MIAMI.– Visiting the Hellenic country, with Athens as its capital, leaves the traveler wanting to return. The cradle of the West, where theater was performed and rights, philosophy and democracy were discussed, has much more than the great Acropolis. Therefore, let’s try to take a look at this ancient city that rests in the heart of the Mediterranean.
The Greeks call the country Hells or Ellada and its official name is the Hellenic Republic, but in Spanish it is known as Grecia.
Athens is not the typical European city with Renaissance palaces and voluminous avenues, but it has more than 3,400 years of history and boasts one of the richest archaeological sites on the planet.
It is enough to walk down Ermou Street and contemplate the image of the Acropolis architectural complex, at the top of an immense hill of limestone rock, with its omnipotent Parthenon that seems to monitor and protect the Greek city.
Archaeologists say that the hill was inhabited since the fourth millennium BC. C. and according to historians it was Periples, the great Athenian citizen, who coordinated the construction of buildings in the middle of the 5th century BC. c.
Get excited and climb to the top of the big hill. Enjoy the presence of immense Doric columns that still support the passing of the years.
There is the Erechthen, the temple that was erected in honor of the gods Athena Polias, Poseidon and Erechtheus, with the famous tribune of the Charitydes, which indicated the tomb of the mythical king Crops.
Protected like no other archaeological relic, the Acropolis is where Western civilization practically began.
On the so-called Hill of Democracy, the esplanade and the stone tribune still remain where the Greeks applied the rule of voting to solve society’s problems.
There are even dramatized performances that try to reconstruct ancient scenes, from trials and political plenary sessions to philosophical readings reminiscent of the great thinker Aristotle.
On Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, which borders the immense hill, is the modern building that houses the Acropolis Museum. There, without further ado, they protect and show everything they were able to rescue from the place after the departure of the Turks in 1833.
Down street
Near the museum, street vendors and street artists gather, serving as a prelude to the entrance to the Plaka neighborhood, with its labyrinthine streets, often narrow, where shops, taverns and restaurants abound.
A few more steps and we arrive at the Old Gora, in the heart of Athens. It is a place where the ruins of what was once the center of Athens lie. Admission is included as part of your ticket to the Acropolis. However, few visit the city’s most famous historical attraction and then come to this place, which was once the epicenter of political, cultural, social and religious life in Athens.
We continue and arrive at Monastiraki, which is another extraordinary old neighborhood with shops, taverns and restaurants.
From the esplanade, which everyone calls Monastiraki Square, you can see an unparalleled view of the Acropolis. It is an essential place to visit because it is the favorite place for everyone, young and old, who go to cafes and terrace restaurants to eat, drink and talk.
The bus
The most economical way to walk around Athens is by opting for the tourist bus. For 29 euros, nine if you are under 15 years old, explore the streets and most emblematic places of the city.
You can get off the bus at the indicated stops, walk and stroll around the place and get back on the bus to continue the route.
In this way, you can visit the Temple of Zeus, the old Olympic Stadium, the wide Panepistimiou avenue with its buildings that replicate classic Greek architecture and Omonia Square that serves as a prelude to more popular sectors of the city.
If you choose to get off at stop number seven, on Vassilissis Sofias Street, you can visit the place where the Lyceum of Aristotle was, where the ruins remember the presence of the wise man who lived in the 4th century BC
Comer
The greek cuisine In Athens, it has a wide range of dishes full of flavors, meats and vegetables. Beyond the popular gyro with pita and the undisputed moussaka, there are the pork or lamb skewers, stews or eggplants stuffed with beef that please the most demanding palate.
Precisely in Plaza Monastiraki, where prices are usually affordable, there is an abundance of good Greek cuisine.
Greek wine, to which we practically owe the wide range of red and white wines that we enjoy today, usually has a different texture and flavor than Spanish, French or Italian, but in the absence of one that pleases your taste, we recommend a cold national beer, that there are several.
If you like cheese, for breakfast or snack, don’t forget to try the feta cakes. I remember them.
