Day 59 - Acropolis and Cardboard - Athens, Greece
August 14, 2026 - biked 8.5 km (5.3 mi) - biked 2081 km (1293 mi) total
We had a lazy morning but soon had to battle thousands of tourists visiting the Acropolis. We had to buy tickets beforehand for a one hour time slot for 30€ each. It was madness but we did see some stellar sights.
The Acropolis, ‘sacred rock’, was inhabited around 1400 BC from Mycenaean times making Athens one of the oldest cities in the world with 3,400 years of inhabitants. Amazing!
Due to an important holiday, today was the only day grocery stores and maybe bike shops would be open, so we had to find two bike boxes. The last major thing we have to do.
Walking outfit.
Are we in NYC or Chicago?
The sea is beyond!
Packed to a standstill!
So many people snaking even after entering!
The Parthenon housed the Ottoman’s gunpowder and in 1687 when the Venetians invaded it destroyed entire middle.
It was originally built as a temple in celebration over the Persians in the 5th century BC. It’s evolved to be a treasury, Christian church to Virgin Mary, a mosque during the ottoman times and lastly a gunpowder storage during another war in the 1600s.
Wasn’t windy at first, but then hats started flying all round!
Just so much rubble is lying around, but they are attempting to puzzle piece it back together at each stage of the restoration.
Partial roof which is rare at the Acropolis!
Amazing city view if you look past the wind.
Just some lionesses in the corner.
One of the gates
Next agenda-find a bike shop. We quickly found out that all bike shops are closed for August. Everyone takes vacation.
After striking out many times, because Google Maps said other places were open, we ate.
We lucked out that it’s close to trash day and scored this wheelchair box!
While Sarah lugged the wheelchair box back, David found the one bike shop open by chance and was given a children’s bike box.
David also found a fridge box on the long trek back. It is now our garden gnome.
City art
View from our rooftop! All buildings look the same. We later learned this was due to a crazy post-war housing boom where landowners would trade their land for a new folks moving from the countryside to build and have a floor in the building.
We have a rooftop but not a high enough rooftop for a sunset viewing.