A Place Called Athens...

I'm in love alright, with my crazy beautiful life. 


With the parties, the disasters, with my friends all pretty and plastered. 


Every night we're down to go out, waking up on a different couch. 


Till the next night on the next flight, 
Yea I guess we're doing alright. 


- Crazy Beautiful Life, Ke$ha.

The heart of Ancient Greece...ATHENS!!!

So much fun and so much mesmerising history!!! 

When I was younger I used to always think the ancient world was ruled by one power at a time. So the world of Ancient Egypt was different from Ancient Rome or Ancient Greece. I get so excited now as I learn more about history and I see sites and artefacts and think about how all these ancient civilisations were all interacting, trading and evolving at the same time. To hear and see the connections and influence they had on each other. Ohhh....I love it!!

So two days in Athens meant we had to be efficient. We made a list of our MUST DO'S in Athens and bought a 48hour ticket on the hop on/hop off bus to begin our exciting journey.

Stop 1 The Parthenon and Acropolis

The Acropolis was built to protect the city of Athens and contains a variety of ancient buildings. The most famous of course being the Parthenon which was built as a temple to the Goddess of Athens, Athena.

It was amazing to be walking through this site and imagining the history of it. 

It was the most important place in ancient Greece and in Athens.  

From the top you can look out onto Mount Olympus. That was a surreal experience.  

Stop 2 The Theatre of Dionysus.

This was an open-air theatre used in ancient Greece for festivals to honor the god Dionysus.

Stop 3 the Temple of Zeus.

I was so excited to see a Temple...and even though the Temple of Zeus is only ruins and a few pillars. The idea of where I was and what once stood was enough to send my imagination off. I was seeing images from Disney's Hercules (and singing the songs at this point). 

Stop 4 Parliament

Stop 5 The History Museum 

This was so interesting, I could go on and on,,,instead I will just give you my highlights: 

 I was amazed how influenced the Greeks were by societies around them and how early sculptures held a resemblance to ancient Egyptian statues. 

Their Jewellery was so detailed and well designed. I was in love and probably spent most of my time in these rooms. I cannot wait to get back to Newtown in Sydney pick up some beads and create items similar. 

The art work from ancient ruins was breath taking! 

Day 2

Stop 1 Hadrian's Library.

The Library was built in 132AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian and consisted of 'books' rolled up papyrus, reading rooms and lecture halls. 

Stop 2 Roman Agora (Market). 


I think I enjoyed this site the best. I recalled images from the TV shows Hercules and Xena and could hear and see people from the Ancient world in this market place negotiating over price, calling out their prices and stock, chatting and living their every day life. It was fantastic, real life and fantasy in one.

Built by astronomer Andronikos from Macedonia, this tower stood in the Roman Agora. A bronze weather vane showed the direction of the wind, carved below was a sun clock and a water clock was installed for cloudy days and nights.

Stop 3 Ancient Agora.

The Agora was the center of political and public life in Athens. It was a large open area surrounded by buildings of various functions. 

 The Agora was utilized for commerce, political, religious and military activity. Located within the Agora is The temple of Hephaestus...

Hephaestus was the patron god of metal working and craftsmanship. Construction stated on the temple in 449 BC and it remains standing to this day.

Stop 4 - Panathenaic Stadium. 

Surprisingly, this was one of my favourite sites in Athens. The audio-guided tour brought the site to life and really captured the olympic spirit. 

This site, which was reconstructed from an ancient Greek stadium, hosted the first modern olympic games in 1896.

We got to walk down the passageway competitors from ancient to modern day have walked down. 

and run the track! 

They had an excellent display of posters and torches from all the Olympics games. 

Sydney 2000 Olympics. 

London 2012 Olympics 

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I found this painting in a local church in Athens, near the Acropolis. I instantly fell in love and it is my favourite painting of Jesus on the cross.

 I normally find them too dark or too glorified. I find this one honest and true. A simple depiction of Christ exhausted with some of his hair falling over his face. 

This is my Saviour!!!! 

And so my time in Greece came to an end. I don't think there was one day In my 14 day stay in Greece that I didn't eat Greek yogurt, in fact I would eat it twice a day most days. 

It was amazing and another blessing! I continue to be so thankful to my Lord and Father who has provided me with all these opportunities. He is continuously blessing me. I will forever be singing His praise and THANKING Him!!!! 

στοργή (love), 

Joey!!!!