Following the footprints of Alexander the Great: Athens

In the airport, all checked in, papers in order very exited and ready for our destination!
We were about to begin a tour of Greece along with an Aegean cruise to the Greek Isles and Turkey. Mercedes presented me with a couple of travel guides so I could read them during our 17 hour  flight. Fortunately, for me, she had had already read and highlighted every step and all relevant information of our tour. As I reviewed the travel guides I hearkened back one of my professors, Dr. Thomas who taught Greek Plays and History I will finally see places I only read about, I mused.
After a brief stop in Amsterdam, we arrived in Athens, The first person to meet us was,"Christos", our chauffeur. I tried my tourist Greek words with him but he was more eager to try his English, which was pretty good.

We safely arrived at the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel Athens. The view from our room was amazing, the first photograph I took in Athens was from the terrace of our hotel room. It was framed by the towering  citadel that still commands the center of attention in Athens, the Acropolis.

view from our hotel window

The city of Athens was named for the goddess Athena. It has always been associated as the universal example of Greek antiquity, democratic ideas, philosophy, Greek mythology and fine food.

picture taken with a telephoto lens

On our second day we started early on a self guided tour of the Acropolis about a mile away, perfect for a walk after breakfast. We planned our trip with extra days to be on our own before and after our guided tour and cruise. This gave us the opportunity to revisit several places in Athens which we particularly enjoyed.
We picked up a map from our hotel and headed out. Soon we were at the entrance of our destination, a self guided tour of the Acropolis. We were aware that we would visit this marvelous center again with the whole tour group. Its history and significance to humanity produced deep emotion

view from the walkway

almost there

Welcome to the Acropolis

We arrived at the entrance of this UNESCO World Heritage Center. A universal symbol of Greek antiquity dating back to the 13 th century BC. The cradle of Democracy and Philosophy, we are here!