To them it was the embodiment of the order found in nature. The four major monuments — the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Propylaea, and Temple of Athena Nike — were built as a coherent ensemble (c. 450–400 BC). Penny: Zeus wanted to know where the center of the world was. Rick Steves Cruising The Mediterranean - episode: 372400 In RICK STEVES CRUISING THE MEDITERRANEAN, Rick sails from Barcelona to Athens, with exciting stops along the way in the French Riviera, Rome, Naples and more. From $7.99 to buy season. Ancient Agora from Rick Steves Athens Audio Tours on Podchaser, aired Monday, 18th January 2016. Yeah, these were competitions concerning music, poetry, sport events as well. The thriving capital of Greece sprawls out from the foot of its magnificent Acropolis. While less balanced and composed, it was a more individualistic age — with more exuberant and emotional art. Ancient Delphi, perched high on the slopes of Mt. The path is flanked by the remains of Delphi's famous treasuries — monuments erected by city-states in gratitude for the oracle's advice. We'll enjoy the magnificence of ancient Athens — marvel at the wonders of the Acropolis, savor some tasty Greek street food, and check out the premier collection of ancient Greek art. They came here to the big city looking for work. (2008). ", Title: The thriving capital of Greece sprawls out from the foot of its magnificent Acropolis. In the next order, Ionic, the capitals are decorated with understated scrolls. In fact, Socrates spent much of his life right here preaching the virtues of "nothing in excess," and urging those around him to "know thyself.". During those pan-Hellenic (or "all-Greek") festivals, Delphi filled its theater, which seated 5,000. Arrive early or late to avoid the crowds and midday heat. Strolling in the footsteps of Socrates is your best opportunity to commune with the epic Greek past. We'll tour the must-sees of ancient Athens, including the Parthenon, Agora, and amazing National Archaeological Museum. Use the HTML below. And recently, the city has curbed pollution, cleaned up and pedestrianized the streets, spiffed up the museums, and invested in one of Europe's better public transit systems. Just a few years ago, this street was a car-clogged mess. Weave through narrow paths lined with flowers, and dotted with cats dozing in the sunshine. They claim the soldiers' outfits have 400 pleats — one for each miserable year of Turkish occupation (and don't you forget it). ... Athens and Side Trips. If you have stayed someplace that you would recommend, I would love to hear it. I would like to get off the plane go through passport control, then to the Alpha Bank at the airport (3) and then find a bathroom. This stately square was part of a grand project designed to turn the town a suitable capital for the new nation. Its main town, also called Hydra, is home to about 90 percent of the island's 3,000 residents. Penny: Exactly. This, rather than the Parthenon, was the culmination of the Panatheniac Procession. Sipping a drink here puts you right in the middle of a lively Greek scene. It was built in the 19th century by people from the tiny Cycladic island of Anafi. The evolution of Greek art from stiff to realistic to emotional would be echoed by Europe 2,000 years later: from stiff Gothic to realistic Renaissance, to emotional Baroque. Late in the day, as the sun goes down, the white Parthenon stone gleams a creamy golden brown, and what had been a tourist war zone is suddenly peaceful. Green shrimp with a lemon sauce, calamari with a garlic sauce, spanakopita—spinach pie. And then beets. There's an easy blend of work-a-day commerce, fancy yachts, and lazy tourists on island time. Rick: Spinach pie. I'm Rick Steves. At the end of the walk, prime Acropolis-view real estate is dedicated to the fine art of café sitting. A delightful way to cap the day is to follow the coastal path to the village of Kaminia. The thriving capital of Greece sprawls out from the foot of its magnificent Acropolis. The Golden Mean and everything. It's fast but less scenic, as the passengers are stuck inside. Little survives from the classical agora. Allow an hou… Paperback $21.05 $ 21. Once again, we see that classic Greek balance between stillness and motion. With my favorite irresistible dinner views on Hydra, this scenic spot lets you watch the sun dip gently into the Saronic Gulf, with Kaminia's adorable port in the foreground. Penny: Correct. Leonidas: Yeah the shrimps, green shrimps with the oil and lemon sauce. He advises us on car and taxi travel. Rick: So people from all over the Greek-speaking world came here. At a time when Rome was just a village, it was here that the foundations of our Western civilization were laid. Here is their contact info: Katerina Tsitsipi Aristotelis Makris Nea Erythrea, Athens – Greece tel./fax: +0030 210-8077073 cell: +0030 6988 607866 e-mail: info@livinlovin.gr A two-hour drive northwest of Athens takes us to Delphi, one of the most important sights in the ancient world. Shady trees make it a breezy and restful spot. From Piraeus boats depart for points throughout the Aegean Sea. With so little of the Agora still standing, this reconstruction makes it easier to imagine the sight in its original glory. In this oasis of tranquility, nestled beneath the walls of the Acropolis, the intensity of Athens seems miles away. The Parthenon was perhaps the finest temple in the ancient world. These mountain fighters battled ferociously in Greece's early 19th-century War of Independence. They arranged my transportation, and tours not only in Athens, but Aegina, Delphi, The Peloponnese region, and Sounion. Statues looked more lifelike. You can also watch Greek sculpture evolve, from prehistoric Barbie dolls, to stiff Egyptian-style, to the David-like balance of the Golden Age, to wet T-shirt, buckin'-bronco Hellenistic, and finally, to the influence of the Romans. So she was in trance. At the foot of the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora (or "marketplace") sprawls out from its surviving temple. After a 90-minute ride, Athens is a world away, and we pull into the isle of Hydra. In both life and art, everything was to be in balance. Athens and Side Trips. Subjugation by the Macedonians under Phillip II and his son Alexander the Great ushered in what's known as the Hellenistic period. Or $0.00 with a Prime membership. Add the first question. They'd pass through this imposing entryway and up to the religious heart of the city and the Parthenon. One of the island's greatest attractions is its total absence of cars and motorbikes. The must-sees of ancient Athens: the Parthenon, Agora, and National Archaeological Museum. I am trying to get my barrings of the Athens Airport. Agora means "gathering place," but you could call this space by any of the names we typically give to the busiest part of a city — downtown, main square, forum, piazza, marketplace, commons, and so on. Hydra was a Greek naval power famous for its shipbuilders. These flamboyant soldiers, with their distinctive strut, change at the top of each hour. Two hundred years ago, Athens was just a small town surrounded by big ruins, sitting on lots of history. And apart from coming here to consult the oracle, the other reason was also because, like in Olympia they had the Olympic Games, here in Delphi we had the Pythian Games. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. Once again, when it was first pedestrianized merchants were upset. Unlike most ancient sites, which have layer upon layer of ruins from different periods, the Acropolis we see today was started and finished within two generations — a snapshot of the Golden Age set in stone. For some 800 years, starting in the sixth century BC, this was the hub of commercial, political, and social life. The two main attractions — the archaeological site (officially called the "Sanctuary of Apollo") and the Archaeological Museum — are about a half-mile east of the modern town of Delphi. He advises us on car and taxi travel. The harbor, with twin forts and plenty of cannon, housed and protected the fleet of 130 ships as the Greeks battled the Turks in their early 19th-century War of Independence. So we've got the theater, we've got the stadium…. The Plaka district provides tourists with a more intimate Athens: no chaotic traffic, lots of colorful restaurants, and the best souvenir shopping in all of Greece. Today tourists zigzag up the ancient Sacred Way to the Temple of Apollo. I'm glad I'm packing light as I hike up to my hotel. Some of those first government buildings — built in the prevailing Neoclassical style — still survive today. Then we'll poke around the Plaka before escaping the big city to consult an ancient oracle and relax on a classic Greek isle. You'll see the rise and fall of Greece's various civilizations: the Minoans, the Mycenaeans, those of Archaic Greece, the Classical Age, and Alexander the Great, and the Romans who came from the west. ..helps prepare you to better appreciate the actual he-her-historic sites…. If it's hot or raining, do the museum first to hedge your bets for better conditions for the site. 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