Greece Travelogue 5 / Athens Tourist Spots / Acropolis, Ancient Agora, National Archaeological Museum, Numismatic Museum (Schliemann's House)

We arrived in Athens at the end of our tour!
Athens has so many sights to see that even a week wouldn't be enough! But I only have one day!
In the morning, we'll tour the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.
The afternoon is free time.
From the meeting point, I took the subway and visited the National Archaeological Museum -> Numismatic Museum (Iliou Melathron, Schliemann's House) -> Ancient Agora (Temple of Hephaestus) -> shopping -> Restaurant Karamanlidika.
I walked 30,000 steps at a brisk pace that day!

The reason the temple is so battered is because it was destroyed by repeated occupations and wars.
If not for that, it would surely still maintain its majestic appearance today.
It's such a shame.
War is bad in every sense!
Anyway, to think a structure of this scale existed 2,500 years ago! The civilization was too advanced!
It really is an incredibly well-thought-out building.
For drainage, the floor is curved so that the center is higher.
The stairs are the same.
The columns are tilted slightly toward the center to support the roof.
The spacing between the columns is not uniform so that it looks beautiful.
Could such a design be possible 2,500 years ago!?
Is their brain a computer!?
Just gathering this much white marble and transporting it to the top of the hill is a huge task!?
What kind of person designed this?
So smart! I'm a fan!! I love it!!!
A miracle of human wisdom!! I'm so glad I could go!! Totally satisfied!!!

I'll leave the detailed explanation to Wikipedia, but one thing to be careful about when sightseeing is
"it's slippery underfoot"
There is marble rolling around everywhere. There's nothing to hold onto.
Please wear comfortable shoes with non-slip soles.
Also, there is no shade, so it's impossible in the summer. I heard it stays at 45 degrees in August.
Even in February, it was hot when it reached 15 degrees, and some people were wearing tank tops.
Only water is allowed as a drink. There are no shops on the hill. There are restrooms (which is kind).
The view from the top of the hill is wonderful!

The Acropolis Museum was built because the old museum became too small, but when they tried to build it, ruins appeared from underground!
But there was no other place (ruins appear wherever you dig), so let's just build it on top of the ruins!
So, it's a museum built on top of ruins while allowing visitors to see them through glass.
The floor is mostly glass.
I'm too scared to walk on it.
It's tough for people with a fear of heights. I walked without looking down or thinking about it.

The Acropolis Museum has many highlights, is incredibly large, and has a cafe, so you can spend the whole day there.
The tour disbanded here, and we moved to free time.
I had too many places I wanted to see, so I started moving at a dash!
I went to the Acropolis subway station with a fellow solo traveler.
I had intended not to take the subway if I were alone because I was scared, but since I had a companion, I was able to try it.

Many buildings in Athens were vacant and covered in graffiti, so it looked like security was bad, but I didn't see any bad-looking people at all.
The subway stations were clean, and even just buying a ticket at the machine gave you a receipt; everything was proper, so I was let down.
(1.2 euros for unlimited rides for 90 minutes)
It's scary alone at night, but it's perfectly fine for a woman alone during the day.
After this, I enjoyed being alone until 6:00 PM.

The National Archaeological Museum is so huge that I was so excited I shouted, 'Whoaaaaa!!!'
This is going to be good!!
Just how many treasures are waiting for me!?
Admission is 10 euros!? (approx. 1600 yen) How grateful I am!!

The warrior's remains were covered in gold leaves, and the bronze sword that lost its owner had its blade bent and placed beside the remains.
I can learn that such practices existed 3500 years ago.
Museums are romantic.

The bronze statue above is very famous and is introduced as the Poseidon statue in 'Chikyu no Arukikata' (Globe-Trotter travel guide).
The museum's description says 'Zeus or Poseidon'.
But when I saw it in person, the beauty was so perfect that I felt, 'It has to be Zeus' (Zeus is the supreme god).
A well-proportioned physique, a perfect throwing stance. Every strand of hair and every line of his beard is divine.
You can feel things that photos alone can't convey, so seeing it with your own eyes is important!!

Yes, this is the mansion where Schliemann lived!
Schliemann is the person who excavated the ruins of Troy and the Mask of Agamemnon I mentioned earlier!
He's criticized for his poor excavation methods and for some fabrications, but there's no doubt he poured his money and passion into the ruins!
'I love ruins! Ancient civilizations definitely existed! I want to prove it!!!'
He was a person who worked hard and excavated many ruins.
I can support that!!

At the Numismatic Museum, you can see coins from all times and places.
The design beauty of ancient coins is also wonderful! The materials are also varied!
Admission is 3 euros (approx. 480 yen).
Check the opening hours before you go. At this time, it was until 15:00.
I looked around in a hurry and then headed to the courtyard I was aiming for.

I intended it to be a snack, but the salmon tortilla was so big that I'm full!
Greece has cheaper food and drink prices compared to other countries in the Eurozone.
Athens is a tourist destination, so it's a bit more expensive, but still about the same as Japan.
I took a break while wondering, 'Did Schliemann drink tea here too?'
Surrounded by orange and olive trees, a black cat even came to say hello.
A fulfilling experience.

Now, next is a 20-minute walk to the Ancient Agora!
With Google-sensei, I can go anywhere! Modern civilization is so convenient!!
The Ancient Agora was the center of politics, commerce, and administration for the ancient people, a place where everyone gathered.
It lasted for an incredible 3,000 to 4,000 years!!
That's amazing!! No wonder there are so many ruins!!
The scale is so big you can't even see it all. There is also a museum. You can also visit the Temple of Hephaestus, the best-preserved temple.
And it's only 5 euros!?

It's very large, but there are no vending machines inside, so make sure to bring water.
Once you go outside, the area around the Ancient Agora is full of stylish cafes and restaurants!
If you walk a little further, there are streets lined with souvenir shops and supermarkets.
I met up with some people who were on the tour alone and went to a restaurant.
We went to Karamanlidika tou Fani, which was introduced in 'Chikyu no Arukikata' as a place where 'everything you eat is delicious.'
Greek restaurant portions are enough for 3-4 people, so I couldn't go alone. I was lucky to join them!

I plan to write about the food in a separate section, but I have to say this much.
Greek wine is delicious!!
I want to eat ham and cheese forever!!!
My day in Athens was the best!!! Thank you, Athens!!!