Day 6: Athens, Acropolis, & Mars Hill


Gorgeous sunrise captured this morning on the roof of Greek Bible College

    We started day six with breakfast at the Greek Bible College and separated into groups that traveled using the city bus, van, or car. I took the bus so I could learn how to get around. I have never taken a city bus before and with this experience, I learned that the buses are on a tight schedule and you must exit/enter the bus quickly! Additionally, there are stop buttons placed throughout the bus that you need to press when you are close to your stop. We also learned that "NO BELL" means "SCREAM LOUD!" 

Picture Proof

    Once we arrived in Athens, we boarded the metro and headed towards the Acropolis. The metro is a convenient way to travel in Europe but it was not so convenient to build. It took a long time to build the metro because they would constantly discover ruins and archaeological finds! They had many of the findings displayed in the metro for people to take pictures and read about. In order to enter and exit the metro, you must have a ticket that is scanned. Although the metro is convenient, it is not the safest place for your belongings. It is recommended to keep your belongings in front of you and to pay attention to your surroundings. We even had an experience coming back from Athens where Dr. Lawson was nearly pickpocketed! The man tried to separate the group by closing the door on us! This tactic distracted the group, Dr. Lawson tried to pry the metro door open and that is when the man attempted to take Dr. Lawson's wallet. Luckily, we had others in the group watching out for one another, so the "pick pocketer" failed and nothing was stolen! This experience was a real eye-opener the realities of locals who must take the metro to travel. This bizarre and scary experience is a typical day for many who live in the area. 

Ancient pottery found while building the metro (Displayed in the metro)

    Once we made it out of the metro, we walked to the Acropolis. There were many sites along the way to the Acropolis such as the Church of St. Paraskevi, the Sanctuary of Dionysos, the Theatre of Dionysos, "The Old Temple" of Athena, and many more. A lot of the walkways and stairs are marble, which is gorgeous but very slippery. The view from the top where the Acropolis stands is breathtaking. The Acropolis actually means "City of Air" which is fitting because it is standing on top of a very large hill. There are parts of the Acropolis that are being restored which can be seen by the lighter pieces throughout the structure. These lighter pieces are what the entire Acropolis looked like when it was first built. 

Group picture by the Acropolis


    A Greece flag stood proudly near the Acropolis and holds an interesting story. At one point in history, the Germans ordered the general to take down the Greek flag and replace it with the swastika flag. The general refused to allow anyone to touch the flag so he wrapped the flag around his body and jumped from the Acropolis. 

Greece Flag

The highest point in Athens

Two workers uncovering ruins!

    After we spent some time visiting the Acropolis, we ventured towards Mars Hill. The history and meaning behind Mars Hill is fascinating. Mars Hill was the perfect location to be able to hear Paul preach from the marketplace and the Acropolis. How incredible to be standing in a spot hand-picked by God! 
Pauls Sermon

Stairs used to get to the top of Mars Hill

    We enjoyed a delicious lunch in Athens with lots of meats, salads, bread, tzatziki, saganaki, and chips (french fries). After lunch the group split, some went to get ice cream, some to a local wine tasting, and others to do some shopping. We ended the night with an amazing dinner at the college where we enjoyed pork with mushroom sauce, salad, pears, and mashed potatoes! The food has been one of my favorite things here in Greece. 

Ice Cream!

Bar in Athens and wine tasting downstairs


-Kristen Howe
    

Comments

  1. KristaJune 8, 2023 at 3:47 PM

    Beautiful pictures! So glad to hear Dr Lawson didn’t lose his wallet!! Thanks Kristen!

    ReplyDelete

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