Greece, the birthplace of democracy, is a beautiful, rugged country, steeped in history. It has nearly 1600 islands, but only 170 of them are inhabited. Half of the ten million population live in Athens.
This bustling city is a good central point from which to see Greece. The white marble Parthenon on Acropolis Hill is a breathtaking sight. The Acropolis is sometimes called the sacred rock. It sits on top of a 512-foot high limestone rock and was originally built to defend the city in 1500 BC, destroyed 1000 years later, and rebuilt in 450 BC.
There are three other buildings on the site besides the Parthenon. The Erechtheum is a temple honoring Athena and Poseidon. The Propylea is a monumental gateway. To its right stands the Temple of Athena Nyke or Wingless Victory. The newest building, The Acropolis Museum, houses many works of art discovered since excavation began in 1835.
At night the Acropolis is the site of the Son-et-Lumiere, or Sound and Light show. The entrance is actually across the street from the Acropolis. The first time we tried to find it we walked around the base of the Acropolis. This seems to be a lover's lane and it was very tempting to stay and enjoy the view in the balmy air.
The show, in English, is every night unless there is a full moon. The audience sits in chairs facing the Acropolis, which is lit up from different sides at different times in various colors to illustrate a taped narrative of the history of the Acropolis.
After this it is a short walk to the Plaka. This area is about two blocks crammed full of restaurants and cafes moving straight up the hill toward the Acropolis. It is impossible to walk through the streets without waiters appealing to you to try their restaurant: "Just look at our menu. Good prices, good food, good music, come in and look around." They say in perfect English.
Most of the restaurants are outside, but under cover. Their bouzouki music mingles in the street. We went to a Taverna with a floorshow and although they had no cover charge there was a minimum order of at least a plate of fruit. We ordered that and it was beautifully prepared. The floorshow, with several singers, a belly dancer and volunteer dancers from the audience was very good. We also tried the famous ouzo there, an anise flavored liquor.
On the whole we found Greek food inexpensive and very tasty. Meals are always served with water and bread, although at an outdoor restaurant you will be charged for the bread. Most menus have an English translation and many places show you the food in the kitchen from which you can choose.
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