Athens is a must-visit, but for us a don't-need-to-come-back. The high spots were the ancient ruins and a few buzzy neighborhoods, but in general we didn't find it particularly appealing, It didn't help that the weather was hotter than usual and humid, making walking around a sweaty ordeal.
But then there's the Acropolis.
It absolutely lives up to the hype. The day we visited was exceptionally clear, and we enjoyed the sweeping views of the city.
We wisely bought skip the line tickets ahead of time, but still the crowds were intense.
The elegant Temple of Erechtheion is dedicated to several gods, including Athena.
The caryatids supporting the roof are still in excellent shape.
But of course the Parthenon is the main draw. There was major restoration work going on which distracted a bit from the temple, but didn't diminish its magnificence.
We went early to avoid the worst of the heat, but we couldn't avoid it entirely. Luckily, we found a shady little cafe for lunch and a much-needed water break.
After lunch we visited the Agora, the market/public space that saw the birth of Athenian democracy and the genesis of Western civilization.
It was humbling to be walking around in a place where so much of our history began.
As the day grew hotter, we ducked into the National Archeological Museum. It was filled with a wealth of relics; swords, death masks, sculptures in gold, bronze, ceramic, and stone. The workmanship was amazing.
A boy and his goat. A genre I never tire of.
Man and goat as one. The apotheosis of the Western tradition.
The Temple of Hephaestus in the Agora is one of the best preserved in Greece. It was converted into a Greek Orthodox church in the 7th century and continued in that role until the early 1800s, and so saved from the neglect that left so many other ancient edifices in ruins.
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