Climbing the Acropolis in Athens

Just to clarify, 

the Acropolis is the hill, 

the Parthenon sits on top. 

The view from the rooftop of The Acropolis Select Hotel.

The best time to go is off season,

first thing in the morning or later in the day.

Midday in season is a mob scene. 

From 11am-1pm do something else. 

The Parthenon

If you go in the early morning,

don't stop at any viewpoints. 

Go right to the top 

before the mob arrives.

The Erechtheion 

You'll need about an hour and a half to walk up,

enjoy your quiet time, and get your pictures.

The Erechtheion where the roof supported by six statues of maidens.
Note the legs-one is a leg, one is a column.

By the time I left it was already getting crowded. 

It took 8-9 years to build the Parthenon, 
the restoration is over 40 years ongoing. 

Then take your time heading back down 

and check out the views you passed on your way up. 

Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus

The Temple of Athena Nike
Restorations appear white compared to the original stones.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Ancient and new.
Restored in 1950.

Below the Acropolis across from the touristy restaurants, 

don't miss the Acropolis Museum which was built 

overtop an excavated village.

You can see this part of excavations near the entrance
without visiting the museum. 

The museum is modern in style 

compared to the ancient structures on the Acropolis.

Allow 2 or more hours here depending on your interest. 

Can you spot the restored areas? 
The color gives it away.

From the museum exit, 

there is a path and a gate to access 

more of the village under the museum. 

You need to show your ticket, 

so don't lose it.

Here you can see the supporting columns for the museum 
rising up from the forgotten village.

For information on visiting the museum, 

click here.

Here is information for visiting the Acropolis.

You can visit both in one morning. 

Take water and a snack 

or buy it on the street outside.

I wouldn't waste time with 

slow service in the cafeteria there.

There is tourist information 

and public restrooms

at the corner of Thrassillou Street on the south end.

Address: Dionysiou Areopagitou, Athina 105 58, Greece

Off the Beaten Path in Seaside Kardamyli

How to spend an entire day in Kardamyli, Greece. 

Seaside Kardamyli is not your typical tourist town, 

it's where the locals hang out. 

And that is so refreshing. 

We spent an entire day just relaxing here, 

which being married to a very active person 

isn't common on our vacations. 

We began our day with an early walk to 

Old Town Kardamyli Museum.

The Old Town was built in the 18th Century 

on the side of a mountain. 

Old Kardamyli is one of the oldest towns in the Peloponnese Mountains.

Old enough that Homer referred to it in the Iliad.  

From the Old Town 

we continued hiking up the mountain 

to the Church of Sophia. 

And even a little higher we found a little village 

with great views and some houses in need of new owners. 

Tempting...the views are worth it. 

Hiking back down and through the town to our hotel, 

 we freshened up and readied ourselves for some beach time. 

Ahhhh.....

Ok, you need shoes on these beaches, 

even though they consist of rounded stones 

they are hard on your feet. 

You can take a seat and a waiter will present himself 

from one of the local eateries 

and take your order. 

 ✅ Bucket List - Being served beverages while relaxing on the beach.

Then back to the hotel for Happy Hour 

followed by dinner along the water's edge. 

Tikla Cuzina and Wine Bar

For me, this is a perfect vacation day, 

but there is so much more of Greece to see,

so tomorrow we are on the road again. 

My relaxing day was 

climbing 39 floors and 

walking 20,071 steps. 

He's lucky I love him

because it was a relaxing day for us. 

The house he wants to renovate for the view. 

Kardamyli is small.

A long weekend here is plenty of time to relax 

visit the shops and restaurants, 

and explore.

** You can also rent Kayaks and take a tour of the caves, 

but because of a kayaking event there were no tours while we were there. 

Bummer. 

Visiting Delphi: The Center of the Ancient Greek World

Delphi is a two-in-one town. 

The new town is a modern day village.

The ancient town 

which the ancient Greeks considered to be the center of heaven and earth,

is an archeological site. 

The residents of the ancient town 

were transplanted to the new town 

to make way for archaeological excavations. 

The new village is dissected by several one-way,

narrow, terraced streets.

In an hour or so you can walk through the whole town. 

I had no idea Greece was so mountainous. 

We certainly burned a lot of calories climbing up and down steps. 

Climbing up high anywhere in Delphi provides beautiful views. 

And with a short walk we are taken back to ancient times....

In the Delphi Archeological Museum -

note the detail remaining on this ancient bronze statue,

"The Charioteer," 5th century BC. 

This treasury along The Sacred Way was reconstructed in 1903-6.

The theater commands an impressive view. 

The people came to Delphi to consult with the oracle, the priestess of Apollo.

The pillars and some of the foundation 

from the Temple of Apollo are all that remain today. 

The Ancient Path was used by those visiting the Oracle of Delphi.

Delphi is located about a 2 hour drive from Athens 

and can easily be visited in one day

unless you want to explore the area in more depth. 

Most people come to visit the archeological site

 and museum set in a mountainous environment.  

But there are also hiking trails and ski slopes

in close proximity.

APOLLO | The ancient god of oracles. The most Greek of all gods. 

ORACLE | A person through whom a deity speaks.

THE SACRED WAY | The main path leading from the entrance 

to the temple of Apollo. 

First Timer's Impression of Smokey Mountain National Park

A common scene through the park

We love our national parks. 

So when an opportunity presented itself 

to visit The Smokies, 

we took it.  

Little River Gorge Rd.

Wow, it was not like the other National Parks 

we have visited. 

It was soooooo crowded.  

And everyone was in their cars! 

?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Another common scene through the park. 

We approached from the east 

via a small section of the 

The Foothills Parkway 

and arrived into honky-tonk Gatlinburg, TN  

which was very crowded also. 

View from the Foothills Parkway

Our 4 night stay was in the 

Holiday Inn Express 

which was free if we sat through 

a 1 hour time-share sales pitch. 

My husband almost took the bait but   

I kicked him back to reality. 

Can you find the bear?
Cades Cove Loop Road

We started out with the go-to attractions:

1. Roaring Fork Motor Trail 

(We did this early to avoid traffic.

We hiked along one of the trails.)

View From Roaring Fork Motor Trail

2. Cades Cove Loop 

(My advice, drive there early or later, 

and instead of doing the whole loop, 

take one of the two other roads off the loop. 

Rich Mt. Rd. or Parson Branch Rd 

to the Foothills Parkway 

and explore.  

We did not do this 

but I wish we had. 

I am sure there would have been a lot less people 

and a lot of beauty.  

View from Cades Cove Loop

After spending a lot time stuck in traffic - 

and god forbid someone sees a bear...

because then the traffic is standstill for miles - 

we found an off the beaten path section of the park

 that WAS off the beaten path. 

But yikes...the potholes! 

It was good we had our Pilot 

and not the Accord. 

Ramsey Prong Road

Our off the beaten spot took us down 

*Ramsey Prong Road*, 

across a couple bridges to a parking location. 

From there we decided to explore...

we heard there was a waterfall. 

The early trail was easy going 

and that was all we planned to do.

But the call of the falls beckoned us on 

and we went despite having no water with us. 

After hiking up an very steep and rooty trail 

and over lots of boulders 

we arrived at 

Ramsey Cascade Falls.

Ramsey Cascade Falls

  

What a beautiful and refreshing sight. 

Photos do not do this 100 foot cascade justice! 

In person, it was beautiful. 

Hike to Ramsey Cascade

The trail is 16 miles round trip and 2,000 feet uphill from the parking location. 

It took us over 3 hours up and 2 hours down. 

When we got back to the car, 

I was exhausted. 

We guzzled our water, 

showered the dirt off our tired bodies, 

and went to Bennet's BBQ for dinner. 

I ordered a blackberry sparkler 

after which my husband said I 

was basically sliding off the chair 

into a puddle on the floor. 

Smaller cascades along the trail.

My recommendation is to spend a day in this section of the park. 

It is located in the Greenbriar area, 

6 miles east of Gatlinburg.

 The 4.5 miles drive to the parking area is scenic 

but also on unmaintained roads 

so it is slow going. 

You will find others there 

but nothing like the main section of the park. 

There is a picnic area with restrooms. 

(If this hike sounds too strenuous for you, 

check out the 4 mile round trip hike to 

the 50 ft. Fern Branch Falls.)

 

Cades Cove View

A one time visit to Gatlinburg 

was enough for both of us 

so we probably won't be going back, 

but at least now it is off the bucket list. 

More photos are stored here. 

Have you been to the Smokies?

Tell me what I SHOULD have done.