The last time we were in Athens in 2018, we took an all-day bus tour showing us all of the major sites. Today, we approached Athens in a different way. We walked, and we walked, around the neighborhoods that surround the Acropolis.

For you history buffs, Athens was founded in the 11th century BC, and the Acropolis built in the 5th century BC. Think about that, for a moment. As we wandered around these neighborhoods, there were ruins everywhere. Housing here, Greek ruins there. Street of restaurants here, Greek pillars there. So, it’s really remarkable how much ancient history is amongst this modern living city of 3 million.

As we were walking around, we were able to see the Parthenon and other historic ruins, from afar. During lunch at the Roof Top Garden restaurant, we had a beautiful view while we enjoyed our greek salads, chicken gyros and tzatziki.

We shopped, listened to local musicians, and walked some more. We came across the Athens Hard Rock and stopped in for a local beer. We eventually ended up back where we started and had our supper at God’s Restaurant. We enjoyed grilled feta, grilled mushrooms, olives, a spicy cheese with cherries, pita bread, and a bottle of wine.

We have a new appreciation for Athens.

Next stop tomorrow: Mykonos, Greece