personal experience travel – Page 9

June 7, 2020

Around Edinburgh Part 1

There are several Hop On Hop Off bus tours around Edinburgh offered online through Viator. I booked one of them that was going to the places I wanted to go (I actually think it was the same one I had done several years earlier with my mom). They all depart from the Waverly Bridge near the Scott Memorial. I planned to spend the day hopping on and off to explore different locations along the way, so I was at the starting location at 9:00am.

I was met by a woman who was checking our online receipts and giving us the appropriate tickets for the tour we had selected. When she saw my receipt, she suggested another tour that had a live commentator instead of a recording. There was no further exchange of money needed. She just printed out a new receipt for me, gave me the ticket and route map, and I was all set. I thought that was great. A live commentator is definitely better than a recording. Not only can you ask them questions, but they tend to add a certain amount of humor as well as extra information to their commentary.

The route was different from the other tour, but went to all of the same locations. I hopped on the bus and went upstairs to the open air seating. The first place I hopped off was near the Scottish Parliament building to visit Holyrood Palace. Although I tend to visit this palace (which is the Queen’s official residence when in Edinburgh) most times I am in Edinburgh, this time I didn’t have any time limits. I could take as long as I wanted.

I know that palace almost as well as I know my own house. There is a portion of it that dates back to Mary Queen of Scots — basically one tower with her suite of rooms, her husband’s rooms, and the turnpike staircase that linked them.

The rest of the State Rooms were created when Charles II refurbished the palace after Cromwell’s troops had burned down part of it and abused most of the rest of it. So, for most of Holyrood, you feel you are in the late 1600s and then step into the late 1500s when entering Mary’s rooms. The original palace had been built by David I of Scotland in the 1100s. But most of that was gone.

I have my certain favorite rooms. Mary’s rooms of course. Then the Throne Room with the portraits of the Stuart kings, the King’s Bedchamber with the huge red curtained bed, and the Gallery with what are supposed to be portraits of every Scottish king. I get a kick of the portraits because they mostly look alike and tend to have fairly prominent noses, like Charles II had. Should you visit and burst into laughter when you see the portraits, you can always blame it on me.

Because of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, they had an exhibit of the Queen’s gowns and suits plus a tartan gown that had belonged to Queen Victoria. If I hadn’t already known that Victoria had been tiny, the gown might have been a surprise. She was super tiny at only 5’0”. She was also petite with a very small waist at the time she wore that gown, which was 1835 to 1837 (she became queen in 1837 at the age of eighteen).

In Mary Queen of Scots’ bedroom, there was a place where I could actually sit down. I sat for a while looking all around the room. It was pretty much empty at the time and I could really take it all in. I explored the side room that was used as a dining room for very intimate groups (it’s a tiny room). This was the room from which her secretary, David Rizzio, was dragged and then stabbed to death in front of a very pregnant Mary by her husband, Lord Darnley, and his pals.

After that, Mary fled to Edinburgh Castle to give birth to her son, James, who became James VI of Scotland and succeeded Elizabeth I as James I of England. James was taken to Stirling Castle after his birth to be raised Protestant (his mother was Catholic). This was just the start of Mary’s troubles.

Darnley ended up getting murdered a few months after James was born. Lord Bothwell kidnapped Mary and took her to Dunbar Castle. For some reason, Bothwell and Mary got married. Then Mary ended up being imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle, where she miscarried twins. She was then forced to abdicate the throne of Scotland in favor of her one-year-old son.

She escaped from Loch Leven, raised an army, was defeated, and taken to Carlisle Castle. She spent the rest of her life imprisoned in various locations, involved in various plots (both to regain her own throne and to take Elizabeth’s) until she finally stood trial for one of the plots to take the throne of England. She was found guilty and eventually executed. She was buried at Westminster Abbey by her son, James, (who had her moved from Peterborough Cathedral) on one side of the Henry VII Chapel while her cousin, Elizabeth I, is buried on the other side of that same chapel.

I find the whole Mary Queen of Scots story to be quite fascinating. But she didn’t seem to be the brightest bulb in the fixture. So many of her life choices were doomed to failure.

Since I had all of the time that I wanted to see what I wanted, after spending time in the palace and then in the ruins of the abbey next door (also built by David I), I took a garden path from the abbey through the grounds. I had never had the time to do that before.

It was a lovely walk in a beautiful garden which circled around to the rear of the abbey where the foundations of the rest of the abbey had been recently discovered. It was once about double its current size. I could also see the back side of the palace, which consisted of the private royal quarters. I could see the private stairs to the royal apartments. There was also a parade ground back there.

Coming around to the other side of the palace provided a really great view of Arthur’s Seat. This is another extinct volcano. There are the remains of an Iron Age hill fort at the top and some miniature coffins containing wooden figures were found in a cave. Nobody is really sure where it got its name. Some association to King Arthur perhaps? There was a prince of Dalriada (prior to Scotland becoming Scotland) back in the 500s named Arthur.

As I was heading out of the palace grounds to have lunch at the palace café, I was offered some champagne and a cupcake by palace staff in honor of the Queen’s 90^th birthday. I had my dessert first and then some lunch.

Between the Palace and the place where I needed to catch the hop on hop off bus was a place called White Horse Close. This is a little group of buildings off of the Royal Mile through what looks like an alley. I found out a long time ago that things that look like alleys are often very old streets and have some great places hidden in them. White Horse Close dates to the 17^th century and used to be a little residential area behind the White Horse Inn. The lovely buildings in the Close were turned into housing for the working class in 1889 when the neighborhood was somewhat run down. Currently these buildings would cost a very pretty penny to live in.

I stayed on the tour bus for several stops until reaching Edinburgh Castle. A relatively new Radisson Blu hotel on the Royal Mile was built to resemble a row of medieval townhouses. I love that. It fits in with the existing architecture.

The National Museum of Scotland consists of a modern building and a Victorian building, combining a museum with collections of Scottish antiquities and another focusing on natural history and science. These museums are right by Greyfriars Bobby, the pub made famous by the little dog who stayed by his human’s grave for years after his owner’s death. The entrance to the cemetery is next to the pub. Mom and I visited both Bobby’s and his owner’s graves during a previous visit.

Next time – Around Edinburgh Part 2

May 31, 2020

Rosslyn Chapel, Melrose Abbey, and Part of Hadrian’s Wall

In addition to Rabbie’s, the other small group tour company out of Edinburgh that I really liked was the Heart of Scotland. They left from the same location as Rabbie’s and had a day trip to Rosslyn Chapel, Melrose Abbey and the portion of Hadrian’s Wall known as Housesteads Fort. So I hopped on the tour coach with about 10 other people this time and we headed for the village of Roslin.

I don’t know why the spelling of the chapel name is different from the spelling of the village name. The castle is also spelled like the village even though it belongs to the same family as the chapel. That family is named Sinclair or St Clare. St Clare was the original name of the Norman French family. They arrived in Scotland in the 11^th century, building a castle at Roslin in the early 14^th century. They got around, having spent quite a bit of time up in Caithness in northern Scotland and on Orkney – a group of islands north of mainland Scotland. I saw loads of Sinclair castles up in Caithness on a previous trip.

The castle at Roslin was heavily damaged during the Rough Wooing Wars between Scotland and England during the time of Henry VIII. The East Range of the castle was rebuilt in the 16^th century and has been steadily inhabited ever since. It only looks like a house from up above, but it is located on sheer cliffs above the River Esk and has three more levels under the two that can be readily seen. These lower levels were built directly into the rock upon which the castle sits.

My previous visit to Rosslyn Chapel was during a very heavy rainstorm. So the small group of us that went there on the city bus from Edinburgh didn’t go down the rather steep dirt trail from the chapel to the castle. It was pretty much a rushing stream of water instead of a path. I was really glad to be back at the chapel so I could see the castle.

Another reason I was happy to be back was that the chapel had been completely encased in scaffolding at the time of the 2009 visit. For the 2016 visit, the repairs had been made, the scaffolding was off, and the entire building could be seen. It was nearly as exquisite outside as inside. They don’t allow photos inside. They sell them in the gift shop. I had hoped that they would allow interior photography this time, but they didn’t.

What wasn’t the least bit disappointing was the talk given inside by a very knowledgeable guide with a great sense of humor. The building is not all that large, so a fairly central seat enables the listener to gaze around in awe and see everything the guide talks about. After they are done, there is plenty of time to walk around and take a closer look. You know where everything is after listening to the guide.

After closer looks at many items upstairs and down, I ended up near the guide and we had a very interesting conversation about the town, the castle, the chapel, and The DaVinci Code film. She had been there during the filming and had several anecdotes.

The tour set off for the town of Melrose closer to the border with England. We had a good amount of free time to have lunch and explore both the town and the abbey. I had lunch at a sandwich shop connected to a chocolate shop that made its own chocolate. Needless to say I bought some of their chocolate both for myself and for small gifts for various people back home. Scottish chocolate is quite good. It also goes well with Scotch Whiskey.

Between the sandwich shop and the abbey was Priorwood Garden. I had some time before the abbey was open to tourists, so I explored the garden. It was a very lovely, large garden and I wandered around it for a while.

Then I headed over to Melrose Abbey. The abbey had been founded in 1136 by King David I of Scotland. King Richard II of England had the abbey burned in the 14^th century. Then it was badly damaged by King Henry VIII of England during the Rough Wooing. But what remains is still very impressive and quite large.

Back when the movie Braveheart was made, it was full of historical inaccuracies. I could write an entire post on just that. But the one in particular that pertains to this trip is that William Wallace was never nicknamed ‘Braveheart’. That was Robert the Bruce, who became king of Scotland (he also didn’t betray Wallace; that was John de Menteith).

After death, Robert the Bruce was mostly buried at Dunfermline. But his heart was removed, placed in a silver casket, and taken on a crusade in Spain by his friend Sir James Douglas. Sir James and most of the rest of the contingency were killed. The silver casket was brought back to Scotland along with the Scots and the casket with the actual Braveheart’s heart was buried at Melrose Abbey. I took a photo of the heart’s location, which I have included here.

From Melrose, we headed down to the border and crossed into England on our way to the portion of Hadrian’s Wall called Housesteads Fort. This was a Roman fort along the wall and up a steep hill.

I have always enjoyed the idea of the wall. In 122 AD, the Romans, after managing to conquer much of England, headed north, encountered the Picts (Scotland as such didn’t exist yet; the people known as the Scots didn’t arrive in the area until a few hundred years later), decided that they just didn’t want to deal with them at all and built a wall to contain them instead. The official reason for the wall was to “separate the Romans from the barbarians.”

For the most part, the wall was about 10 feet wide and 16 to 20 feet in height. Despite hundreds of years of people taking stones from the wall to build their own walls or other buildings (such as Carlisle Castle), there is still a pretty substantial amount of wall standing. The various forts, milecastles (small forts placed every mile along the wall) and turrets were dismantled more than the wall itself.

Because the actual name of the fort isn’t known (there are several possibilities, one of which is Vercovicium), Housesteads Fort (built in 124 AD) was named after the farm on which it stood for several hundred years after the Romans left (about 409 AD). The fort has been the property of the National Trust since 1930, though sheep still graze on the land between the visitor’s center and the fort.

In addition to the Roman baths and the other usual Roman buildings that can be seen at such sites across Britain, this particular fort has the best preserved stone latrine found in any Roman excavations in Great Britain. Just outside the fort itself is a building called ‘the murder house’ as two skeletons were found beneath a newly laid floor when excavated.

Our guide mentioned the films The Centurion and The Eagle, which were both loosely based on the legend of the disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion into Caledonia (the name the Romans gave to the land north of the wall). However there isn’t any actual historical evidence that the Ninth was ever involved with anything having to do with Caledonia, so nobody is certain what really happened to them. They were, however, in Britain from about 43 AD until the record runs dry. They were involved with Boudica’s rebellion in 61 AD and were reportedly trounced by her forces at what is now Colchester.

On our way back to Edinburgh, we made a stop for photos at Jedburgh Abbey – another border abbey founded by King David I of Scotland. This one, though damaged during the Rough Wooing, made it through until the Scottish Reformation. As it is, there is a fair amount of it still standing and it is quite beautiful.

Next time –taking a Hop On Hop Off tour around Edinburgh.

May 24, 2020

Alnwick Castle & the Scottish Borders

My first full day in Scotland, I had a day trip booked to visit Alnwick Castle and the Scottish Borders. As a fan of both Downton Abbey and the Harry Potter books and films, I was really looking forward to seeing Alnwick (pronounced Ann-ick). The castle was used as the home of the fella who ultimately became Edith’s husband in Downton. In the Harry Potter films, it was used for many of the exterior shots, and a few interiors, of the Hogwarts School of Magic.

The tour left from just across the street and down the road a bit. The tour group – Rabbies – does small group tours with a maximum of 16 people. I booked all of my day trips through Viator online. They were through various tour groups. Rabbies was one I really liked.

The tour coach was packed and a woman asked if she could sit with me. Her name was Naomi and she lived in Israel. We hit it off immediately and ended up spending the day together. We continue to stay in touch.

Our first stop was Kelso Abbey. As with most of the abbeys along the Scottish border with England, Kelso was destroyed in the 16^th century as part of what was known as the Rough Wooing. King Henry VIII of England wanted Mary Queen of Scots in marriage to his son Edward. When the answer came back as “no”, Henry started a war with Scotland. As part of that war, he destroyed all of the abbeys he could in Scotland. Henry did not take “no” for an answer ever.

After the destruction of the 12^th century abbey, much of the stone was hauled away to be used to build other things. There is one section of the building remaining. It gives an idea of both how strong and how beautiful a building it once was. Most of the land around it is a cemetery.

We took a walk into the town through the cemetery. This was so folks could get their morning coffee. Not being a coffee drinker, I went along just to see the town. It was a small market town with a central town square, where it would have been difficult to lose one’s way.

To get to Alnwick, we needed to cross the border into England. This included crossing the great salmon fishing river, the River Tweed. We stopped for some photos.

In Scottish Gaelic, the river is Abhainn Thuaidh, and in Scots it is called Watter o Tweid. Scottish Gaelic is the unique language of Scotland, which is still spoken in some parts of the Highlands, but not too much elsewhere in Scotland any more (unlike Welsh which is having a great revival). Scots is an archaic hybrid of Scottish Gaelic and English that was mainly spoken in the Lowlands of Scotland. It is the language in which the song “Auld Lang Syne” was written. “Auld Lang Syne” means roughly “days gone by.”

The seat of the Dukes of Northumberland, the 11^th century Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, after Windsor. Over its long history, it has been involved in several battles, including the Wars of the Roses between the Yorkists and Lancastrians. Although it changed hands a few times over the centuries, it was never severely damaged and still looks very much as it did in the 12^th century on the outside. The inside and the parks were altered in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. New gardens were created in 2003 for the purposes of a charitable trust.

The castle has several Harry Potter displays and experiences for children and families. While we were there, a Downton Abbey costume exhibit was going on inside of the castle. Unfortunately they didn’t allow photos inside.

The dining room looked just as it did in Downton Abbey and there were several mannequins around the room wearing gowns that had been worn in the scenes shot there. This was another castle that, despite its size, seemed rather cozy.

Wanting something associated with Downton Abbey, I purchased a very elegant ‘cake slice’ which looked like something that would be used at a formal dinner there. A couple of my friends (also Downton Abbey fans) and I have an annual tea during which we use this special purchase to serve desserts.

Naomi and I had lunch together at the Treehouse, which actually was a treehouse. Then we walked around the garden and grounds until it was time to leave. I can’t remember who the person was whose statue on horseback I photographed, but I am sure it was a family member (the Percy family) and I really liked the statue.

Originally the site of an ancient fort built by the indigenous Celtic Britons, Bamburgh Castle had its origins in 547. That castle was destroyed by the Vikings in 993. The Normans built a new castle on the site in the 11^th century. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to tour the castle (and I think it was either closed for the day or about to be).

Just before crossing the border back into Scotland, we made a stop at Berwick-on-Tweed to take photos of the bridges. Berwick started as an Anglo-Saxon market town. Taking a photo of the bridges properly lined up with one another, there are three bridges from three different centuries.

Dunbar Castle was begun in the 7^th century on a rocky outcrop at the harbor of the town of Dunbar. The castle was then rebuilt in stone in the 11^th century. But in the 16^th century, the castle was blown up.

Back in Edinburgh, Naomi and I decided to have dinner together. Although it was my first full day in Scotland, it was her last. She was returning home the next day. I proposed the bar at the Balmoral. They had food as well as drinks in a casual atmosphere.

We shared a vegetarian grill that was huge (I think it was intended to be shared by two people) and delicious. Along with that, I had a mojito that added some cherry juice and champagne to the usual recipe. It too was quite tasty.

After our dinner, when we entered the lobby from the bar, we were called over to the desk by the Assistant Manager. He had some chocolates to give us. And then he also gave us some of the most light and airy macarons I have ever had. I thought that was so nice.

After sending Naomi off in her taxi to her hotel, I headed up to my room. My bed had already been turned down, with some hotel slippers next to the bed and more chocolates on the nightstand.

Next time – Rosslyn Chapel (and Castle), Melrose Abbey & Part of Hadrian’s Wall

May 17, 2020May 24, 2020

Edinburgh: St Giles Cathedral & The Real Mary King’s Close

All of my previous times in Edinburgh had been as part of a tour. So I only had a day or two in Scotland’s capitol on those past trips. This time I was traveling entirely on my own and had seven days planned in Edinburgh and on day trips from Edinburgh.

I love Edinburgh. It is a unique city with some of the nicest people you’ll ever want to meet. Central Edinburgh consists of the Old Town and the New Town. The New Town is Georgian (1700s) with some Victorian as it expanded its boundaries. The Old Town is Medieval and perched on an extinct volcano. Edinburgh Castle is at the top with the main road (called the Royal Mile) running down the lava flow. Buildings, other roads, and bridges spanning the area between the Old Town and New Town fill in the rest.

I arrived in Edinburgh about a quarter to eight in the morning. After collecting my luggage and getting through customs, I took a taxi to the hotel. The airport is not far from Central Edinburgh, so it was only a £10 (about $12.80 USD) ride.

I usually don’t get too much into specific hotels on these posts unless the hotel and/or the deal I managed to get was special. This hotel was special in every way. It was the Balmoral – a five star Victorian Scottish Baronial on Princes Street in the New Town. Normally I wouldn’t even begin to be able to afford a room at the Balmoral. But, for some reason, when I did the hotel search, they had a room for only slightly more (about $10 per night USD) than I normally pay. Maybe it was the time of year, or the number of nights, or just a fluke. I figured that was possibly my one and only chance to ever stay in one of the premier hotels of Edinburgh, so I nabbed it.

The location was amazing too. A small shopping mall, which included a grocers, was next door along Princes Street. I only had to go over the North Bridge to get to the Royal Mile. Most of the day trips picked up and dropped off just across the street. And getting the train to London wouldn’t be too difficult since the Waverly Train Station was next door behind the shopping mall.

When my taxi pulled up, the driver got my luggage out and handed the two bags to the kilted doorman who, in turn, swept me and my luggage up the stairs and into the hotel. There, he handed my luggage off to a bellman and me to the fella behind the desk, who was the assistant manager of the hotel. Then he gave me a small bow and headed back to his post.

The assistant manager checked me in, gave me all pertinent information (including that the breakfast buffet – which came with the room – would be open for another hour). He slipped the bellman the info as to where my room was and then escorted me to a special lift that would get me closer to where my room was than the main elevator. The Balmoral is known for its service and they were already giving me a demonstration of what staying there was all about.

Now, this is not a small hotel, however the assistant manager and the lady who seated me at breakfast every morning both remembered my name and referred to me as “Ms Lichty” each time they encountered me. The breakfast lady also remembered my preference in newspapers and where I liked to sit in the restaurant. I found that very impressive.

The breakfast was an enormous buffet. You could have anything you wanted from just some toast and butter to a full Scottish breakfast and everything in between. As anxious as I was to go exploring, it was raining and I was hungry, so I took my time with a modified version of the full Scottish. I don’t like blood pudding, but I do like haggis. Eggs, sausage, mushrooms, pork’n’beans, toast and jelly, orange juice and tea rounded out my meal.

By the time I was done and had grabbed my jacket, cap, camera and camera bag from my room, it was raining more lightly and I set off up and over the North Bridge. As I reached the Royal Mile, I also reached a souvenir shop. I knew there were several along the road and decided to walk a ways down the road to see what else there might be. I had a few people to get things for (especially golf items from St Andrews) and wanted to get some quality items without paying premium prices.

Down the road a ways I could get a good shot of St Giles Cathedral showing its very unique crown spire. The shops I chose to buy most of my gifts from were back down the road near that first shop I encountered upon reaching the Royal Mile. After buying what I needed and stashing most of it inside my camera bag, I headed back again towards St Giles. Before entering the cathedral, I decided to take a closer look at the Mercat Cross.

A Mercat Cross is essentially the Scottish version of a Market Cross. This was a central location in a city, town or village where people could find out the latest news, and where punishments, including executions, were often meted out. The current Mercat Cross in Edinburgh is a Victorian version of the original, located a short distance (a few feet) from where the original (14^th century) was located. The Mercat Cross is still a meeting point. Several of the walking tours that were offered in Edinburgh departed from the Mercat Cross.

From the Mercat Cross, I walked to the entrance to St Giles at the other end of the cathedral. There was somebody playing the bagpipes near there, so I sat down on a now dry bench by the entrance and listened before going inside.

The oldest part of St Giles Cathedral was originally built in the 12^th century and rebuilt in the 14^th century after it was burned by King Richard II of England during the First Scottish Wars of Independence. Inside it looked like several different churches were sort of knitted together with a few mismatches here and there. It was a fascinating church because of all of the different aspects to it.

There were memorials to such people as author Robert Louis Stevenson and Mary Queen of Scots’ half-brother, James Stewart, Earl of Moray. As the High Kirk (church) of Edinburgh, the cathedral contains one of the original copies of the National Covenant, which was signed in 1638 and adopted by the Church of Scotland. A chapel for the Knights of the Thistle, which is a special Scottish knighthood with St Andrew as its patron saint, was added onto the cathedral in 1909.

The tombs of James Graham, Marquess of Montrose and Archibald Campbell, Marquess of Argyll are on opposite sides of the church. It was Argyll who had Montrose executed during King Charles II’s exile. Charles had Argyll executed when he returned. He also had Montrose interred. Since Montrose had been hanged, drawn and quartered, he needed to collect all of his parts first. Argyll was merely beheaded.

While I was there, a prayer service was held. I sat down and participated. Most of the people in the cathedral at that time did the same.

Not far from Argyll’s tomb and the last thing I checked out before I left the building was a statue of John Knox. He was the minister at St Giles from 1559 to 1572, one of the leaders of the Scottish Reformation, and founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

After my long visit to St Giles, I went across the street to The Real Mary King’s Close. This was a series of closes (narrow streets, more like alleys) that were underneath the buildings of the Royal Exchange and City Chambers. The streets were bricked up during the plague in 1645 because of the overly large number of victims in that area (it is rumored that some of those victims were bricked up with the streets).

In the 18^th century, the streets and buildings were partially demolished and buried when the Royal Exchange was being built. The area was forgotten about until about 1970, when it was rediscovered. The area was opened to the public in 2003 for guided tours. The tour concentrated on the history of the area which included people who lived there, the professions of the people who lived there (as the remains of the buildings are toured), and the time of the plague. There was also discussion of the reported hauntings.

This leads me to an anecdote. Just after the photo of me looking happy and rather ghostly on the actual Mary King’s Close was taken, I walked slowly down to the bottom of the close at the request of the guide. I had been first to get my photo taken, so I was alone on that part of the darkened close. When I reached the bottom, there was a small amount of light. I turned around and looked back up at a group of people who were being photographed after me when one of the women screamed. She thought that I was a ghost. I thought it was quite funny. I do have a very pale complexion and very light blonde hair.

Since I had such a large breakfast, I hadn’t been too hungry until about 3pm at the end of the tour. The Real Mary King’s Close had a gift shop and café so I took a look at what they had on offer. I really like Cullen Skink, which is a creamy soup with haddock, turnips, potatoes, carrots and onions – usually blended until smooth. I got some of that and some Irn Bru, which is a Scottish soft drink that tastes somewhat like a cross between an orange soda and a cream soda.

As I left the close, a young man who had heard me speak to a couple who had been on the tour, asked where I was from. When I responded, “Minneapolis”, he told me about what a big fan of Prince he was. This ended up being just three days before Prince died.

Instead of returning to the hotel via the North Bridge, I swung down Cockburn Street to the Waverly Bridge. There I took a photo of the monument to Sir Walter Scott at the junction of Princes Street and the Waverly Bridge. It looks rather medieval, but it is Victorian. There is a statue of Scott seated inside.

Next time – a day trip to Alnwick Castle and the Scottish Borders

April 13, 2020

The Greek Islands of Symi & Chios

We left Rhodes at about 3pm, arriving at the island of Symi around 5pm. Symi is a mountainous island known for shipbuilding, sponges and a very tiny shrimp that is pan fried and eaten whole, shell and all. During the Trojan War, Symi fought on the side of Greece. It’s king, Nireus, was considered to have been the most handsome man in the Greek forces other than Achilles.

An optional dinner had been offered on Symi, but Chris, Barbara, Roberta, Maureen, Mark and I had all opted to dine on the ship instead. So, from arrival in the port of Symi to our dinner time of 7pm, we wandered around taking photos. It was such a beautiful town with colorful houses perched on the mountainsides. We each had a favorite or two picked out.

The next day we arrived at the island of Chios. Our first encounter with anything on Chios was with Mastik trees (I have a somewhat fuzzy photo of one here, taken while on a moving tour bus). Chios is famous for Mastik (or Mastic), which is used as a gum and as a sweetener in many foods, including Turkish Delight. It is also used to make a rather tasty liqueur.

Other than Mastik, Chios’ main claim to fame was as the birthplace of Homer. He was the author of both the Iliad and the Odyssey. Both of these works were long considered to be fictional, but in more recent years, archaeological discoveries have proven that some parts of them (such as the Trojan War) were based in fact.

Chios had a very big problem with pirates. They were raided regularly during both Byzantine and medieval times. Several towers were erected around the island to alert the inhabitants if pirates were spotted. It that happened, a fire was lit at the nearest tower. As the people manning other towers saw the fire, they lit one at their tower until all of the towers were lit and all of the inhabitants of Chios knew they were about to be raided.

Many of its villages were built and fortified specifically for protection against pirates. We visited two of those villages.

The first one was Mesta, which was built in the 12^th century during the Byzantine era. It was built as a maze with only one way in and one way out. The houses were built up against one another. Animals were housed on the bottom floor while the actual house was one flight up and accessible via a retractable ladder. Many of the streets were vaulted over with roof gardens at the top of the houses. People could travel from house to house over the roofs without ever going down into the street.

The village had a small Byzantine church called the Church of Palois Taxiarchis. Taxiarches are archangels (such as Gabriel and Michael). The photo I have included here is a wee bit fuzzy since I was taking it in a somewhat dark indoor space without a flash and didn’t hold the camera still enough. A lot of these old places will allow flashless photography, which my camera allows nicely. But sometimes I just need to take more time on getting the photo.

Mesta also had a newer church they call the New Taxiarchis (or Big Taxiarchis), which was built in the 1800s and is quite ornate. It is also very well lit. No shaky photos there. This church was just off of the Village Square in the center of town. It had been built where the central tower of the town once stood. I thought that Mesta was really a cool town – very cosy. I am definitely not the only one as it is still quite inhabited and vibrant. Mastik and tourism are its main sources of revenue.

We next drove along the West Coast of the island and could see several of the pirate alarm towers along the way. We also passed or drove through many medieval villages. We were heading for Anavatos.

Anavatos was built high on the top of a rocky precipice and blended in so well with its surroundings that it was difficult to see it. It was also built in the Byzantine era.

Chios is very close to Turkey, which made it very susceptible to raids from Turkey as well as from pirates. When the Ottomans took over in Turkey, it was only a matter of time before they would take a look at nearby Chios and decide they needed to conquer it as well.

After the Ottomans took over, they allowed Chios a certain amount of autonomy due to the importance of Mastik. This was up until the Greek War of Independence in 1822. Chios’ close proximity to Turkey made it the perfect target for the Ottomans to make an example of what happens when you mess with them. Over several months, roughly 40,000 Turkish troops arrived in Chios. They were ordered to kill all males over twelve, all women over forty, and all babies under three. All others were enslaved.

In Anavatos, the decision was made by much of the population to take their own lives rather than be brutally massacred or enslaved. Those who didn’t commit suicide were slaughtered. Here and there someone has moved in (at least for the tourist season – there was a café and a little shop) but, for the most part, it is quite literally a ghost town.

Next time – Return to Athens

March 8, 2020

Agamemnon and Mycenae

As with most of Greece, there is a lot of myth mixed with history when it comes to Mycenae. Mycenae was supposedly founded by Perseus, the slayer of Medusa (the woman with snakes for hair that would turn a person to stone if they gazed upon her face). He married Andromeda (after freeing her from the rock to which she was chained after her mother ticked off Poseidon) and founded the Mycenaean dynasty. Its heyday was roughly from 1510 to 1250 BC but the entire period from 1600 to 1100 BC in Greek history is termed as Mycenaean.

We began our visit with a large, circular tomb known as the Treasury of Atreus. Although named after Atreus (and sometimes even Agamemnon) the tomb dates back to an earlier age.

Atreus was the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Menelaus became the King of Sparta and husband of Helen of Troy. We all know about how Helen ran off with (or was kidnapped by) Paris and started the whole Trojan War. Agamemnon was King of Mycenae by that time and vowed to help his brother get his wife back.

After commanding the entire Greek forces against the Trojans, Agamemnon returned home to Mycenae only to be murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra’s lover. In the Mycenae Museum, we could see a replica of what has been referred to as the Mask of Agamemnon (the original was in Athens). It was found on the face of a body unearthed in one of the tombs surrounding Mycenae. The archeologist at the time figured it had to belong to Agamemnon. But more recently, it has been dated to about 300 years before the Trojan War, so too old to have belonged to Agamemnon. Several other artifacts from in and around Mycenae are also in the museum.

Once again, it was necessary to climb a mountain. In the photo I have of Mycenae from before I began to make my way up, you can see the tiny figures of the people who were snaking their way up switchback trails to the top. The main entrance (and you had to climb a ways to get to it) was the Lion Gate. It was erected in the 13^th century BC.

The area in front of the gate narrowed in order to limit the number of people who could enter at once. The gate was quite massive. The walls were referred to as “Cyclopean”. This was because the blocks of stone used to build them were so enormous that many felt only the race of giants known as the Cyclops could have built them.

Grave Circle A (which was discovered first) dates to the 16^th century BC, while Circle B is the older and dates to the 17^th – 16^th centuries. Both Grave Circles contained shaft graves. It was in Circle A that the mask originally believed to have been Agamemnon’s was discovered. The artifacts from Circle A showed a greater wealth than those from Circle B. After Circle A, the kings were buried in tholos (round) tombs like the Treasury of Atreus.

Although the tomb of Clytemnestra has been found, no tomb of Agamemnon has turned up as of yet. Since he was murdered by Clytemnestra’s lover at her behest, it could be that Agamemnon’s body was simply disposed of to get it out of the way. Could be a topic for “Expedition Unknown” to investigate.

The Palace was at the top of the acropolis. Not much was there, just the low remains of a few walls. I could tell, however, that it had been a pretty large building.

The view of the area below was quite commanding. The site has shown evidence of continuous occupation since roughly 5000 BC.

I sat down on a large boulder at the very top, caught my breath, drank some water, looked around and rested a while before starting down the other side. Everyone else shot past me and down the other side quickly. I seemed to be the only one interested in savoring the experience. Granted, it was a very hot day. But I had on my Tilley hat (the kind the archaeologists use) and loads of sun screen plus cotton (not synthetic) clothing. So I was fine.

A relatively short walk down from the Palace, I came across a cistern. This was enclosed within the citadel walls. I went part of the way down the ancient steps into the cistern. It was very cool and pleasant down there, but I was also totally alone, so not too interested in disappearing and not being discovered until the next archaeological dig.

I came back up and headed for the North Gate. This was the back door to the citadel. It once had a double wooden door with a sliding bolt to lock it. Shortly before taking a path back around to the Lion Gate, I came across the remains of what looked like had been a pretty large, wealthy home called the House of the Columns. I also came across smaller artist workshops.

The next location on our journey was the small town of Epidavros. It was believed to have been the birthplace of Apollo’s son, Askepios, who was a healer. It became the most celebrated healing center in the classical world.

We visited its largely intact 14,000 seat theatre. The acoustics were amazing. A match stuck center stage could be clearly heard from any seat in the theatre. The construction of the theatre in limestone (instead of the more frequently used marble) was thought to mute the murmur of the crowd (low-frequency sound) while amplifying the high-frequency sounds onstage. It is still used for theatrical performance and occasional acoustic concerts.

Heading back towards Athens, we crossed the Corinthian Canal. It was quite narrow.

That night we had an optional dinner with loads of Greek food, Greek music and Greek dancing. Then we had a few hours of sleep before heading for our cruise ship at Lavion.

The ship was a small one by usual cruise standards – 800 passengers. Mark, Maureen, Chris and I all had our rooms in a line. We had each gotten a single outside cabin with a lovely, large window. Barbara and Roberta were in a shared room not too far from the rest of us. We could easily meet up before heading off somewhere.

We had the early seating for dinner that night at 6:30pm. We were seated together. After dinner, we decided to try the show, so we went to the early seating of that too. It was much better than I had anticipated and we all had a good time. Afterwards, I fell into bed and slept like a baby.

Next time – cruising to Istanbul & Ephesus and an earthquake

March 1, 2020

Olympia & Nauplia

After we arrived at our hotel in Olympia and had dinner, we were treated to some Ouzo. I only took a little sip to be polite as I had tried it before and knew it had a strong licorice taste to it. I don’t like licorice. Our Tour Director noticed and I was soon treated with a glass of Metaxa instead. It was like an orange flavored cognac. Very tasty.

Our hotel at Olympia was easy walking distance to the ruins of ancient Olympia which once consisted of over 70 temples plus monuments, treasuries, altars and statues. It was also about the only place on this trip where no mountains needed to be climbed to get to it. It is said that the site had been occupied as early as 1500 BC with evidence that an earlier version of the Temple of Zeus existed by 1000 BC.

The Temple of Zeus once contained a ginormous statue of Zeus made out of gold and ivory, said to be 43 feet high. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Good ole Theodosius II had the temple destroyed in 426 AD (several years after he had the Temple of Apollo at Delphi destroyed). Nobody seems to know what happened to the statue of Zeus. Not much was left of the temple except for its base.

Olympia suffered numerous earthquakes and floods after that until it had pretty much been buried under alluvial deposits of mud. In 1766, the ancient site was pinpointed, but it wasn’t until some French men decided to go digging around there in about 1826, that the remains of the Temple of Zeus were discovered.

Our group walked on over after breakfast. I felt excited to be able to see where the ancient Olympic Games had taken place from the 8^th century BC (776 BC) to the 4^th century AD. There were numerous sporting events held around Greece in other places, such as the Pythian Games and Panhellenic Games to name just a couple. But the Olympics ended up being the greatest because of their worldwide revival in the late 19^th century.

Upon arriving at the archeological site, we first encountered the gymnasium. This was a training facility for sports. The word “gymnasium” was taken from “gymnos” which meant “naked”. Only adult males were allowed in the facility. Athletic competitions back then were in the nude. Again, only adult males were allowed to participate or attend.

The Palaestra was a portion of the gymnasium where athletes practiced wrestling, boxing and jumping. In Olympia, one of the areas of the building appears to have been a bowling alley. This is based on it being quite similar to a place in Pompeii that still had the heavy balls used there.

Then we came across the remains of the Temple of Zeus, which come from a version of the temple that was built in the 5^th century BC (and was the version with the colossal statue of Zeus).

One of my favorites was the Temple of Hera. It was built in the 6^th century BC and was the oldest temple at Olympia. It also has three very beautiful columns standing that caught the light quite nicely when I was photographing it. Whenever the Olympic Games are being held, the Olympic flame is ignited using a parabolic mirror to focus the rays of the sun in front of the location of the altar in the Temple of Hera at Olympia.

The Nymphaeum was kind of like an ancient water park. Traditionally, this was where the nymphs dwelled. It was an area (often a grotto) full of pools and fountains. The one at Olympia isn’t that much to look at now, but I included a photo of it anyway. One can imagine the cascades and spouts of water.

This was next to the Philippeion, which was the only temple dedicated to a human at Olympia. The human was Philip of Macedon – Alexander the Great’s father. He had statues of himself and his family (including Alexander) erected inside of the circular building. They, like the statue of Zeus, were made from gold and ivory.

An outdoor corridor led to an archway. On the other side of the archway was the original Olympic stadium. Once I went through the arch, I was amazed to find that the stadium consisted of a dirt track area with gently sloping grass on each side for the spectators to gather and watch. I have to admit to being disappointed. But that was the way this stadium always was – just dirt and grass.

In the museum were several statues and friezes. A couple of the statues were fairly famous. One was the Nike of Paionios. She was found near the Temple of Zeus. Another was Hermes and the Infant Dionysos. They had been inside of the Temple of Hera. we could take as many photos as we wanted, so I snapped several.

After lunch we left for Nauplia, passing the walls of the town where the Cyclops was said to have been from. At Nauplia, we checked into the hotel then walked down to the waterfront to take a boat out to a small fortress on an island. The island fortress of Bourtzi looked like a submarine, which was interesting since submarines didn’t exist at the time it was built or for several hundreds of years after.

We were the only people at the fort at the time and we explored it all the way to the flag on top. It had a lot of interesting corners and some beautiful bougainvillea climbing the walls. We took the boat back and had dinner at an outdoor restaurant from which we could see the crusader fortress on the mountain above. We had stuffed tomatoes, Greek salad, lamb and potatoes, and some ice cream with some very sweet cake. We also each had a carafe of wine to ourselves. Mine was a very tasty rosé.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel the long way through town. Not sure if our tour director led us that way so we could see more of the town, or so we would sober up a bit before we reached the hotel.

Next time – Mycenae, home of Agamemnon.

February 23, 2020

Delphi, Apollo & the Oracle

The origins of Delphi are found in the mists of myth. Several myths are involved. One says that Zeus released a couple of eagles, one from the east and one from the west to see where they would meet. Pythos (later Delphi) was the spot. So it was declared the “belly button” or center of the world. The belly button stone can still be seen.

Another myth was that Apollo, while still a toddler, slayed a python (serpent or dragon) that served Gaia, the Earth Mother. He then took Pythos over, renamed it Delphi, and had a temple created there that he considered to be his main home. Whenever he wasn’t there (usually for a period of time in the winter), his pal Dionysius hung out in his place.

Ancient Delphi’s location is on one of the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The location is quite amazing and its rediscovery was equally amazing. When the Ottomans took over in the 1400s, Delphi had already been abandoned for roughly a thousand years, after having been shut down by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 381 during the persecution of the pagans. It was during the time of the Ottomans in the late 15^th or 16^th century, however, that Delphi was built over and became the village of Kastri.

In the 1700s, interest in Delphi began once folks realized that it had been a real place, not just a mythical location. But, in the early 1800s, when it became apparent that Kastri was built over the remains of Delphi and that the village would need to be removed to allow for any excavation, the villages decided they weren’t going anywhere. But, after a massive earthquake in the late 1800s, the villagers were offered new homes in another (but similar) area on Mount Parnassus, not far away. So the village was relocated and excavations began. Our tour group spent the night in a small hotel in the village, and then headed over to explore Delphi the following morning.

We entered through the Agora, which was the main gathering place. It didn’t take long before we found ourselves staring right at the belly button stone. It was an outie. Nearby were some bases where some of the statues had stood. The footprints of those statues could still be seen. Delphi had eventually taken over from Olympia as the main site of various athletic events that ultimately became the Olympics, so numerous athletic statues had originally lined the route up the mountain.

The remains of several treasuries came next as we wound our way up towards the Temple of Apollo. These were built by various city-states to hold their offerings to the gods – mainly Apollo. The Athenian Treasury had been mostly restored by the time of our visit in 2014.

A few steps from this treasury was the Sybil Rock. This was where the oracle who existed prior to Apollo’s temple sat and gave her prophecies. Delphi had been a center for oracles and prophecies from the days of Gaia and the Python. The Sybil oracle would go into a trance to give her prophecies much as the later oracle.

Once Apollo took over, a special room in the temple held the oracle, who sat on a tripod and breathed fumes coming up through a crack in the rock floor beneath her. These fumes were said to be emitted from the decaying body of the python slain by Apollo. The temple remains were from the sixth one built on the site and was completed in 320 BC. It was destroyed by zealous Christians in 390 AD. But the original foundation wall remained.

The Temple of Apollo was roped off and there were security people around so that tourists could not go up onto the remains of the temple floor. There was a fair amount of it missing, so I’m sure it would be dangerous to anyone who wasn’t really careful about what they were doing. But, boy did I want to go up there and check it out.

Our guide and I worked out the location where the oracle would have been from a spot above the theatre where we had a pretty decent view of the temple. My video camera could zoom in pretty close, but my photo camera not so much. That part of the floor was still there and had a very distinctive crack in it. The theatre dated to the 4^th century BC.

Further up Mount Parnassus, near the top, was the stadium where the various athletic games took place. The Pythian Games and the later Panhellenic Games were held every four years. The track and field sports took place in the stadium. It was quite a hike. Fortunately the trail zigged and zagged its way up gradually. So, with my cane and an occasional stop to catch my breath, I could make it.

The museum, back down on more level ground, not far from the entrance to Delphi itself, contained lots of statues, pieces of friezes and other artifacts found on site. I loved seeing some Corinthian helmets much like the replica I have on a bookcase in my living room at home.

Then there was The Charioteer (478 BC). I had seen photos of this statue in books my entire life. It is considered to be one of the greatest ancient Greek statues ever created. There I was taking my own photos of it. It survived because it was buried during an earthquake. Nobody knew it was there until it was found during excavations. It was life-sized and made out of bronze.

After lunch, we visited a tholos (a round temple), which is about a half mile from the main part of Delphi. Although there were other ruins there, the Temple of Athena Pronoia (built 380 to 370 BC) was the main site to see. It was gorgeous as was its setting.

The following morning, we drove along the Gulf of Corinth to get from western mainland Greece to the part of Greece called the Peloponnese over a bridge called the Nakpaktos. Just the other side of the bridge was Patras. Our destination was Olympia.

February 17, 2020

En Route to Meteora

After leaving Athens, we encountered Marathon 26 miles away. In 490 BC the heavily outnumbered Athenians beat the Persians at the Battle of Marathon just 10 years after the Persians wiped out 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians at Thermopylae. A runner was sent from Marathon to Athens to bring the news of victory. Legend is that he collapsed and died after delivering his message. If that was the case, it makes me wonder why anybody would decide to commemorate those 26 miles on a regular basis. During both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics, Marathon was the starting point for the men’s race and also for the women’s race in 2004. The photo I have included is the plain of Marathon where the battle took place. The burial mound there contains those who fell during an earlier battle there against the Persians.

We also passed Theva (sometimes called Thebes), which was where the story of Oedipus took place. Oedipus is the guy who blinded himself once he discovered that he had fulfilled a prophecy saying he would kill his father and marry his mother. Complicated little tale there. Nothing of the ancient times was still there, so not really anything of interest to photograph.

After lunch, we passed Thermopylae, where the Spartans faced the Persians. It is said that roughly 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians stood their ground at a narrow pass against 100,000 to 150,000 Persians. A very interesting film called 300 was made in 2007 starring Gerard Butler as the Spartan King Leonidas. More about that later when we actually made a stop at Thermopylae. Back in 480 BC, the terrain was totally different. The coastline was considered to be basically where the highway is now.

We also passed Mount Olympus and could see it clearly. This was the tallest mountain in Greece and considered to be the home of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

We continued on to Meteora to spend the night at a town called Kalambaka. I could see a convent (St Stephan) up on a rock formation from the balcony of my room. Had dinner with Kevin, Bronte, Barbara, Roberta and Chris.

The convents and monasteries were all built high up on rock formations back mainly in the 1500s in the part of Greece called Thessaly, which is near the border with Macedonia. Our first visit was to Convent Rousanou/St Barbara, built in 1560. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside and were only allowed in the church, which was completely covered with frescoes. Women had to wear skirts, so we were given material to tie around our waists as most of us weren’t wearing skirts. It had some lovely gardens.

At Monastery Varlaam across the way, we were allowed inside of the church, wine storage, museum and former hospital. We also had a great view of the convent from there. And yes, we walked all the way up and down the rock formations to get to them. Greece was my mountain tour. Everything was up or down a mountain – usually a very steep mountain. All together there are four monasteries and two convents still in existence out of the original twenty four.

The Holy Trinity Monastery is the most difficult to get to and was featured in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. Its setting was amazing. We went back down into the town to visit a place where icons were made before having lunch.

After lunch we returned to Thermopylae so we could take some photos of the area and of the monuments dedicated to King Leonidas and the Spartans who sacrificed their lives there. The Spartans knew they were outnumbered and didn’t stand a chance of winning, but believed they could rally the rest of Greece to join the fight against the Persians if they could just hold them off for a while with courage and dignity. They did. They held them off for three days until they were betrayed and the Persians were shown a back trail by which they could surround and slaughter their enemy.

We were let off of the tour coach on the right side of the highway. This is where the modern monuments to the Spartans and the Thespians are located. This was also where the sea was back in 480 BC. On the left side of the road was where the battle itself took place.

There is a monument at the top of Kolonos Hill (the burial mound of the Spartans). This dates from the 1950s, replacing a much earlier monument. There has been some sort of monument there since the time of the battle. To climb up there, knowing that the remains of the Spartans were beneath my feet was quite something.

Back across the road, I read the English translations of all of the monuments and took several photos of the statue of Leonidas. My favorite is the one taken from behind where he is facing the mountains and where the pass would have been.

Next time – one of my favorite places in the world, Delphi.

February 9, 2020

Athens

In early May of 2014, I took a 16 day trip to Greece – the first eight days would be on the mainland and the last eight would be on a cruise of the Aegean. The tour would start and end in Athens.

Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities with evidence of human habitation dating back as far as somewhere between the 11^th and 7^th centuries BC and recorded history spanning 3,400 years. Named for the goddess Athena, classical Athens was a very powerful city-state. Eventually it became the leading city of all Greece.

Once I arrived in Athens, I was picked up by a driver at the airport. When we got to central Athens, the traffic was insane and the driver continually crossed himself as he drove. On the one hand, it was humorous, but on the other it was necessary. To keep from having multiple mini heart attacks, I kept my eyes on the driver and off of what the other drivers were doing. I also said several prayers.

Due to various delays in flights on the way, I didn’t get to the hotel (which was near the Acropolis) until a quarter to 6pm with the tour group meet and greet at 6pm. I basically just got into the room and opened my cases for the contents to breathe before I headed back downstairs.

Met Kathleen, Leslie and John during the gathering and Ivy and Heather after. All six of us walked to a nearby grocers to get some bottled water and snacks for dinner so we could spend our time getting ready for the following day and then get a good sleep. We wanted to be fully awake for our day in Athens.

We began our tour at a former palace (built in 1843) which became the Hellenic Parliament in 1934. In the square in from of the parliament is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The tomb is guarded by the elite Presidential Guard. I love their uniforms, so I managed to shoot a quick photo out of the window of the tour coach.

The Academy of Arts & Sciences looks like an ancient Greek temple. We also took a look at Athens University and the National Library. Then we swung by the Acropolis. We found that the site was not yet open for business, so we visited nearby Mars Hill instead.

Mars Hill is the Roman name for the Hill of Ares; Ares being the Greek god of war and Mars the Roman version. This was the location of Ares’ trial by the other gods for the murder of one of Poseidon’s sons. It was also where Paul preached about the “unknown God”. It still has its ancient, original stairs in addition to a more modern staircase at another part of the hill. It also has some great views of the city.

Also viewed from Mars Hill (known in Greek as Areopagus) is the ancient agora (marketplace) of Classic Athens. The agora is a very large area with bits and pieces of various buildings and memorials, including a mint, an Odeon (theatre) and several temples.

Before returning to the Acropolis, we visited the Panathenaic Stadium, which was originally built in roughly 330 BC for the Panathenaic Games, which took place every four years. It is the only stadium in the world built entirely in marble. It was largely abandoned after the rise of Christianity in the 4^th century AD and finally excavated in 1869. For the first modern Olympics in 1896, it was used for the opening and closing ceremonies and for four of the nine events. It continues to be used as a stadium and as the place in Greece where the Olympic torch is handed over to the hosting nation of the Olympic Games for that year.

When we could finally visit the Acropolis, we gathered at the part of the base from which we could see the Temple of Athena Nike (427 – 424 BC) looming over us from above. Instead of the main entrance, we went up a narrow road with steps here and there that rose up towards the Temple of Athena Nike. Nike means victorious.

I really liked coming up an ancient road and steps from the side of the Acropolis instead of the main entrance. It was a different experience and allowed us to see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (161 BC) on our way up as we passed right next to it. We came off of the road just below the Temple of Athena Nike and so were able to enter through the Propylaia (the monumental gate, 437 – 432 BC). This gate controlled (and still controls) entrance to the Acropolis.

Evidence has been found of the existence of Mycenaean structures on the Acropolis in the late Bronze Age. Between then and when the current structures were built, numerous temples and other buildings were constructed.

From 460 to 430 BC, the Parthenon was constructed as a temple dedicated to Athena. It replaced an earlier temple that had been destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. At the end of the 6^th century AD, it was converted to a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. During the Ottoman conquest in the 1460s, it was converted to a mosque. Its destruction came in 1687, when ammunition kept inside was ignited by Venetian bombardment during the Siege of the Acropolis. In the early 1800s, the Earl of Elgin carried much of the surviving sculptures away to Britain, supposedly with the permission of the ruling Ottomans. Restoration began in 1975.

Across the way was the Erectheion, built in 421 – 406 BC and dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. Mythology indicates that the structure enclosed both the mark in the rock made by Poseidon’s trident and the olive tree planted by Athena during the contest between them as to who would be the namesake of the city. A salt water well and tombs of some of the ancient kings were also on this site and enclosed within the building.

On the south side of the building is the Porch of the Caryatids. These are columns in the shape of women. Five of the six originals are in the Acropolis Museum while the sixth was taken by Lord Elgin to decorate his home. It was said that the remaining five, when they were still in place at the Erectheion, would wail at night because they missed their sister. Reproductions of all six Caryatids stand in place of the originals.

Over at the side where our hotel was located, we looked over the side to see our hotel, the Acropolis Museum, and the Theatre of Dionysius (6^th century BC) as well as some other ruins.

Next time — Marathon, Thebes, Mount Olympus, Meteora, and Thermopylae.