#Athens with Victoria

I have 4 children. We do a lot as a family together but now and again it is nice to do something that is a one to one.

This weekend I am with Victoria - my first born and only daughter. Vic nominated Athens. Neither of us had been before. Vic is interested in ancient history and also has a good knowledge of Greek Mythology.

So a city break Athens. We have a central hotel in easy reach of the Acropolis. We arrive early evening after a trouble free flight. The hotel has a roof top bar restaurant and we head up there. This is the photo I was able to take of the Acropolis and the Parthenon on top - we were stunned at the setting.

My mob camera does not do it justice. We both felt how amazing it is that just a few hours before we were at home in England and now we are close to one of the most significant places in human history.

Next morning - breakfast in the same roof top restaurant but this time we are on the other side. This is the view : the Temple of Olympian Zeus was just across the road from our hotel.

We are in easy walking distance of The Acropolis (the rock outcrop) and pre visit research emphasised the sense of booking in advance to avoid queues. We were there on an out of season Saturday morning and it was reasonably busy. I would imagine high season numbers could be massive. The weather is spring like for us - mild and warm. Athens can get very hot. I have also read that at certain times Athens can have an air quality problem because the city in effect sits in a shallow bowl. However we had no experience of that.

From the gate at the base it is a slow meandering walk through history - on the side of the Acropolis - the sheer cliff above. It is undoubtably a special place. You gain ground quickly and the huge panorama of Athens grows and grows. As you approach the flat top you enter through and you then get your first sight of the Parthenon from ground level. Vic is giving me lots of information.

The Parthenon is the main building - and the main attraction - the Temple of Athena. It was built in 500 BC so is over 2500 years old. Put into context is about 600 years older than Rome's Coliseum. It is largely destroyed but the amazing Greek columns are in place. It is very impressive made all the more so by its incredible position on top of the Acropolis where it can be seen from the whole of Athens and beyond. The views from the top are special - the white and cream of Athens form a 360 degree backdrop all the way to the sea.

After the Acropolis we walk down to the near by Acropolis Museum. It is was opened in 2008. It is a beautiful museum that houses many of the artifacts found on and around the Acropolis. The ulterior motive for building it was to send a pointed international message regarding the Elgin Marbles and other artefacts removed from Greece. As you know Lord Elgin removed many treasures from the Parthenon between 1800 and 1803. They are housed in the British Museum. Greece has been campaigning for many years to get them back. Britain has so far refused - one reason being that there was nowhere in Greece to display them adequately or safely. The new museum counters this point. Infact there is a dedicated space in the new museum very pointedly earmarked for their return.

Prior to attending the Acropolis Museum I was of the view the Elgin Marbles should probably be returned despite the fact there is a strong point that if all artefacts and paintings were returned to their original source - half the great museums in the world would close. Just take the Louvre for instance ! However surprisingly, after attending the Museum and seeing what it is all about I have come to the conclusion that the return of the Elgin Marbles is not that crucial to Greece after all. There are literally hundreds of similar pieces on display already.

Later on a beautiful afternoon we headed for the the Agora. This is the Greek (Athens) equivalent it seemed to me of the Rome Forum area ( that Vicky and I visited together a couple of years ago). The Agora was the Athens marketplace found 600 years BC and was the heart of the city for 1200 years. This is where Socrates addressed the public and where democracy was born. It is a rambling place - much grass covered. It is quiet and peaceful and a real contrast to the Acropolis. It is a place to sit and let your imagination run.

In late afternoon we wandered in colourful atmospheric streets - clockwise around the Acropolis to eventually return to our hotel. On the way back we were drawn to the Koukaki area - an old quarter - narrow windey streets - lots of tavernas. It was a great place for dinner later in the evening.

Next day in the early morning sunshine we walked through the field where the massive columns of The Temple of Zeus remain. However unless you are in to detail everything seems a bit secondary to the Parthenon and the Acropolis. We are heading to see the first modern Olympic Stadium - the Kallimarmaro Stadium built in white marble for the first modern Olympics in 1896. Apparently it can seat 70000 people which is a surprise because it did not look that big. You can pay to enter and run around the track if you want. It is still used for athletics but also as a concert venue.

We then moved on through the lovely National Gardens to stand outside the Greek Parliament Building. The main attraction is to watch the guards in their outrageous costumes and their even more unusual/unlikely way of marching. (it would be no surprise if the idea for Python's Ministry of Funny Walks sketch had its origins here. It was fun to see.

For more culture we spent a couple of hours in the National Archeological Museum. It is regarded as Greece's most important and exciting museum and maybe the world. It is quite an old building but the exhibits speak for themselves. It was outstanding. Don't miss it.

After a pitstop we head for Philopappos Hill. This was a lovely thing for us to do. From the guide book - the pine covered slopes of Philopappos Hill offer a pleasantly shaded maze of paths leading through monuments marking centuries of history. Known as the "hill of muses" in antiquity it has be the source of inspiration for countless poets and philosophers. It was not a hard walk and provides a massive view of Athens including to the coast.

By the time we get down it is mid afternoon. We find a lovely taverna adjacent to the Agora and overlooked by the Acropolis. Vic and I had a lovely time and sat there outside in the sun soaking up the atmosphere, reflecting on the Greek culture and on everything we had seen. It was a great thing for us to do together. It was a brilliant suggestion by Vic to come here and the time of year was perfect (not high season and not too hot).

Not sure where will be next but Athens will take some beating. A fantastic choice for a long weekend. I hope to have many more weekends like this with my darling clever special daughter xxxx

Here are some more mob photos :