The Temple to the Olympian Zeus, by Hadrian

The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Greek: Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός, Naos tou Olympiou Dios), also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a colossal ruined temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world. The temple's glory was short-lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD. It was probably never repaired and was reduced to ruins thereafter. In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, the temple was extensively quarried for building materials to supply building projects elsewhere in the city. Despite this, substantial remains visible today and it continues to be a major tourist attraction. ~wiki

remains of a Roman bath

this was a wonderful place to walk around in the Greek sunshine,
especially after so much cold and rain - but spring is coming!

the remains of a Roman home

Hadrian's Gate (or Arch)

this column got knocked down by a storm...man, that must have been a doozie!

Corinthian columns

the tour-book shot...

The Cute Neighborhood at the Base of the Acropolis

a happy explorer!

definitely in a nicer part of town...

I think those are Venetian winged lions on that balcony...

this is an old neighborhood church...look, they ring the bells by hand!

these inviting roads and staircases always make me want to find out where they go

right at the base of the Acropolis

this ancient path led to a small neighborhood church

you can't really see it in the photo, but there was tavernas and seating all up this
stairway - really, tables and chairs were set up on landings that could have been mistaken
as stairs! It was so cool...so European! At the top of the stairs you can see the Acropolis.

I will let you figure this one out! Let's just say that parking is a premium...

Random Things to Remember

The grocery list

The sky just opened up and dumped rain! This forecast wasn't lying!

the heat controller in our apartment - it is called
a heat exchanger, and I frankly don't recommend them

and this is the heat-exchange unit - it blows warm-ish air for a bit,
then blows cold air :-(

check out the size of those tablets! 400mg each - yep, that sez Brufen

another type of komboloi - these are in olive wood

my favorite- tuna salad without tomatoes...um, does anyone see a problem with this? haha!
actually, Chuck says the tomatoes are the best here - ripened naturally

On the Calendar

click to embiggen

Strolling the Plaka

Today, on this last day of Carnival, we decided to stroll the Plaka

gosh, I am always drawn to these leather shops!

there was a LOT of people out and about, but only a few in costumes

but, the tavernas were filling up!

lots of shopping in Plaka - souvenir shops, yes, but a lot of other types, as well -
jewelry, furs, fine art, and clothing

all the tavernas have 'recruiters' who tempt you with menus and comfortable seating

beautiful amber (rather expensive) komboloi

and confetti thrown everywhere! Most people were walking around with it in their hair

statue shops are quite popular, as well as the beautiful lamps

I am not sure what the story is about these slippers, but I saw several sellers offering them
obviously, they are made in Greece

and, of course, lots of Greek sandals (I didn't see anyone buying, though...too cold!)

there was a couple of shops selling replicas of historical museum pieces - had to take a shot of the trireme

and Chuck always likes the chess sets

a strange empty street right off the very busy one!

you can see those touristy Greek-style dresses in a lot of shops, but its the layered skirts I like

after that walk about, it was time to sit for a bit - with a cappuccino and some
yogurt, fruit and honey (yum!) Unfortunately, while we were there it started to rain...
what a bummer for Carnival festivities later this evening