Athens 2005

In Athens, we spent one day at the National Museum of Archaeology looking at millions of statues, and one day at the Acropolis. It was brutally hot and no beach and no nice breeze.

This is a statue of Poseidon at the museum.

Liz and Poseidon

The statues in the frieze of the Parthenon were removed by Lord Elgin in the 1800's. They are in the British Museum. Greece keeps asking for them back but Britain won't give them back.

The pollution in Athens is eroding the marble of the Parthenon. That is why they are working on it.

A view of the Parthenon from below the Acropolis.

The Parthenon at sunset.

Liz in front of the Parthenon. You can see the scaffolding from where they are repairing it.

The Turks stored ammunition in the Parthenon in the Middle Ages. The Venetians fired a cannonball into it and the ammo exploded, blowing up the Parthenon. It's amazing that people keep trying to destroy something that is 2500 years old and incredibly beautiful.

The other beautiful building on the Acropolis is the Erechthion.

Mary and Liz in front of the Erechthion. The columns in the shape of women are the Caryatids.

A closer view of the Caryatids.

The word "Acropolis" means "The High City". Pericles built the Acropolis in 500 BC as a city of elegant temples.

This is the Theater of Dionysus, on the lower slope of the Acropolis.

This restaurant is right next to the Acropolis. You can watch the light change as the sun sets on the Parthenon.

The Temple of Zeus is not part of the Acropolis, it is down in the city.

Mary and Anselmo laugh over something at the Temple of Zeus. It was at least 97 degrees when this picture was taken, with the sun glaring.