Tips and Tricks

The Acropolis

/ Maggie Corkery / 2 Comments

The Acropolis was a citadel high on a hill in ancient Athens, Greece. If you have time for only one activity while visiting Athens, the Acropolis should be at the top of your list.

Tough Climb

First View of the Acropolis (Photo by M. Corkery)

Don’t let the view up at the Acropolis scare you.  It won’t be the easiest flight of stairs you’ve ever taken, but far from the most difficult. Take care when choosing which side you enter from. If you take the entrance nearest the Acropolis metro station, you start from the higher altitude and in general walk on a relatively more gentle slope. You can stop and rest if you feel tired, turn around and enjoy the view.   If you enter from the Monastiraki square side, you enter through the Agora, which culturally is interesting, but is absolutely exhausting, though shorter. I’ve done both climbs and recommend the first climb, first thing in the morning. The crowds will be smaller, and if its summer the heat won’t be too bad.

Acropolis 2

The Parthenon (Photo by P. Corkery)

Once you’ve made the climb to the top of the Acropolis you’ll walk right up to the Parthenon, which was the temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena, for whom Athens was named. Construction began in 447 B.C. It is the enduring symbol of ancient Greece.

The Acropolis

The Acropolis (Photo by P. Corkery)

Acropolis looking up

Last Stairway up to the Acropolis (Photo by P. Corkery)

The Caryatids

The Caryatids (Photo by M. Corkery)

The sculpted female figures holding up the portico in the above picture are called the Caryatids. These five are not the original marble sculptures. They were removed to the Acropolis Museum in the late 1970s for safe keeping. The sixth one was appropriated by Lord Elgin along with many other original marble sculptures between 1801-1805. The British Museum now have them on display. At the time Lord Elgin took them, the Acropolis was in ruin and this was seen as a rescue.

Caryatids in the Acropolis Museum

Original Caryatids in the Acropolis Museum (Photo by P. Corkery)

Greece now has a new museum to house its precious treasures. A new and improved Acropolis Museum opened to the public in 2009. It’s time for the British Museum to return the Elgin Marbles to their true home, Greece. There is an international effort to put pressure on The British Museum to do this. Bring home the Parthenon Marbles.

View of the Acropolis from the Window of the Acropolic Museum

View of the Acropolis from the Window of the Acropolis Museum (Photo by P. Corkery)

I recommended Free Tours of Athens if you’d like to take a walking tour of the city. This is an approximately three-hour tip based walking tour. The English-speaking guides are knowledgable and entertaining.

Watch out for Tourist Scams!

/ Maggie Corkery / Leave a comment

Before I went to Paris a few years ago, I read about a scam that gypsy youths were perpetuating. It involves a gold ring that a young man finds on the ground in front of you. He picks it up and asks if you dropped it. When you reply in the negative he looks inside the ring and points out a mark that proves that it is real gold. The engaging young man offers to sell it to you for a much higher price than he very recently paid for it. Forewarned is forearmed. When a “lost” ring was found at my feet, more than once, I laughed and shook my head no.

While visiting Ephesus in the southern part of Turkey, we stayed in a small town called Selçuk, known for its nesting storks, rugs and the Bascilica of St. John. After dinner our first evening we strolled over to the ruins of the Bascilica. It had closed for the evening, but a “helpful”man standing nearby told us he worked there and would be glad to sneak us in and show us around. I had been told by the owner of the inn to beware of this man. He was known for sneaking people in, getting them lost and then demanding money to show them out. We politely declined. He then showed us some antique coins he’d found and offered to sell them. It’s almost always illegal to take antiquities out of any country, even if they had been antiques.

I have felt safer in any city in Europe than in large cities in America. Violent crime is very rare. Always keep an eye on your money and on those around you, though. Pay attention when money is counted back to you, and try to use as small a bill as you can when paying. Leave your expensive jewelry at home, but also leave your fear behind. Enjoy!