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A Greek Odyssey to Athens, Delphi, Olympia and Santorini
Andy De'
and pizazz, dressed in white, in my mind’s eye - my family and I could easily go back to Athens for an Yanni encore on a warm Greek summer night, at the Odeon of Herod below the Acropolis, at the drop of a hat!
An anecdote that tickled our collective imagination was the gift of the olive tree by the warrior Goddess Athena when she was contesting Poseidon for protection of the city. The otherwise humble olive tree that Athena contributed against the salt water stream from Posiedon has become an enduring icon of the Greek culture and heritage, and contributed to this amazing city being named after its patron warrior Goddess, that otherwise may well have been called Poseidonia!
Please plan on spending 3-5 days to get a feel for Athens including the well appointed museums with artifacts from the golden era of Greece, the majestic Olympic stadium as well as the port of Piraeus from which you can take a boat or a hydrofoil to the utterly picturesque islands in the Greek Cyclades. Do take the time to experience one of the largest Christmas trees and celebrations in Europe at the Syntagma Square at the center of Athens, if you happen to be in this majestic capital city of Greece over Christmas.
An anecdote that tickled our collective imagination was the gift of the olive tree by the warrior Goddess Athena when she was contesting Poseidon for protection of the city. The otherwise humble olive tree that Athena contributed against the salt water stream from Posiedon has become an enduring icon of the Greek culture and heritage, and contributed to this amazing city being named after its patron warrior Goddess, that otherwise may well have been called Poseidonia!
Please plan on spending 3-5 days to get a feel for Athens including the well appointed museums with artifacts from the golden era of Greece, the majestic Olympic stadium as well as the port of Piraeus from which you can take a boat or a hydrofoil to the utterly picturesque islands in the Greek Cyclades. Do take the time to experience one of the largest Christmas trees and celebrations in Europe at the Syntagma Square at the center of Athens, if you happen to be in this majestic capital city of Greece over Christmas.
the Temple of Zeus, all of which we had read about in our childhood. However, I was little prepared for the profound spiritual impact I experienced at the Acropolis – the epicenter of the ancient Greek empire. The Parthenon, the original temple of the Greek Gods, has over the years, been turned into a church, a mosque a synagogue, destroyed, desecrated, burnt down and yet, has stood the ravages of time! Besides the Parthenon, the majestic remains of the Erechtheion, that was re-built to the Goddess Athena (from whom Athens derives its name) and the Temple of Athena Nike are monuments that simple astound and mesmerize.
Particularly fascinating at the base of the Acropolis is the Sanctuary of Dionysus that provided a forum for learning in these sylvan surroundings in the lap of Mother Nature, thousands of years ago, not unlike that of Robi Thakur at his verdant abode in Shantiniketan in West Bengal! Equally mesmerizing for us was the Theater (Odeon) of Herod Atticus (also at the base of the Acropolis) where Yanni, the prodigal son of Greece, delivered his now legendary ‘Live at the Acropolis’ musical performance, that is perhaps, one of the best selling albums in the new age instrumental music genre over the last 20 years. I closed my eyes and could visualize him presenting his concert with his signature élan
Particularly fascinating at the base of the Acropolis is the Sanctuary of Dionysus that provided a forum for learning in these sylvan surroundings in the lap of Mother Nature, thousands of years ago, not unlike that of Robi Thakur at his verdant abode in Shantiniketan in West Bengal! Equally mesmerizing for us was the Theater (Odeon) of Herod Atticus (also at the base of the Acropolis) where Yanni, the prodigal son of Greece, delivered his now legendary ‘Live at the Acropolis’ musical performance, that is perhaps, one of the best selling albums in the new age instrumental music genre over the last 20 years. I closed my eyes and could visualize him presenting his concert with his signature élan
View of Erechtheion
Photo: Andy De
Photo: Andy De
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DELPHI and OLYMPIA – The Grandeur of Ancient Greece
My pursuit of Greek mythology as a hobby in my childhood has inculcated an inexorable fascination for the Oracle of Delphi as well as the origin of the Olympic Games in ancient Olympia. Beholding the remains of the Temple of Apollo presided by the Oracle at Delphi, as well as the first Olympic Village in the World (that housed
