Tired feet

We've been tromping the hills of Athens for 3 days now. My smartphone's stepcounter is delighted with me as it's been logging 8 miles or so a day. Each morning we set out from our wonderful hostess's apartment (Liz found her at Airbnb, an excellent service. If you plan to travel to Athens I highly recommend her. Fotini Balogianni has a beautiful 5th floor apartment with a magnificent view of the Parthenon.) and take a 20 minute walk through quiet streets. Athenians are friendly to strangers and most have at least a smattering of English. A good thing, we get lost with regularity. Not so bad on the way there, not as though you can't find the big pile of marble on the hill in the middle of town, much more interesting coming back.

Fotini and Liz. I managed to cover the entire Parthenon with Liz's head.

When you enter the Acropilis (the entire hilltop that contains the Parthenon and a bunch of other temples) you buy a ticket for a mere 12 Euros that also gets you into 6 other sites, roughly spaced around the Acropolis. We used them all with no cheating. Now I get to inflict the results on you. Liz keeps telling me people would rather see the pictures than read my blather so let's look at pretty pictures.

Once again, the view from our balcony, blown up a bit.

We passed through this tunnel under a highway every morning.
Los Angeles has nothing on Athens for graffiti.

Odeon of Herodotus Atticus. As if Athens didn't have enough theaters,
 as soon as the Romans took over they added a few more.
 

The backside of that theater.

As you enter the Parthenon

Temple of Athena from the Parthenon. Note all those stone blocks.
Restoration is constantly in evidence everywhere.

Two classice views

I'm not sure what to make of this. The only sign was in Greek and all I could make out was 1941.
Apparently when the Nazis took Greece they considered it necessary to add this guard post or something
 and put their own mark on the Acropolis.

Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Another view of the Parthenon with some idea of the constant flow of people.

The Agora Museum. All the columns are reproductions and enclose the
 old market spaces which are the museum rooms.

Did I mention ruined statues? It seems every invader did their best to mess things up.

One of many Byzantine churches.

Legend has it that this is the prison of Socrates.

Outside view of Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Pretty much all that's left of the Dionysus theater.
 In its day it extended all the way up to the wall behind it.



Remember, all this great stonework was carved with fairly crude soft iron chisels.

I simply cannot resist an old motorcycle. This is a '38 BSA.
The proprietor of the shop restored it and is very proud of it.
 Everywhere I go I see beautifully maintained old motorcycles.

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Part of Hadrian's Library.

Hadrian's Library is mostly empty lot. This turtle apparently lives on the grounds.

Back wall of Hadrian's Library. This wall contains Cyclopean blocks, rubble fill,
 brick and some really nice marble in an apparently random patchwork.

In the Kerameikos, ancient graveyard just inside the old city walls.