One of my favourite walks in Athens is from Makrygianni to Thisio. We take the bus, get off just before Syntagma and start walking. We did so last week, for the first time this summer.
I like this little side street because it always looks so cool and shady under all those Seville orange trees.
We very soon reached the side of the Museum of Acropolis, just by the Metro station.
Lots of cafeterias around here
We turned left at Dionysou Aeropagitou. The queue for the Acropolis was long
snaking around to the entrance
Lots of sellers of souvenirs on this stretch - this one is selling gold laurel wreaths, the kind that Olympic winners wore on their heads in Antiquity. We saw loads of those during our walk - I can't imagine people wanting to wear them, it's so corny, I guess it's the kind of tourist tat that one buys and then forgets about once back home.
A xylophone player
The Acropolis on our right
not sure what this guy was selling
We reached the main entrance of the Acropolis Museum
a better view of the Acropolis from here
One of the few Art Nouveau buildings that are left in Athens
detail
the entrance
This is such a relaxed walk
some beautiful buildings around here
I like this entrance, and its steps
no crowds anymore, which makes the walk so much more pleasant
another gorgeous building
and another
A reference to Documenta 14
an unusual little church
A good view from here of Mouseion Hill and the monument at its peak
The Philopappou Monument is an ancient Greek mausoleum dedicated to Taius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos, a prince of the Kingdom of Commagene.
We have reached the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a stone theatre that was completed in 161 AD and then renovated in 1950. We have been to many performances here, the most memorable being a Mikis Theodorakis concert
This path leads to the second entrance to the Acropolis and I presume this is where all these people are going
We have now reached Apostolou Paulou Avenue
which will take us to Thisio.
The sanctuary of Pan. Excavations inside the underground chamber behind this entrance uncovered a relief chiselled directly on the bedrock depicting Pan, a naked Nymph and a dog. The cult of Pan in caves is well documented in the countryside of Attica during the 5th century BC.
Nice view of Lycabettus Hill from here
The church of St Marina and the Athens Observatory.
At this juncture we left the main road and turned into this side street
as we wanted to visit the Observatory where Adrian Villar Rojas' The Theatre of Disappearance exhibition is staged.
An hour and half later we retraced our steps back to Apostolou Paulou Avenue
turned right at the end of Avenue into Adrianou Street
and went to Kuzina for a delicious lunch.
