Living the Dream . . .

Fortification walls of the Acropolis.

Yesterday was chock-full of exploratory activities. First and foremost, we trudged our way up to the Athenian Acropolis. Walking up the hill, we passed the remains of shrine after shrine to an eclectic selection of gods and goddesses. On the way up was a shrine to the goddess Aphrodite Pandemos on whom I gave a presentation. She was said to be the version of Aphrodite who was placed in charge of all base kinds of love, as well as, the coming together and coalescing the people of all ranges of backgrounds. Her largest shrines were here in Athens and also in Corinth where we were just a few days ago. As we continued up the slope, we reached the Propylaea, which is an immense monumental gateway to the Acropolis, and the brainchild of the architect, Mnesicles. Though a large and beautiful melding of Ionic and Doric architecture, it is actually an unfinished product due to the threat of the Peloponnesian War. Testaments to this fact are the “lifting bosses” that remain on some of the bricks (little tumor-like excesses of marble on which to attach ropes for lifting purposes that would be smoothed off once the bricks were in place).

What is left of the temple of Aphrodite Pandemos.

Inside the Erechtheion.

Next was THE Parthenon! Professor Hutton pulled some strings and we were able to actually walk IN through it. My favorite part was to see all the classics majors jump up and down in excitement as this was the cumulation of years of studying. So many people's dreams came true in just one day. In addition, we were able to walk through the Erechtheion, which is a Greek temple on the east side of the Acropolis and is dedicated to Athena. It is in remarkably good condition as it was in constant use throughout the ages and was even converted into a church a one point. The same goes for the Parthenon; however, in 1687, when the Parthenon was being used for ammunition storage by the Ottomans, a Venetian shell hit the building, igniting the stored gunpowder and resulting in severe damage to the structure.  An interesting myth surrounds the Erechtheion and involves a contest between Poseidon and Athena. Zeus was having the pair of them compete against each other to give humans the best gift and the winner would have his name attributed to the acropolis and the surrounding city. Poseidon struck the ground and a salt spring burst forth (the "actual" hole of salt spring is in the porch of the Erechthion); Athena, in her wisdom, gave humans the olive tree (this tree is actually behind the building). Obviously, Athena won and the city was coined "Athens."

More of the Parthenon.

In front of the Parthenon.

After an exciting day of visiting the monuments, we went back to the College, had a quick lunch and then met to go to the Acropolis Museum. This museum was quite interesting, containing many unique artifacts. However, much to our chagrin, a rule of the museum was that no photography was permitted. Alas, no pictures for you guys to see.:( I am including a link here though, so you can get some grasp of where we were. Interestingly enough, when the builders broke ground in order to construct the new museum, they stumbled upon a previous settlement. The architect decided to incorporate this new find into the building and used glass for the floors so that visitors can get great views of the ruins below. This rather unique floor runs throughout the entire building. Imagine our surprise when we were just wandering around, happened to look up, and saw right up a woman's skirt. All of us, including our professor were scarred for life. I thought the most fascinating part of the museum were the pieces of the frieze and metopes that were preserved from the Parthenon.

Later, after a quick bite to eat, we trekked over to the theater of Herodes Atticus to see a performance of the opera "The Flying Dutchman."The opera consisted of three acts and was absolutely thrilling. It was very special to see a performance right in the middle of ancient theater, sitting right where someone, perhaps just like me--a bright-eyed bushy-tailed young woman eager to see the show--sat in Ancient Athens.

At the Opera with Lizzie:)

Partial reconstruction on some of the pillars of the Parthenon. Although, the pillar is put together in separate pieces, it is fluted all at the same time so that it matches exactly.

Me IN the Parthenon.

The theater of Dionysius.

 Greek Trivia:

• My mind was blown by this . . . I assumed that all the Greek statues were just the beautiful white marble. It turns out that they are actually pained in full, bold, bright colors, but time and the elements have worn the paint away.
• I saw a very shocking display of rudeness from American tourists. They left their waiter a tip in just a few American dollars. Between the fee for exchange and the actual exchange rate, he would be left with nearly nothing. He made sure to check that we all paid in euros.
• All neighborhoods must have a pharmacy--it is an actual government ordinance.
• Many Greeks emigrate to Australia to start restaurants.
• Today, in the Agora (more to come), THEE Andrew Stewart from the University of California Berkley opened the door for us. 
• At the end of the school year, all the public schools for fourth graders go on a group trip together. One place that they typically go to is the island of Aegina--where hopefully we will be going tomorrow. (There is a twenty-four hour strike for the media tomorrow)