Work trip to Athens, Greece - 16th to 18th June 2008

After a couple of trips to another of the ancient capitals of the world earlier in the year, I got to spend a couple of days in Athens, in the sweltering June heat. Needing a light jacket at 6am in the UK, when I got up to go to the airport, I found myself sweating buckets as soon as I got off the plane in Athens. My meeting and hotel were right by Syntagma Square, one of the main landmark squares in the city; and within a leisurely strolling distance from Plaka, the main tourist warren of alleyways, tavernas and small shops.

During the couple of days there, I got a couple of hours free to go for some sightseeing. When I'd been to Athens before, I had never done the full Acropolis experience, being put off either by the walk up the hill, or the €12 entry fee when I got up there. This time, I thought I may as well go for it, although annoyingly, the previous day had been a Greek public holiday, where entry was free! This did mean that the place was nice and empty though, so we got a decent walk around, unhassled by people. The obvious view of the Parthenon, pictured here and the centrepiece of the Acropolis, is one that everybody knows - and for good reason, because there is nothing else up there that compares to it. There are other buildings, remains of buildings, and columns, but the Parthenon really is quite an amazing sight. To think that all of it was standing by about 400BC, when even Rome was a small village next to a swamp, is incredible. However, like Italy, you do sometimes get the feeling that this was as good as it ever got, and that many things have hardly moved on since!

The photo here is of the Temple of Zeus, of which you get a great view when standing on top of the Acropolis, as well as a fantastic view of the (more) modern city of Athens. One of the great things about the city is the peculiar piece of high rock on which the Acropolis is built - which forms the centrepiece of the city, and gives amazing views over the rest of the place. This is certainly one of the big attractions, because it makes the photos look quite stunning! You can see the Acropolis from unexpected points all over the city, and the great weather means that Athens is a very nice place to be.

Whilst I was there, I also managed to eat a lot of very nice food, from kebabs to, er, more kebabs. And a huge mezze which left me almost unable to move after a couple of hours of very dedicated eating. I even managed to find my way around using an English map, but reading Greek street signs, which is always one of the more confusing things about a language and city that doesn't use "proper" letters. All in all, a lovely couple of days in Athens, a city I have always managed to have a great time in, and which I hope to visit again before too long.