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The highlight of Athens is definitely the Parthenon. Built between 447 and 438 B.C., the Parthenon is situated on the Acropolis, an elevated rocky outcropping of land. Most ancient Greek cities were built around a portion of higher ground, an Acropolis, from where they could base their defense. The view of the surrounding area from the fortified hill allowed the Greeks to spot enemies closing in on the city. The Parthenon was dedicated to the goddess Athena, patron saint of Athens. Although only a portion of the sacred building still stands, the remaining ruins are a work of art. Tall, white marble columns stand rigid on their rectangular base of stacked marble blocks. In some places, the pillars support a short wall of decorated marble, but it has crumbled away in other places, leaving the column tops bare. An assortment of stacking stones, historic rubble and fragments of pillars litter the ground. Also holding a place of prominence on the Acropolis is The Erecthion. Legend has it that the contest between Poseidon and Athena to be named patron of the city took place here. Poseidon forced his trident into the ground, releasing the waters of a spring. Athena’s deed, touching the ground with a spear and creating an olive tree, was deemed mightier, and the city was named after the goddess. The Erecthion’s
walls are constructed from blocks of marble stacked high on top of one
another. It also has marble columns, but the south porch of the building
boasts a feature typical of Ionic Architecture. Here, in place of the columns,
marble statues of females, or Caryatids, are used to support the roof.
They stand tall and proud under the immense weight of their crown.
Also a great area for shopping, the Plaka is full of little stores selling everything from jewelry to photographs to statues. At night the Plaka becomes even livelier, its streets packed shoulder to shoulder with locals and tourists, music blaring from small bars and vendors pushing you to buy their wares. Another one
of Athens’ must see sights is the first Olympic Stadium, built in 330 B.C.
Grand beyond imagination, the entire structure is constructed out of white
marble. The newly built track is surrounded by ascending marble benches
in the shape of a U. In some spots, time has left its mark in the form
of blackened patches. In others, the natural grain of the marble is visible
and gray stripes punctuate the white.
Almost every ship docks at Mykonos, one of the most famous and most visited islands. Small enough to walk from one end to the other, the streets are lined with gorgeous white washed houses. Shutters, window and door frames, along with doors and banisters are painted in bright colors, which emphasize the stark whiteness of the houses even more. Blue is the most popular, but green and red are also common. In front of a white church with a red domed roof stands Petros the Pelican. The huge bird, perched on the edge of a white wall, cleans himself as tourists timidly approach for a photo. His pink and blue beak is nearly the size of my arm. Near the sandy beach sits a white washed church with a blue dome roof – the epitome of Greece. A white cross crowns the blue dome. Farther along the beach at the top of a gentle hill, a row of windmills form a straight line. Their base is whitewashed, but the cones topping them are covered in straw. Thin sticks of wood latched together comprise the wheels that spin slowly on the light breeze coming off the sea. Patmos Another popular cruise ship stop is the Holy Island of Patmos. The northernmost island of the Dodecanese group, Patmos is a place of pilgrimage for many Christians due to its religious history. At the summit
of the small island lies the Monastery of St. John the Theologian. If you
have the time, climb up the steep road that coils its way up to the monastery.
It’s a fairly long hike, but worth the effort as you’re rewarded with a
spectacular view of Patmos and its numerous bays and coves. Buses and taxis
also make frequent runs to the top of the hill.
A small museum on the site houses sacred treasures such as intricately decorated manuscripts. It is also possible to see aged embroidered religious garments, jewelry and mosaics. Another notably sacred place on Patmos is the Grotto of the Apocalypse. Just down the hill from the monastery lies the cave where it is believed St. John experienced his divine revelation. Tourists packed the dark, damp cave, but no one uttered the merest sound. A sort of revered silence fell over the crowd as they entered the holy area. Watch your step here; the stairs are steep and the rock is slippery. Inside the cave, a worn stone ledge comprises the desk where St. John wrote the Book of Revelations. A smaller ledge served as his pillow. Three fractures in the stone roof mark the spot where God’s voice reached through to St. John. The triple crack both symbolizes and honors the Holy Trinity. Rhodes Another of Greece’s highlights, the island of Rhodes, has both incredible beauty and interesting history to share with its visitors. The largest of the Dodecanese island group, Rhodes has several beaches from which you can enjoy the sea. One is covered with small pebbles in place of sand, but the magnificence of the royal blue water is obvious regardless of the composition of the beach. Rhodes receives over 300 days of sunshine a year, which makes you appreciate the crisp coldness of the Aegean even more. Pottery is Rhodes’ craft, and tours of factories are available. You can see how the pieces are created from start to finish, including the painting of the finished product by talented artists. Pottery is for sale all over the island, but the factories have the best selection. Some of the most beautiful pieces have colored porcelain baked onto the clay in flowery designs. The city of Lindos is built around an Acropolis. Square white houses set amidst abundant greenery line the lower portion of the rock projection. Although the Acropolis of Lindos is not as high as Athens, its grandeur is enhanced by its extraordinary setting above the Aegean Sea. At the bottom, a white sandy bay greets the blue water with a spattering of umbrellas. There isn’t an empty space on the fine sand. It’s quite easy to walk to the top of the Acropolis, but there is also a more adventurous way to ascend to the island’s highest point – by donkey. I assumed that this would require a lot less effort in the blazing sunshine, but I think I expended more energy praying for my life and gripping the makeshift saddle. Donkeys are not the most graceful walkers and I was constantly bumped from side to side. They also have a tendency to walk wherever they like, and several of the animals, mine included, walked awfully close to the precipitous edge. I was sure we were going to go tumbling off the Acropolis into the clear water at any moment. Whichever way you get to the top, you’ll be astounded by the view. The color of the water is mesmerizing. In one direction, a long beach stretches on for miles. The water that meets the sand is almost white, and then abruptly changes to a richer, dark blue as the depth of the sea increases. In another direction, tiny pieces of land form mini islands in the turquoise water. The ruins on the Acropolis of Lindos easily rival that of Athens. Dating back to 2000 B.C., what remains is a mix of Byzantine, Turkish and Frankish ruins. The majority of the summit’s floor is a mix of rock and dry grass. Stone stairs lead to one of the Acropolis’ highest structures of which only three tall columns still stand. The front two columns support two stone blocks stacked on top of one another. Farther along, the ground has been paved and a concrete platform makes for easier walking. Remains of another building stand here, the front and back each consisting of four supported pillars. Stacked stones compose what is left of the walls, although they are in the process of being restored. From here you can see the Bay of Lindos and the water is so clear that you can easily make out the bottom of the sea. Santorini When you’ve had just about all the history and white marble you can take, along comes one of Greece’s most breathtaking sights, the volcanic island of Santorini. One of nature’s most incredible creations, this is the island that I plan to revisit. One day here is definitely not enough to absorb the splendor of what has been often referred to as Greece’s most beautiful island. Santorini is considered a caldera - a volcanic depression in the shape of a basin. The caldera was created thousands of years ago when the Strongyli volcano collapsed. Santorini is the portion of the submerged caldera that remains above sea level. Approaching
the crescent shaped island from the deep sea, I was astounded by its size.
The most southern of the Cyclades islands, Santorini looks like a massive,
snow capped mountain dropped into the middle of the sea. As you get closer,
you’ll see that the enormous island isn’t covered in snow at all – it’s
the thick spattering of typically Greek white washed houses that turns
its top layer completely white. The sides of the island are too steep to
bear any buildings, and the majority of the island’s structures are built
on its flat top.
Oia’s bars, restaurants and homes sit along the perimeter of the island. Relaxing at one of the cliffside restaurants provides you with an unbeatable vista of the island and surrounding water. The blue sea glimmers in the bright sun, and Santorini stretches on and on. Smaller islands, part of the same volcanic group, are speckled throughout the sea. The east coast of the island boasts the most beautiful beaches, but beware – the black volcanic sand may look spectacular, but it’s extra hot on the feet. When it’s time to head back to the ship, you have two options. A set of stairs leads down the rock face to the shore, but I’d recommend taking the cable car. Not only is it a lot easier, but the final view of the island in its spectacular setting is one you’ll savor forever. The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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