May 4, 2022 We arrived just short of midnight to check in to the Hotel Phaedra right in the center of Plaka. We were starving. Was there any place to eat? Yes! And right near the hotel! The streets of touristy Plaka were blissfully empty. May 5, 2022 In the morning, we woke up to this view of the Acropolis from our room. After breakfast we trudged around the Acropolis which was swarming with tourists. Much better was the visit to the Roman Agora, marked by the Tower of Winds. Compared to the Acropolis, the site was surprisingly under-visited. Nearby was the Ancient Agora and the Temple of Hephaestus. Here’s where Sophocles held forth, merchants displayed their wares and armies of workers chiseled out marble columns in the 7th century BC. There were a number of references to “tribes” which we figured out meant the powerful families in charge of Athens at the time. The Stoa of Attalos was a cool respite from the sun and contained a small museum. Although the site was excavated by the American Society of Classical Studies, I did not get a half-price reduction on the admission fee that my French friend routinely enjoyed as … Continue reading →