Day 9 - June 26 - Athens and Sounio

By the third day of the heat wave, the buildings were still closed and we are getting a bit stir crazy. We get the great idea that since Athens is packed full of sites and museums and not all of them government run there has to be something open. We pull out the guide book and start calling places. What we find is that following the governments lead, everywhere is closed. Solidarity brothers.

Instead, we decide to head out of the city to the southern most tip of the Attica peninsula to the cape of Sounio to visit the Temple of Poseidon. This is the perfect spot for a temple to the God of the sea. Built in the 5th century BC atop a hill looking out on the Aegean Sea from three sides you can look out and know that on a clear day the view from this spot is spectacular (even though today it is hazy out so the view is limited).





Poseidon was considered second only to Zeus, the supreme god himself. His implacable wrath, manifested in the form of storms, was greatly feared by all mariners. The temple at Sounion, therefore, was a venue where mariners, and also entire cities or states, could propitiate Poseidon, by making animal sacrifice, or leaving gifts. Sailors prayed to Poseidon for a safe voyage. When offended or ignored, he supposedly struck the ground with his trident and caused chaotic springs, earthquakes, drowning and shipwrecks. Unfortunately, it is also well known as the place where Lord Byron etched his name into the temple, thus further endearing the English to the Greeks.








That night we met up with Demtri and family and went into Athens to have dinner and walk around the neighborhood known as Monastiraki. A picturesque area of narrow colorful walkways and streets at the base of the Acropolis, is a very welcome relief to the gray concrete block houses that dominate the rest of Athens. Dinner was at an outdoor café in the courtyard of cathedral. We had lots of...you guessed it, souvlaki and beer! The streets are lined with cafes and restaurants, and tacky tourist shops. The old streets are for walking only, so you don’t have to fight with car traffic while milling about enjoying the evening. We walk down Areos street, past the ruins of the Hadrian’s Library.








On our way back we go past the parliament building and Demtri takes me to see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Solder. The tomb is guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard. The unit is famous around the world for its unique traditional uniform, which has evolved from the outfits worn by the klephts who fought the Ottoman occupation of Greece. The changing of the guards has to be one of the most bizarre sites I witness on this trip. First, their uniform is most unique, not just because of the fustanella, the brown kilt-like garment, but their shoes have large pop-poms on the toes, and hanging from their caps are long tassels that go to about their waist. When they walk, the Evzones cock their knees up high and take long extended goose steps forward swinging up their arm up in rhythm.

You can tell that it takes a great deal of precision and practice and timing for the two guards to walk out from either side and then take their place at the guard booth, but to me I just have to laugh because all I can think is these guys look like they should be the guards outside the Ministry of Silly Walks of Monty Python fame.