kinds, and food shops everywhere. We wandered a bit and then stopped for lunch.

The entrance to the plaka.

We’re still getting the names of food straight--not always the same as we call them at home. For example I had kabobs for lunch in Athens, which was NOT meat and veggies on a stick, but a well seasoned ground meat shaped like it had come off of a skewer, but I think they were just cooked in a pan. French fries with everything!!! But not salted. And of course, as in other parts of Europe, the catsup is very tomato tasting and not really like our catsup at all. The pita bread was delicious. Jeshua had  the gyros with pork. And his French fries were inside the pita roll! Our water had the token 2 cubes of ice that seems to be the same all over Europe. But the food was plentiful and very good-the tzetti sause was great!- and the caffeine of our cokes helped us push through the rest of the afternoon.

Sitting at the outdoor cafe.

Kabobs

Pork Gyros

We even got a serenade from a group of street musicians, where the tambourine turns into a tip gathering instrument.

We wandered over to the Acropolis slope entrance (we will spend one afternoon later on the Acropolis itself) and then decided to go to the museum--for it’s likely coolness, a place to sit and relax a bit (the lack of sleep was definitely causing us to drag),  as well as to learn more. There are still uncovered remnants of ancient villages under modern Athens. The museum is build over one that they are excavating, so you are often walking on glass panels on the first floor so you can see the ongoing excavation work. Very cool.

A typical "street/walkway through the old city.

A painting on the back of a building and the added graffiti around it.

The base of the slope up to the Acropolis.

The view from a little distance.

Just think, this was all in the BC ages and they already had the idea for covered running water! See the covered trough in the excavation here which was below the front entrance of the museum.

Looking straight down into the excavation,

An interesting museum, but over and over I felt the sadness for the people’s leaning on mythology as truth. It is also strange to me that in a culture that had very little value for the women who actually lived in it, that the the whole goddess thing was so prevalent. Of course, it was also very vulgar, so maybe there is a connection there. I’m sure I’ll have more to add to this discussion after our day touring the actual site.

Jeshua and I are really wanting to go the Areopagus, also known as Mars’ Hill, which is on a hill right next door to the Acropolis hill and where Paul gave his sermon recorded in Acts 17:16-34. I have always appreciated that sermon and I felt, as I looked at all the sculpted statuary honoring those gods/goddesses, a little more kinship with Paul as Luke records: “...his spirit was provoked (NIV uses the word distressed) within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.” I felt that sense of distress here in Athens and in the same way in Thailand surrounded by Buddhism.

Yet I LOVE how Paul starts his sermon, connecting positively with the folks by affirming their God-given human desire to search for the Creator and meaning for life. Paul starts: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:” Sitting in the shade outside the museum, seeing the Parthenon pillars in the distance, I could just imagine the folks gathering around to hear Paul speak. So amazing to be here!

Pushcarts with nuts of all kinds for sale.

We wandered back through the plaka to the spot where we were to catch our tour bus. I sat on some marble steps (everything is marble here 😎) and Jeshua went off to get some water and see what he could see. It was a great spot to people watch! At one point a woman my age, with a Junior High aged girl, came by and smiled and nodded. I said “hello” and she responded in accented English and stopped to chat. She was from Paris, but every summer takes a grandchild or two on traveling trips to expand their world. We chatted a bit about the joys of grandchildren and then she asked if I knew where I was sitting. “Someplace special?” I asked. Pointing to a sign on the building I had not really looked at or read, I discovered that I was sitting on the steps of the Onassis Foundation--as in Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis!! The foundation is known worldwide for its philanthropy. Katie, the grandma from Paris was keen to know if I remembered President Kennedy’s assassination and my experience of it. It was unexpected to find that moment in time as a connecting point with a woman from Paris traveling in Greece.  

Taking a break.

Katie also encouraged us to visit Corinth (just an hour or two away) which we will be doing when we come back to Athens at the end of our time here. She talked very movingly about being in a spot that had such a strong place in the heart of “Saint Paul.” She asked if I knew who that was and so we had the exchange of hearts as we each shared a bit of our faith. She said she was trying to help her grands learn to wake up and begin each day by thanking God for the new day and the gift of life! In the end, as she was ready to move on, she suggested that we could pray for each other--grandmothers and sisters in Christ. I willingly agreed. I wish I had taken a photo of them.

As the students appeared, Jeshua had them circle round and sing. Emily held out a hat and they collected 8 euros for their efforts!

The bus arrived and we were off to the ferry!