The rain that had been in the forecast for today never materialized and the light overcast made for pretty pleasant walking. I got out early in an effort to beat both the crowds and the heat. Thank goodness again for google maps, it seems like every time I didn’t use it I ended up going the wrong way. Even when I got close to where I thought the acropolis ticket office was, I saw crowds and lines which I headed over to join. No, this was in fact the starting line for the 38th annual Marathon (the Marathon, Marathon.)
Once I figured it out I was on my way up. The ascent passes many temple ruins, theatres and other buildings. There’s enough to see on the way that the climb is not overwhelming. Once at the top, there is the Parthenon, an older temple to Athena, the Prophylaia, a pretty massive entrance to the complex, and views forever. I posted one picture looking down at the ancient agora. You can see the Temple of Hephaestus in the green area upper center. My apartment is somewhere to the right of that.
