Tag Archives: Greece

Greece

Exploring the Island of Santorini

The town of Thera on the Island of Santorini was very beautiful and interesting. The white washed buildings and stunning views from the cliffs made for great vistas.

View of the town of Thera on Santorini Island

We walked through the narrow streets of the town admiring the different shops and the views.

Ray and Shelley in the town of Thera in Santorini
Pedestrian walkway along the cliff edge of the town of Thera.

The streets were adjacent to beautiful white washed buildings.

Shelley along one of the narrow streets in Thera Santorini

Some of the stores and shops were very impressive with beautiful art and unique items.

White washed buildings along the streets of Thera

We walked along the streets which were either leading upwards or heading downwards toward the Aegean sea. There was very few areas without some form of incline or decline.

We walked up stairs along the cliff edge and eventually came to a restaurant with a perfect spot to enjoy a glass of local wine. We relaxed at our table which provided us with a perfect view of the island.

The views at our table also provided us with a fantastic view of the caldera which was caused by a volcano which is still considered active today.

Satellite image of the Santorini caldera. Photo courtesy of NASA – http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02673

The volcano was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, which occurred about 3,600 years ago.

After enjoying a rest and admiring the views, we headed back down towards the old port of Santorini. Along the way we would stop and just take in the moment admiring the views.

Ray on the Island of Santorini, Greece

We decided to go down the steps which lead to the old port located at the base of the island. Each step was numbers and they were fairly steep.  We took our time and walked carefully and slowly down the  587 steps to the bottom.

Stairs leading down to the old port of Santorini.

Along the way down we came to an area which had lots of donkeys. There were people selling rides down the steps on the back of a donkey for five euros.

Donkeys along the steps leading down to the old port of Santorini.

We continued walking down the steps and about half way down we came across more donkeys. These were just standing on the stairs and were not tied. They just stood there and we had to cross behind or in front of them. It was somewhat apprehensive for some people.

Donkeys standing on steps on the way down to the old port of Santorini.

It was not a pleasant walk down because of all the donkey fecal matter on many of the steps.  Once we reached the bottom we came to a cruise boat offering tours to the volcano. We decided to take the tour and explore the volcano, but that is for another post.

“Κάντε μια υπέροχη μέρα και μείνετε ασφαλείς.”

Greece

Wine tasting in Santorini Greece

We enjoyed a very unique wine tasting while we were on the island of Santorini. We went to a wine restaurant called “K’nttos” in the town of Fira on the Greek island of Santorini.

K’nttos wine restaurant on the island of Santorini Greece.

We entered the restaurant through an outdoor patio area which was quite impressive.

Garden area of the restaurant

We were met for our wine tasting by our sommelier who lead us to a unique entrance into some wine caves.

Ray at the entrance of the wine caves

These caves were over 300 years old and fitted for wine tasting.

View of the cave area with different wines and spirits are stored.

We explored the caves looking at the displays of wines and specialty spirits.

Wine on display in the caves
Cave walls with dug out spots for wine bottles
Different spirits stored in the caves

We sat down at a table in a section of the cave where the tasting would take place.

The sommelier then explained the history of the wine in Greece and in particular on the island of Santorini.

Ray and Shelley with other guest at the wine tasting.
Display with samples of wine and a box with specific aromas associated with wine.

Our sommelier explained the different types of soil on the island and how the soil impacts the overall taste of the wine.

A box with the different soils of the area where wine grapes are grown on the island.

She explained how they coil the grape wines in a unique way to help make the harvest easier.

A photo of the grape vines and how they coiled them into small rings for easier harvest.

The tasting of the different wines and learning about the specific wines of Santorini was very enjoyable and interesting.

“Ζήστε τη ζωή στο έπακρο και έχετε μια υπέροχη μέρα.”

Greece

The Acropolis

We reached the top of the Acropolis after walking up the steep slopes and entered through some large marble pillars.

Entrance pillars at the top of the Acropolis

It was an awe inspiring site with so much rich history. We walked slowly through the pillars in amazement that we were actually there.

Walking through the pillars at the entrance area of the Acropolis

It was a surreal felling as we began to explore the ancient citadel on the rocky outcrop above the city of Athens.  The top of the Acropolis is quite large and the buildings are separated from each other.  The first structure we went to see was the Parthenon, which is the former temple  dedicated to the goddess Athena.

The Parthenon temple located on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

The Parthenon is fairly large and has a height of 13.72 meters (45 Feet) and is very impressive to see. As we approached the Parthenon we could see the details on the pillars and roof beams.

A view of some of the pillars and roof beams of the Parthenon.
View of the details on the beam area of the Parthenon
Shelley at the base of the Parthenon

We walked around the Parthenon which was built in 432 BC and admired the architecture. It is indescribable the awe inspiring feelings we had. It was extraordinary to think that the Parthenon is the most important surviving building of  classical Greece.  After exploring the Parthenon we went to the temple of the Erechtheion.

The temple of the Erechtheion on Acropolis.

The temple of Erchtheion was decidated to both Athena and Poseidon. This structure was smaller but still very impressive.

Ray in front of the temple of Erechtheion on Acropolis

We walked around the temple and could see some of the statues along the porch area on the north side of the building.

Porch of the Caryatids on the north side of the temple of Erchtheionhe.

This porch is called “Porch of the Caryatids”. named after the statues.

View of the six Caryatids on the porch at the temple of Erchtheion

The six Caryatids are not the same their faces, stance, draping, and hair are all slightly different. We walked around the exterior of the Temple of Erchtheion looking at the different sections. On the south side we came to some large pillars and another porch area.

South side of the Erchtheion

The view was breath taking from there. We could see the city of Athens and the mountains.

The view of Athens and mountains from the temple of Erchtheion

After exploring this area, we moved on and explored the rest of the Acropolis.

There were Pillars and other ruins throughout the site. We walked around and tried to imagine how it was when it was build around 500 BC.

A view of some of the ruins on the Acropolis in Athens
Pillars and other remains from 500 BC on the Acropolis.

This was truly one of the highlights so far of our adventures in Europe. The ancient Greece  was the birth place of democracy, was the source of some of the greatest literature, architecture, science and philosophy. It was an amazing thing to be on the Acropolis and see the historic ruins.

Shelley and Ray on the Acropolis in Athens.

“Tahnks και να έχουν μια μεγάλη μέρα”

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.

“μέχρι την επόμενη θέση, φροντίστε”

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.  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 being 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.

“αντίο για τώρα και έχετε μια υπέροχη μέρα”