All posts by chaput@live.com

Greece

The southern slope of the Acropolis

The Acropolis is a major tourist attraction in Athens. It was the fortified citadel and state sanctuary of the ancient city of Athens. It is located on the top of a rocky hill that rises in the heart of Athens.

View of the Acropolis in Athens Greece.

We climbed the southern slopes of the acropolis exploring the ruins and working our way up the 156 meters to the top.

The base of the southern slope of the Acropolis

We walked up the steep slope looking at the different ruins along the way.

Ruins on the southern slope of the Acropolis
path leading up the southern slope of the Acropolis
Ruins on the slope of the Acropolis

As we made our way up the slope we came to the “Odeon of Herodes Atticus” an amphitheater built in 161 AD which could hold 5,000 people.

The sanctuary and theatre of Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the south slope of the acropolis

It was a beautiful amphitheater cut into the southern cliff face of the Acropolis. It was restored in the 1950’s and is still utilized for theatre and shows to this day.

The sanctuary and theatre of Odeon of Herodes Atticus

From the back of the amphitheatre of Odeon of Herodes Atticus you can see the skyline of the city of Athens.

Skyline view from the amphitheatre of Odeon of Herodes Atticus

We continued up the slope and came across another amazing theatre.

Shelley, Vicki and Mark at the base of the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus,

This theatre called the Dionysus Eleuthereus and was considered to be the world’s first theatre. It was built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis. and dedicated to the god of wine and plays, “Dionysus”.

The theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus on the southern slope of the Acropolis

The Dionysus was the first theatre ever built, cut into the southern cliff face of the Acropolis, and supposedly the birthplace of Greek tragedy.

Seats in the theatre of Dionysus

The southern slope of the acropolis had many ruins. We continued walking up the path.

View of the city of Athens from the southern slope of the Acropolis.

We would stop along the way to catch our breath and enjoy the moment and take it all in.

Shelley and Ray on the southern slope of the Acropolis.

The walk up the slope was very enjoyable and we looked forward to seeing the Acropolis at the top.

“Ī¼Ī­Ļ‡ĻĪ¹ Ļ„Ī·Ī½ ĪµĻ€ĻŒĪ¼ĪµĪ½Ī· ĪøĪ­ĻƒĪ·, Ļ†ĻĪæĪ½Ļ„ĪÆĻƒĻ„Īµ”

Greece

Temple of Olympian Zeus

We explored the Temple of Olympian Zeus located in the centre of Athens. The ancient arch of handrian welcomed us towards the Temple of olympian zeus.

The ancient arch of handrian

We reached the Handian arch and admired the historic icon before continuing towards the Olympian Zeus. The arch commonly known in Greek as Hadrian’s Gate, is a monumental gateway which was created in 131 A.D.

Handian arch in central Athens

We walked towards the entrance of the Olympian Zeus and could see some of the pillars in the distance. It was truly a spectacular view to see this historic site.

The Olympian Zeus monument in Athens Greece.

We entered into the colossal temple area and were completely awed by the enormousness of it.

Shelley and Ray at the Olympian Zeus in Athens, Greece.

We walked through the pillars and ruins looking at the site. It was interesting to think of all the history that occurred here. The temple site was started in the 2nd century BC. It took 638 years to complete and included 104 colossal columns.Ā  The Temple was renowned as the largest temple in the ancient world.

Ray in front of the pillar in Olympian Zeus temple in Athen Greece.

We walked through the entire site which was quite large. There were pillars laying on the ground and some that were standing alone.

Olympian Zeus Temple ruins in Athens Greece.

 

Shelley at the base of a 6th century pillar in the Olympian Zeus Temple, Athens Greece.

We came to an area that was beingĀ excavated. They continue to dig and discover archaeological remains.

Archaeological excavation in the Olympian Zeus Temple in Athens Greece.

We finished exploring the Olympian Zeus Temple and started to walk back when we saw an amazing view of the Handrian gate with the Acropolis in the background.

Handrian Gate with the Acropolis in the background.

The experience of walking through the Olympian Zeus Temple was amazing. It will be something we will cherish and remember for years.

“Ī±Ī½Ļ„ĪÆĪæ Ī³Ī¹Ī± Ļ„ĻŽĻĪ± ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ī­Ļ‡ĪµĻ„Īµ Ī¼Ī¹Ī± Ļ…Ļ€Ī­ĻĪæĻ‡Ī· Ī¼Ī­ĻĪ±”

Greece

Mykonos Island

We went to explore some of the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea. We went to the Island of Mykonos which is one of the more popular islands and is located in the Cyclades group of islands.

View of the town of Chora on Mykonos Island

We stayed in the town of Chora which is also referred to as the town of Mykonos. Our hotel was well situated and we had a great view of the city and sea. We enjoyed watching the sun set from the pool area.

The view from our hotel in Mykonos
Pool area at our hotel with views of the sea.
Shelley and Ray with view from the hotel poolside.

We went into the old part of town and explored the narrow white washed streets. The white walls and blue trim on the buildings were very stunning.

Ray in the old part of Mykonos.
Typical street in the old part of town in Mykonos

There were many unique shops, art stores and restaurants. We explored some of the art shops looking at the unique pieces for sale.

Shelley looking at some art pieces

We explored the town walking along many interesting streets. There were small churches and even a fish cleaning station near the shoreline.

Fish cleaning station on the shoreline in Mykonos.
One of the many churches in Mykonos
Typical street with numerous restaurants in Mykonos.

We explored the town enjoying the spectacular sites and sounds. We found a beautiful little restaurant near the shoreline which provided us with a great view. We stopped and took some time to enjoy the moment.

Ray and Shelley at a restaurant in Mykonos

We enjoyed a glass of wine while looking at the iconic landmarks of the 16th century windmills that sit on the hill in Mykonos.

“Ļ†ĻĪæĪ½Ļ„ĪÆĻƒĻ„Īµ ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ī½Ī± Ī­Ļ‡ĪµĻ„Īµ Ī¼Ī¹Ī± ĪŗĪ±Ī»Ī® Ī¼Ī­ĻĪ±”

Greece

What time is Wine O’clock?

We found a great little bar called “Wine O’clock” It is located in the heart of Athens near the Acropolis.

Entrance toWine O’clock in Athens, Greece

The inside of the bar was decorated with wine as the main focus.

Behind the bar area of Wine O’clock
Wine corks made into the outline of Greece.

It was a quaint spot and our server Andreas was very friendly and helpful. We even had a glass of wine and our photo taken with him.

Ray, Shelley, Vicki, Mark, Andreas and Raf in Wine O’clock bar

The owner came out to meet us and took us for a tour of the bar. We went through the main floor looking at the decorations and artwork before heading up the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor had a wooden table set up for larger groups. The table was unique in that it had wine sayings on it.

Second floor of Wine O’clock bar in Athens
Wine sayings on table in Wine O’clock bar

Some of the quotes were quite entertaining and included a quote from the pope.

The Wine O’clock bar was one of the little gems we found while visiting Athens Greece.

“Ī±Ī½Ļ„ĪÆĪæ ĪŗĪ±Ī¹ Ī½Ī± Ī­Ļ‡ĪæĻ…Ī½ Ī¼Ī¹Ī± Ī¼ĪµĪ³Ī¬Ī»Ī· Ī¼Ī­ĻĪ±”

Spain

Fiesta de las Cruces de Mayo

On May 1st we went to see the “fiesta de las Cruces” in the barrio of Santa Cruz. The fiesta is held every year around the end of April and beginning of May. The oldest neighbourhood in is decorated in flower crosses and ornate decorations throughout the narrow streets.

Street in the barrio of Santa Cruz, Alicante

We began walking up the step narrow streets admiring the different decorations of flowers on the houses.

Along the way we came to several flower crosses mounted on the wall.

Crosses mounted on the wall in the barrio of Santa Cruz

Some of the crosses were very detailed and made of different types of flowers.

Shelley in front of a cross made of roses
Cross made of different types of flowers
A cross made with red and white flowers in the barrio of Santa Cruz

Each cross was unique and was detailed with many flowers. We took our time walking through the streets admiring the flowers and quaint streets of Santa Cruz.

One of the many decorated streets of Santa Cruz

We continued walking up the steep streets of Santa Cruz towards the top. We stopped along the way to take a break and enjoy the views.

Shelley and Ray relaxing in the barrio of Santa Cruz

The view of the city and of the Castle of Santa Barbara were beautiful.

A view of the castle of Santa Barbara from one of the streets in Santa Cruz
View of the city of Alicante from the top of the Barrio of Santa Cruz
Shelley and Ray along the 14th century wall of the castle of Santa Barbara in Santa Cruz

We walked through the streets for several hours looking at all the flowers and decorations. We came to the display with the winning cross located on a corner.

Winning flower cross in the Fiesta de las cruces de Mayo 2019

It was an enjoyable way to spend a beautiful sunny day.

“Hasta luego y tengas un buen dia”