Acropolis of Athens

the acropolis is the acropolis. if you love history, whatever obstacles you face, if you persist, the journey is completely worth it.

and like anything in this world that is worth anything, the acropolis will not just fall into your lap.

if you visit in summer, it will be hot. water at the top costs €6 a litre. there are few - if any - signposts to guide your way.

like odysseus, you will be embarking on a quest, and it will not be straightforward for you to reach your destination.

we paid €60 for tickets the night before we wanted to go for entry at midday, however were only mailed the tickets an hour before our allotted time, but our esim card would not work in greece, and so that money was lost.

unperturbed, we determine to visit the ticket office in person and make offerings to the oracles of the ticket booth and get tickets to enter first thing in the morning when the the sun god apollo was just beginning his chariot ride across the sky and the day would still be cool.

and so we wound our way through laneways and up ancient wonky stairways, and along alleys to finally reach to the oracles of the ticket booths. there were gained wisdom. we learned that we - as mere mortals - cannot secure tickets for entry between 8am and 11am (these slots are all taken by tour operators!!)

and there we drank deeply of the €6 waters, and sought shade, and we deliberated. it was 3pm, and it was as hot as hades. 35C in early june. and yet the wind was picking up.

we did not dismay - and we were determined to not be disheartened and lose faith .. that we had come so far.

we conferred, and we concurred that we should buy new tickets for 6pm later that day, when the heat of the day should have lessened, and to make our return when the gods might look more favourably on us.

we retreated down the acropolis as short way and rested a taverna. we drank espresso freddy, eat a mis-named “small appetiser mezze plate” (if that was the small plate, then a large one would have fed a phalanx!) and waited for our time to come.

we left the taverna rehydrated, ensuring we had enough time to ascend and return to the gates with the requested 15 minutes prior to our appointed entry time.

the acropolis did not disappoint. one cannot but experience a sense of wonder standing on the hill where pericles began the works that have stood for two and half thousand years.

yes, there will be crowds. yes, some of our fellow pilgrims were driven up to the from gates in air conditioned comfort, with tickets arranged well in advance. in the end, we were thankful that that was not our path. and yes, you may be waylaid with false promises of tickets that may help you skip the queue, and yes, the official website may not work on the night before you intent to journey to peak of the mount.

and - apparently one is “not allowed to take photos with objects in front of then monuments”. i am sorry, but dinosaur is not an “object” any more than you or i are, nasty monument volunteer killjoy lady. but dinosaur was determined, and dinosaur has crossed the oceans, and dinosaur was deemed worthy.

we were tested. the way is not easy, but the reward are greatest for those who face the greatest challenges.

we prevailed, and we were rewarded.

long may the acropolis stand. long may it give its wonder to all. long live dinosaur.