Our Return to Greece

 

Kevin outside of the Archeological Museum 

Note: Unlike my previous blogs, in which I posted during the trip, this time I am posting after it is over. I had some difficulties, initially because I was too tired to attempt to post, suffering from jet lag, but later I had some trouble charging my laptop, so I decided to wait until I returned home. One advantage of that is I can say we had a wonderful time!

This was our third trip to Greece, our last occurring 30 years ago. But it was more than 40 years since we had visited Athens or Crete, which we explored on our first trip. A lot has changed in that time. It was such a pleasure to be back, and although it was much more expensive, even when comparing our income then and now. But being part of the EU has helped Greece, and I think the Greeks themselves are better off now, so that's for the best.

Since early in my life, I have been fascinated with Greek history and mythology, so on earlier visits we delved deep into the ancient world, exploring many sites related to both classical Greece and with sites mentioned in the Iliad, Odyssey, and the Greek gods of mythology.  Because we have visited the important sites before, this trip was one of more nostalgia and relaxation than sightseeing. And we loved eating authentic Greek food again!

We stayed at what probably is the best budget hotel in Athens (Hotel Phaedra). Although it would not suit a lot of people, because it is fairly basic, it was pristinely clean, had AC and wifi, and an en-suite bathroom (albeit small). But it's right in the Plaka, the touristy but still charming Athens of old, and the staff are all very friendly. It's a bit more budget than we usually go, actually. We typically book mid-range hotels or rent an AirBnb to get more space, but we've had some unexpected expenses this year, and even briefly considered cancelling, but then we decided to go and just be a bit frugal on this trip. Besides in the city, we'd much rather spend our money on other things than lodging. 

Photo 1 from our hotel room

We could see the Acropolis (hill) from our room, although we couldn't see the Parthenon itself. Photo 1 shows the view, but it's not the entire prospect. There was construction going on next door. Photo 2 tells the complete story.

Photo 2 from our room, the complete picture.

The street that runs in front of the hotel is attractive and has few pedestrians, yet around the corner is the bustling activity of the Plaka, with multiple shops selling clothing and souvenirs, along with restaurants and tavernas. It's amazing that the hotel is very quiet, in spite of being so close to throngs of tourists.

This street in front of the hotel is rarely busy.

Tourists crowded into the narrow streets of the Plaka.

Some even tried letting fish nibble their feet. Experts say however,
 that fish pedicures aren't healthy for either humans or the fish.

We stayed in Athens for a few days before going on to Crete and then returned for two nights before we flew home. On the top of our list of sites to revisit were the National Archeological Museum and the Parthenon, so that's where we went first. 

For me, the most extraordinary exhibit at the museum is the one featuring the artifacts that Heinrich Schliemann excavated in 1874-1876  at Mycenae. The artifacts date from late Bronze Age of 1700-1100 BCE. Schliemann's first dig was at Troy in 1871-1873. Before Schliemann, most people dismissed Homer's tale of the Iliad as pure fantasy. Although Schliemann unfortunately destroyed much of the ruins of Troy, his work opened the door to the idea hat there was more to the tale than myth. The discoveries at Mycenae, which we visited in 1984, certainly added credence. (To explore the possibilities of whether the Trojan War actually took place, see the video "In Search of the Trojan War" by Michael Wood, or read his book of the same name, which is fascinating.)

I'm convinced there was a Trojan War. So many of the places named in the book still exist and still resemble what Homer described, his writing no doubt transcribing an oral history passed down through time. That makes the finds of Mycenae especially enticing. (Though I doubt that there was a Helen, or that the war began when she ran away with Paris from Troy.)

Schliemann thought this was the mask of Agamemnon. But it actually
dates back to a much earlier time.

The museum contains far too many artifacts to show them all here,
but they certainly show that Mycenae was a grand and wealthy center.

We felt rewarded to once again see the amazing sculptures in the museum, including the large bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon from about 460 BCE, and the Jockey of Artemision of the Hellenistic period.

I've included my photo of Zeus/Poseidon and Kevin's, where he positioned the figure to appear as though he was screwing in a light bulb. Very funny, Kevin!

And I agree with those who think the boy on the jockey sculpture was from a different sculptor. It just doesn't fit, in my opinion, but it is still remarkable.

Kevin is standing behind the statue.

Another discovery that peaked Kevin's interest were the abstract violin-shaped figurines from the Early Cycladic period (3200-2800 BCE). The small marble figures sparked his curiosity: Were the early violins, developed much later, at all related? 

 

Historians don't think there is a connection, but the Cycladic sculptures were expressly developed to resemble the female form. Some even have breasts and pubic areas shown. The fascination with the female body is long-standing, and it's interesting that in the Victorian era, playing the violin was considered inappropriate for women. The Victorians recognized that the violin resembled a woman's body, and its range is close to that of a soprano, so it needed a male to dominate it. And obviously Man Ray saw the similarity (see the Getty Museum at www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/104E4A). Hmm.

We took a break at the museum in the courtyard, which was attractive itself.

As for me, one of the highlights of the trip was to stand and see the original Minoan frescoes from ancient town of Thera on Santorini. We visited both Athens and Santorini in 1984, but if I remember correctly, we did not see the originals back then, just photos of them. (I could be wrong.) But it was a joy to see those lovely paintings thought to be from 1650-1600 BCE, and because we were there in the late afternoon, we were the only people there at the time.

What a delight to be there alone with these marvelous remnants from so long ago! And what a pleasure to see all of the treasures there again. It was the rewarding start to an exceptional vacation.