Athens

Once in Athens, we headed straight for the Acropolis.

Main construction on the mount was begun by Pericles in the 5th century.

It was a time he wanted to demonstrate his strength.  He had just defeated the Persians and seedlings of democracy were taking root here.  Pericles wanted something that

would represent the strength of the Athenian Empire.

The most notable building is the great Parthenon.

Like so many other buildings throughout the world, this one has had many uses.

It was first built to the goddess of Athena whom the people considered their patron.

The legend is told that many centuries before Athena became patron, there was actually stiff competition between Athena and Poseidon for the job!  

Who would serve as the patron over the city and the entire Greek empire? 

As a show of power, Poseidon struck his great trident down on the acropolis and a spring of water flowed.  Impressive!  However, when the people went to taste it they had to spit it out.  

It was salty - he was the god of the sea after all.

Athena, on the other hand, touched the ground and an olive tree sprung forth.  

The judging was unanimous - probably all hungry men!

During the Byzantine era, the Parthenon was dedicated to

 the Virgin Mary and served as a Christian church.

When the Ottomans invaded, it was a mosque.

One thing that most agree on, 

it stands as one of the most impressive architectural accomplishments of its time.

Nearby, stands the Erechtheum.

We studied the Caryatid porch or "porch of the maidens."

These pillars are now replicas - the originals are in the Acropolis Museum.  

One original is missing, it was taken by Lord Elgin to decorate one of his Scottish castles.

It is now on display in the British Museum - 

 - which understandably makes Greek historians a little cranky.

The Temple of Hephaestus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus

It is believed to have been destroyed by an earthquake during the medieval period.

Many remaining components were likely used in the construction of other buildings of the time.

 We spent the rest of a beautiful, sunny day wandering around the Plaka tasting a few

treats here and there, trying on a few pairs of greek sandals, and enjoying this

touristy, but charming area of Athens.

Mykonos/Delos - Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis

The Optimist could not wait to reach Mykonos, Greece!

The three of us proposed a light day of beach time and wandering the town.

The Optimist, however, was desperate to go to the nearby island of Delos - despite the heat of a barren island, despite the 3 hour interval between return boats, and despite our teasing

 - there really was no other option!

A quick boat ride away was the island of Delos, birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

This area dates back to the Mycenaean period of 1400 BC.

By 700 BC it had grown to be a famous religious center and a dominant power in the political, cultural, and religious arenas.  It grew to a city of about 30,000 people during the Hellenistic period.  In 88 BC, however, the king of Pontus, Mithridates, leveled much of the city.

The Romans rebuilt it somewhat, but it never returned to its former status.

Teams of archeologists continue their work to this day.

After spending some time touring through much of the lower part of the city ruins, we headed to the museum - also the one piece of shade!  One of the most famous works on Delos is the Terrace of the Lions.  The museum houses some of the originals.  

Replicas have been placed outside in their original locations.  

The lions are shown with their mouths open as if roaring.  They were meant to look fierce to warn visitors that they were guarding the sanctuaries on the island. 

 During the Hellenistic period, the island was considered so sacred that no births or deaths were allowed there.  Such events were unclean.  All burials were across the water at a nearby island.  All women, near to giving birth, were sent there as well.

 The Optimist headed off to get pictures of it all!

Many of the ruins still have the original mosaic floors.  Intricate and beautiful.

The highest point on the island is Mount Kinthos - dedicated to Zeus and Athena.

We headed for the top - first on these ancient stairs....

.... and then making our way on our own.

The view was well worth the hike.

Surrounding us were altars built past and present.

We sat and took in the beautiful views and talked about how often elements of God's truths 

weave their way into almost every culture and religion in some form.

Christians have been building altars for worship and climbing to high places to commune with our Heavenly Father since the beginning of our time here on earth.

“Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 

… and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths” (Isaiah 2:3)

After some wonderful time appreciating our surroundings, we ran to catch the water taxi.

We had one very important job still to do today.

Mailing a postcard of beautiful Mykonos to Sissy, our missionary!

Santorini - Picture Perfect, Except for the Donkeys!

Legend says that Cousteau looked for the lost city of Atlantis on the island of Santorini.

That's the magic of this beautiful island in the Cyclades island chain of Greece.

Crystal clear, bright blue water....so blue it doesn't look real...

... and beautiful crisp, white homes perched high on the cliffs.

When arriving by boat, there are three choices to get to villages above.  

1.  The sensible choice - the cable car.

2.  The questionable choice - walk up the stairs.  

Questionable because you share the lane with choice #3

3.  The ridiculous choice - ride a donkey!

Try as we might, we could not talk the boys out of a donkey ride.

The Optimist and MamaG shared a donkey.  We headed off first.

Our donkey started and stopped at will, despite all encouragement,

unless another donkey tried to pass him, then he attacked!  

Grandma's donkey followed behind well - clearly the star of the class in donkey school.  

NoFear was delayed due to a donkey handler fight that broke out at the base.  

Fortunately, once he got going, his donkey was a speed racer and beat us all to the top.

The people all the way at the bottom mark the beginning of the trail.

Smelly and slow - but a fun memory!

Whatever the route, the trip is certainly worth it because the villages are spectacular!

A fun treat at the end of the day.

Roasted corn with herb butter, salt and pepper, and a greek flag to top it off!  

Perfect!