greece
athens, delphi, meteora
Athens is an ancient city. It's modern form though is little more than a bunch of crumbling old rocks, noisy polluted streets and expensive restaurants. I expected a lot more, at least a couple of days worth of sighseeing, but Athens gave me no more than a leisurely paced morning. Thankfully, my fake ISIC card from Bangkok's Khao San Road got me into all of Athen's major attractions for free...saving me at least ó50.I spent my time there with a girl from Vancouver, Lindsay, and a guy from Seattle, Brady,  who I had met on the boat over from Santorini. We stayed at the dingy HI Hostel near the centre of town, toured around in the morning, pizza for dinner and then beers on some rocks overlooking the city and the Acropolis  at night which was definitely the highlight.
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Athens
A view eastwards over Athens from Areopagus Hill, near the Acropolis and (below) a view of Ardettos Hill to the southeast of the city.
A Greek Orthodox Jewish rabbi in the tiny alleyways of Athens' old Syntagma district.
The 1st century BC Tower of Winds, part of the Roman agora marketplace, built by the Syrian astronomer Andronicus. Each face depicts a cardinal point frieze of the corresponding wind.
The star of of the city is, of course, the famous Acropolis of Areopagus Hill. Most of the buildings of this complex were built around the 5th century BC. (Above) The Parthenon, the supreme monument that epitomises the glory of ancient Greece. It's unique curving architecture gives the viewer the impression that it is larger than reality. Around the top of he front columns are the remains of a Doric frieze, much of which was carted off to Britain in 1801 and controversially remains there to this day.
(Left) Much of the Parthenon is currently undergoing extensive restoration, the majority of which is to repair mistakes made in earlier restorations. (Right) The Erechtheion and its six Caryatids, six maidens who support the southern portico. They are all plaster casts of the originals kept indoors, five in the Acropolis museum and one in Britain.
The all-important mailman shot, here in its city of origin...perhaps the real mailman himself spent his afternoons walking the paths around the Acropolis thousands of years ago.
The ancient agora marketplace of Athens. The Stoa of Attalos building (above) has been completely restored and now houses offices and a museum.
The massive Temple of Olympian Zeus started in the 6th century BC. It took over 700 years to complete. It was the largest temple in ancient Greece, with over 104 collosal Corinthian columns (17m high, with a base of nearly 2m). Only 15 columns remain, one of which was toppled during a violent thunderstorm in the early 20th century. It now lies as it fell.
The fully restored Roman stadium which hosted the first Olympic Games of modern times in 1896. It was built in the 4th century BC.
Brady's sister, Brady and Lindsay on a rock just below the Acropolis. The view over the city at night was amazing and the Parthenon was completely illuminated high on the hill behind us. Unfortunately, my crappy film camera couldn't take any decent shots at night, you'll have to imagine.
Delphi
Set in a beautiful valley overlooking the Gulf of Corinth, the Delphic Oracle, is one of Greece's most stunning ruins. The oracle, usually a peasant woman of 50 years or more, would inhale the vapors given off by a chasm. She would then go into a trance, gasp, writhe and shudder in a frenzy. Priests would interpret her incoherent ramblings as the definitive answers to questions posed by pilgrims who came to consult her. After intensive scientific testing, no chasm, let alone vapours have been found. It is said that the real power of the oracle was in the hands of the priests who "interpreted" her messages.
The columned Tholos  ruins and the hills around Corinth in the background.
The sacred Temple of Apollo, where the oracle supposedly sat and inhaled the vapours.
A single column left standing from the Sanctuary of Athena.
Meteora
Millions of years ago wave action carved through the stone in this unique area of northern Greece froming the extraordinary stone hills, columns and towers of Meteora. Perched precariously atop many of the rocks columns are ancient monasteries, from the 14th century, many still in use today. I stayed in the small town of Kastraki at a campsite. The town served as my base while I hiked around the area and visited the various old monasteries.
The small village of Kastraki in Meteora and (right) stone towers dwarf these men returning from Sunday mass.
A view of Meteora from the Agiou Nikolaou Monastery, (right) on of the many beautiful iconographic religious paintings within the monastery and (below) an old stone bridge connects two stone towers and parts of the monastery.
Prayer candles in the Agiou Nikolaou Monastery.
(Above and right) Two views of the stone hills around Meteora, one showing the Megalou Meterou Monastery perched high atop a rock tower.
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