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.