‘Athens’ Archives
River in the Underworld
Our visit to Kerameikos has made us curious about Eridanos, the stream that appears out of nowhere at the Sacred Gate of ancient Athens. In Greek mythology, Eridanos was a river god of Attica – where Athens is located. In other myths, however, it is mentioned as a river of the Underworld – the realm [Read More]
Gates of the City
An electric tram carries us from the Faliro waterfront to Syntagma Square in about forty minutes. It is a short walk from the Syntagma station to the Ministry of Culture office, where we must present our credentials to obtain scholar passes. Since the official paperwork won’t be done for a few days, we walk back [Read More]
Praxiteles and the Gods
When in Athens, our list of places to visit always includes the National Archaeological Museum. It houses the world’s finest collection of Greek antiquities, and occasionally hosts special exhibits of ancient art. While checking in at the Ministry of Culture office at the museum, we learn there is showing of Praxiteles’ works gathered from museums [Read More]
Going to the Acropolis
We decided to go to the Acropolis early today, to avoid the heat and crowds, so we take the Metro subway to the station near the Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the rock. From there we can look up and see the Parthenon on top and the ongoing archaeological work above the theater [Read More]
New Adventure
Air travel can be exhilarating and at times a very tiresome means of transportation. We always hope that an airplane will swiftly deliver us to our destination – no fuss, no bother. Unfortunately, it does not usually work out that way. More often than not air travel difficulties begin on the ground, where human inefficiency [Read More]