Athens Day 3

Temple of Hephaistos

Today we got a late start before hopping on the Metro to the oldest section of Athens, Plaka.  We started in the Ancient Agora.  There is only knee-high rubble left through most of the site and the map is a joke.  The highlight is The Temple of Hephaistos, really pretty columns still intact with intricate reliefs.  There was also a nice small church, Church of the Holy Apostles, which had many restored frescoes.  The Ancient Agora Museum is also on site, not much new after everything else we have seen, but cool break from the heat.

Temple of Hephaistos

Next we tried to find the Tower of the Winds, only to discover that it is under covers being restored for the next two years, oh well.  Then we accidentally found Hadrians's Library trying to find some ancient churches.  There is a flea market area of Athens called Monastiraki that we meandered into next (honestly half the city has taken on this flea market model).  We found some cute earrings and I picked up some olive oil soap.  Then we went looking for churches again.  The National Cathedral is really pretty inside, but the outside is covered for renovations.  There is a really pretty small church, the Kapnikarea that was covered in golden frescoes, really impressive despite its tiny size.

We were near a Starbucks, so of course I had to stop in and get a mug.  I went with the Athens vs Greece mug, because it was prettier.  Then we grabbed the Metro back to the hotel to cool off in the pool - Hilton has a nice pool. I found a place nearby recommended by Trip Advisor for dinner and it was a winner. Maloka is a pretty small restaurant down a dark alley, but it was soooo good and not pricey at all.  We walked through Syntagma Square after dinner.  The fountains change colors and dance after dark.  There was a flash mob, or protest or rally going on - we decided not to hang out.  When we got back to our hotel we went up to the rooftop bar to get pictures of the Acropolis and Athens at night.