I Love a Parade

Today is March 25 which means it's Greek Independence Day.  It also happens to be Sunday so between cultural sites and shops, there are a lot of closures today.  The nice consolation prize is that we get to experience Athens like the locals and enjoy the Independence Day parade.  The Greeks are understandably proud of their heritage and won their independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829.  Independence Day is celebrated on March 25 because on that day in 1821, Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution inspiring the Greeks to rise up and proclaim their independence from the Turks.

Every year on March 25, parades are held throughout Greece commemorating Greek independence, including the main parade in Athens that features the Greek Armed Forces.  We didn't get out quite as early as we thought, but we made it time to catch the parade from the starting point.  A friend from work who is Greek gave me a scarf with the flag and logo of the national soccer team.  We cheered and celebrated like the locals, but considering my blond hair and fair complexion, I don't think I was mistaken for Greek.  We saw many military units marching in precision and had fighter jets and helicopters fly in formation very low in the sky above us.

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation

Today is also the Feast of the Annunciation in the Greek Orthodox Church which is also celebrated on March 25.  This marks the day that the Angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus.  For us Methodists, today is Palm Sunday and we found the Anglican Church in Athens and picked up palm branches although we missed the service.

After the parade, we walked up to the Parliament and watched the changing of the guard.  A special unit of the Hellenic army known as the Evzones are in traditional military dress and guard the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament building.  They have a unique style of marching which is somewhat in slow motion to go with their unique uniform.

Changing of the Guard

We could tell this was a day of great pride for the Greeks. Children were dressed up in traditional outfits and many people were out walking the streets and lining the parade route.  Pop and I were both wearing our blue shirts which made us feel like we were part of the big family celebration, if only for a moment.

Athens and the Olympics

The modern Olympics were first held in Athens in 1896 and the city hosted again in 2004.  We didn't make it to the 2004 Olympic facilities, but we made sure to stop and visit the Panathenaic Stadium.  This is the only stadium in the world made entirely of marble and it hosted several of the events during the the 1896 Games.  The stadium is located within the historic center of Athens and provides a nice view of the back side of the Parthenon and Acropolis.  Today it hosts the finish line of the annual Athens marathon.  From 7:30am to 9:00am each day, locals are allowed to jog around its track.  Although we didn't take advantage of the jogging, we did wander around and admire all of the gleaming white marble that surrounded us.

1984 Los Angeles Games

One of the cooler aspects of the stadium is the small museum that you access through a stone tunnel carved out under the marble seating areas.  Within the museum are the torches that have been used in most of the prior Olympic games.  Each Olympic year the flame starts its journey from this stadium to the host country.

View of the Acropolis from the Stadium

Acropolis and the Parthenon

East side of the Parthenon

If there's a single iconic symbol of Athens, it's the Parthenon that sits atop the Acropolis in the middle of the oldest part of the central city.  Construction began in 447 B.C., some 2500 years ago and before the time of Christ.  The Parthenon was actually built as a temple to the Goddess Athena whom the people of Athens considered their patron and for whom the city is named.

There's only one way to get to the top of the Acropolis and that is to walk uphill.  Our apartment was not far from the main entrance so we set out early and walked up a cobblestone walkway to the entrance.  From there it became a lot steeper as we traversed multiple sets of steps making our way to the top.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Our first view was that of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.  What today looks like an outdoor amphitheater was actually an enclosed structure erected in 161 A.D.  An Odeon is a theater use for music concerts -- Ode is the Greek word for song.  This is still used today for the occasional musical performance.  There was also an outdoor amphitheater used for plays--the Theatre of Dionysus-- but it is very much in ruins and not suitable for use.

Climbing the steep steps of the Propylaea

We climbed numerous steps through the main entrance called the Propylaea, reaching the summit of the Acropolis.  Here we were greeted with our first full-on view of the Parthenon.  Reconstruction and stabilization of the Parthenon has been occurring for many years, and much of the west side its still shrouded in scaffolding.  Acropolis means "high city," and you will find other Greek cities with their own acropolis.  The top of the Acropolis is very rocky -- great for stability and constructing these large temples, but very uneven for walking.  Many of the rocks and marble have been worn smooth by wind, rain, and time, so we had to be careful as there were slick spots even on a beautiful sunny day.

Erectheion

Also on the Acropolis is the Erectheion, a temple perhaps even more prestigious than the Parthenon.  It was built on the site where the Mycenaeans had built a palace for their king.  The replica Caryatids help support the roof of the porch.  This temple was dedicated to both Poseidon and Athena, each side reserved for worshipping one or the other.  The other major

Caryatids

structure atop the Acropolis is the Temple to Athena Nike.  It was designed by one of the architects of the Parthenon and dedicated to Athena's victory over Poseidon and for bringing victory over the Persians in 479 B.C., hoping it would ensure other victories.

Temple of Athena Nike

It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring to see 2,500 years of history before our eyes.  Even though a significant portion is in ruins, what

remains is simply an incredible testament to the ability and advancement of the Greeks to construct such masterful structures that have withstood the test of time.

Acropolis Museum

We've hit the ground running on our first day in Athens.  After our arrival this afternoon and briefly settling into our apartment, we walked down the street and to the Acropolis Museum.  The museum is a strikingly modern building set amidst the historic center of Athens at the foot of the Acropolis itself.  The museum opened in 2009 and houses many of the original artifacts from the Acropolis.

For the most part, photography is not allowed inside the museum, although there are a couple of places they allow you to take photos without flash.  One of the best relics are the Caryatids from the Erectheion.  Five of the six original lady-columns that once supported the roof of the Erectheion are on display.  Each of them have different appearances right down to the braids in their hair.  The ones we will see on the Acropolis are replicas.

The museum itself sits atop an active archaeological site that is still being examined and excavated.  Many of the relics inside the museum date to 400-500 B.C., and it's amazing to see both the sophistication of the sculpture and pottery as well as their excellent condition considering most are at least 2,500 years old

An added bonus for us is being able to visit on a Friday.  Each Friday night, the museum stays open until 10:00pm and features jazz music in the restaurant.  We enjoyed great food and music while enjoying sweeping views of the Acropolis and Parthenon lit up in the dark evening sky

A great beginning to our trip.  Tomorrow, it's up bright and early to hike up to the Acropolis and see it up close and personal.

Greece is the Word

The Parthenon as seen from our apartment balcony.

Hello from Athens!!!  We've arrived safely for our spring break tour of Greece, focusing on Athens and the Peloponnese.  I'm dubbing this the ancient history tour as we will be seeing lots of historical sites and ruins as we trace history back 2,500 years.  We're staying in an apartment while in Athens and it comes with a really great view -- one that I wouldn't mind having on a daily basis.  Let the fun begin!

Oregon Coast Highway

Historic Newport Bayfront

US Route 101 runs north-south along the entire coast of Oregon.  We drove 205 miles (out of about 350) from Reedsport to Astoria over 2 days.  We'd stop along the way at overlooks or pop in to one of the small towns along the way.  We spent the night in Newport which is probably the largest town along the coast.  We ate awesome seafood at Georgie's Beachfront Grill --  with its gorgeous ocean views -- and were treated to a spectacular sunset as we finished out dessert.

Probably the most fun stop was in Tillamook which sits a little inland from the coast. Tillamook is famous for its cheese and ice cream, although you don't really see it much on the east coast.  The town is home to the Tillamook County Creamery Association, a farmer-owned cooperative that's been making cheese for over 100 years.  Ice cream production began in 1947.  We stopped at the visitor center which is located at the manufacturing plant and had a delicious lunch of grilled cheese and ice cream in order to truly sample their best products.  Unfortunately, plane travel prevents us from bringing these goodies home.

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach

We were blessed with fantastic weather during our entire trip.  Clear blue skies and pleasant temperatures in the 60s during our coastal swing made the views even more spectacular.  Two days were not enough to truly experience all there was to see, so our next trip to the Oregon will include more time along the Oregon Coast Highway.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

After we departed Crater Lake, we headed west to spend the rest of our time along the coast.  During dinner on our last night at Union Creek, the proprietor of the local restaurant told us about the Oregon Dunes and that we should really stop and check it out while on the coast.  So we did.

Oregon Dunes from the Viewpoint -- this is what we hiked
through in order to access the beach

Oregon has a varied coastline. Miles of sandy beaches in places.  Rocky shorelines and cliffs in other places.  In the southern half of the coast centered around the town of Reedsport are miles of huge dunes that form the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.  There are portions where they allow you to bring your ATVs and go four wheeling of which we saw lots of folks taking advantage. Large sections of the dunes are a protected area for half the year because the western snowy plover nests here when reproducing.

We drove north from Reedsport and stopped at the Oregon Dunes day use area.  From here you had great views of the dunes as well as forested areas between the dunes and the beach.  We decided to hike out to the beach which allowed us to hike over the dunes and through the forest.  In looking at the trail map, I saw that there were multiple boardwalk areas as part of the trail, presumably over areas of water.  You could see a few tidal pools amongst the dunes so that made sense.  Once we crossed the dunes and got into the forest, we were stopped by several, at times knee-deep, pools of water in order to continue on the trail.  I didn't bring my water shoes and the water was too deep for my hiking boots, so off they came.  Now I'm hiking through the forest barefoot in search of the beach.  I happen upon the first "boardwalk" which its maybe 5 feet in length and traverses some type of water. Ironically, there was multiple pools on the other side that you still had to cross.  The other boardwalk had the same characteristics.  I'm still not sure what the purpose was.

Who hikes through the forest barefoot?

We make it to the beach and what a sight. Miles of pristine sand and not a single person in sight.  We were literally the only two people on the beach.  I've never been to any beach where I had it all to myself.  It was quite the treat.  Just us listening to the waves and sounds of nature.

We probably stayed 30 minutes and didn't encounter another soul.  As we hiked back to the car, we did see another couple making the trek out.  We left just in time so they could enjoy the same experience we had.

The payoff