Among the high points in Athens was watching the changing of the Evzone Guards at the Parliament building in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier. It is a special honor to be an Evzone guard. They wear a red cap with a light brown uniform and a knee length pleated skirt which is fashioned after the protective covering worn by Ancient Greek warriors. On top of their long dark red shoes is a round black pom pom which is particularly visible when they lift their legs high in the air while marching. For special occasions such as holidays or the commemoration of the War of Independence from the Ottoman Turks, the uniform worn by the guards is white. The white skirt has 400 pleats to remember the number of years the Greeks lived under the military occupation of the Ottoman Turks that ended in 1829. Anonther high point in Athens was our climb up to the Acropolis in the center of Athens. I was surprised to see extensive reconstructions taking place, What was once left in ruins by wars and looting is gradually being reconstructed by replacing missing pieces with marble taken from the same quarry as the original. The reconstruction of the Propylea, the Erechteon, and the Parthenon is underway, and the relatively small Temple of Athena Nike, next to the walkway leading up to the Propylea is already complete. Following our visit to the Acropolis we took a leisurely stroll through the Agora, the heart of ancient Athens, and the focus of commercial, political and cultural center. After leaving the Agora, we had lunch in the Pláka at the foot of the Acropolis. The Pláka is the oldest part Athens. Today it is a vibrant tourist attraction with countless restaurants and endless shopping. It was a beautiful, sunny and hot day in Athens. Despite the heat, we decided to walk up the steep hill to our hotel, and enjoy the last few moments together before packing our bags to come home.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 16:18:21 +0000
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