A Day at the Acropolis

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Written on 5/25/06, my 31st birthday, 12:45 am, in our room balcony over looking the city of Athens, while Eric grooms his nails.

May 24, 2006 Wednesday We started the day at 6:30 am, very early for Eric & me. After we got ready, we ate at Le Grand Balcon. It’s the restaurant in our hotel, which served an “American” breakfast buffet. The Greeks have a different idea of the American breakfast foods we were used to. The best part about it was the spectacular view of the Acropolis, which was where we were about to journey.

Unbeknownst to me, that was the least of what I should’ve been worried about…

Temple of Zeus
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We caught the tour bus around 8:30 AM. As we walked towards the bus, Eric informed me of a celebrity sighting. Sure enough we were in the company of Jonathan Silverman. I love “Weekend At Bernie’s”. It turns out he and his wife, Jennifer are staying at the same hotel we were. Of course, the only thing I could think of was when would be the best time to snap a photo with him. Eric didn’t wanna be “that guy” – the one who bothered celebrities on their personal time. Why does Eric have to be right all the time?

The Parthenon
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Our first stop on the tour, 9:00 AM, was at The Panathenaic Stadium, the original Olympic stadium. The entire outdoor stadium is finished with white marble. The next stop, 9:45 AM, was at the Temple of Zeus and the Arch of Hadrian. Remarkable! There are only 13 Corinthian marble columns remaining out of the 104 it originally had. The details on top of the columns are as fascinating as what transpired in that very area.

I want to note that the weather was a sweltering 85º. I was glad I decided to wear a skirt. It would’ve been complain city for me the entire day if I had chosen to wear jeans like I had intended to. Unbeknownst to me, that was the least of what I should’ve been worried about…

Sushi in Athens at Yo Sushi!
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At 10:30, we arrived at the foot of the Acropolis – acro, meaning edge and polis, meaning city. Acropolis is home to the Propylaea, Temple of Nike (wingless victory), Erechtheum, Theater of Dionysius and of course, the Parthenon. The climb up to these wonders of the world is no joke! Did I mention it was 85º, felt like five thousand! Back to the tour…to think that Eric and I were standing in the same place democracy began. Not to mention the impressive architecture and significant history this site is so famous for. I’m not so sure if Eric felt the same way? According to our tour guide, the City of Athens continues to work on restoring these ancient ruins – it was evident from all the scaffolding and earthmovers all over the place. Also all over the place were people of all sorts; kids on field trips, teachers conducting classes and the ever-popular tour groups. We took a lot of pictures of each other and were also able to ask others to take pictures of us with our camera. Another tip for tourists who want their pictures taken by someone else is that you find someone who’s sportin’ SLR cameras. They don’t just carry SLRs for nothing; they know how to take great pictures as well. After an hour and a half of photos the Acropolis, Eric & I decided we were over it and couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel for some pool and tanning action.

We got back to the hotel around 1 PM where we slathered up in sunscreen and headed to the top floor/outdoor pool area. The heat was intense – it now felt, what I imagined hell would be like. Little did I know, the worse was yet to befall upon me? We laid out for what I thought was an eternity. I was literally baking in an oven – my heart was beating super fast and sweating like a pig. I didn’t think much of it until something told me to abandon ship immediately. I got dressed, headed back for the elevator, got in and then, my body betrayed me. My head was spinning, felt noxious, lost all focus and couldn’t comprehend a thing Eric was saying. In the seven-floor elevator ride down back to our room was when it happened – I passed out – as in fainted, lost consciousness, blacked out, down for the count! The last thing I remembered were the elevator doors closing from the pool area. When I came to, I found myself slumped, head down, against a wall in the hallway with Eric holding my hand, trying to lift me and saying, “Hey, hey, get up. You look like a retard”. I was a mess – why was this happening to me? I found a seat where Eric got me a glass of water and fanned me back to life. I’m pretty sure I was dehydrated from the intense heat of Greece.

So, lesson learned: drink A LOT of water, period. Without saying more about it, I managed to get back to the room without causing a scene. I got some rest while Eric went out for a glass of wine and a cigar smoke.

At 9:30 PM, all after my near death experience, we had Sushi for dinner and frappes for dessert. The coffee in Greece is so tasty – nothing I’ve ever had in the US.

So, to sum up the day; breakfast buffet, met a movie star, 4-hour Athens tour, a lot of walking under the sun, tanning, passed out, Sushi and frappes. What a day!

Tomorrow is my 31st birthday. We’ll be taking a half hour plane trip to the stunning island of Santorini.