Tag Archives: Athens

Day Trips from Athens – Hydra Island

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Hydra island, Greece

Hydra island, Greece

With Saronic Islands day trips from Athens you visit three islands – Hydra, Poros and Aegina. If you’re short on time and really want to see more than one island in an organized, semi-escorted way, this is a good way to do it. On the other hand, you spend a lot more time traveling between islands and boarding and disembarking than you do on the islands. Personally, I’d rather have time to linger and soak up one place, and Hydra would be that place. Hydrofoils depart several times a day from Athens’ Pireaus port during the tourist season (March/April-October). The one-way trip takes about 1 ½ hours. The island is idyllic, with the pretty, whitewashed town tucked between amphitheater hills and the harbor, cobbled roads and no motorized traffic – the perfect recipe for lazy poking around and a long harbor-view lunch.

Athens Day Trips – Corinth

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Temple of Octavia, Corinth, Greece

Temple of Octavia, Corinth, Greece

The ancient site of Corinth is about an hour drive west of Athens on the isthmus that connects mainland Greece to the Peloponnese. There has been significant development there since the 8th century BCE. With ports on the Corinthian Gulf and the Saronic Gulf, Corinth controlled a great deal of trade and was very wealthy and powerful, especially in the Classical period, when the city was known for decadence. The flamboyant Corinthian Order (column) originated in Corinth and is a good reflection of the city’s character at its peak.

Ancient attempts to dig a canal through the isthmus failed but, after the first try in the 7th-century BCE, a paved ramp was built so ships could be moved overland to avoid sailing around the Peloponnese. In the late 19th century, the canal was finally built, 4 miles long and only 70 feet across, too narrow for most modern seafaring traffic.

Many visitors to Corinth are interested in its biblical significance. Paul the Evangelist established a church there and visited several times. Two of his letters to the congregation in Corinth are part of the Christian Bible – 1st & 2nd Corinthians. Among the ruins are a 6th-century BCE Temple of Apollo, one of the oldest surviving Greek temples, a Roman Temple of Octavia, the Roman agora, and the Bema, a public square where Paul was judged after some of the locals complained about his preaching.

The Great Dionysia of Ancient Athens

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Ancient Athenians welcomed spring with hard drinking and the latest offerings of their favorite entertainers. The Great Dionysia, also known as the City Dionysia (as opposed to the Country Dionysia in the winter) was a major festival held around the vernal equinox beginning in the 7th century BCE. Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, theater and wild abandon was the fitting honoree.

The 5-day(ish) festival evolved over the centuries but here’s more or less how it went:

The festival opened with a grand parade through the streets of the city to the Theater of Dionysus on the slopes of the acropolis. Thousands joined the procession, including Athenians and visitors, who came to town for the occasion. The procession ushered a statue of Dionysus and sacrificial animals to the theater and marchers waved phalloi on poles to symbolize the fertility of the season.

Theater of Dionysus, Athens

Theater of Dionysus, Athens

After the procession, revelers settled into the theater to enjoy competitions between choruses from the different tribes of Attica, who performed poetry and songs in honor of Dionysus.Then there were the sacrifices, followed by feasting and prodigious wine drinking (and associated behaviors).

The next three or four days were dedicated to theatrical competitions. Playwrights would introduce their new works here. Winners were awarded an ivy wreath, but the real prize was the glory and prestige of victory. Most of the ancient Greek drama that we know today was first performed at this festival. Initially only tragedies and satyr plays (satire) were included in the competition, but from the early 5th century, comedies were also allowed. Prizes went not only to writers but also to producers, directors and actors.

 

Epidaurus, Greece

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Theater of Epidaurus, Greece

Theater of Epidaurus, Greece

Less than 2 hours from Athens, near the Saronic Gulf coast of the Peloponnese, the ancient site of Epidaurus makes an easy day-trip from the capital.

In mythology, Epidaurus was the birthplace of Asclepius, son of Apollo and god of healing. The Asclepion sanctuary there was an active healing center from the 6th-century BCE to the 4th-century CE and then continued as a Christian healing center for another century. The area thrived on the popularity of the sanctuary and the spectacular theater at Epidaurus is one indication of that prosperity. The theater seats 15,000 and the acoustics are so perfect that normal voices on the stage can be heard clearly from every seat. The theater is still used for performances today.

Click to see Greece tours that include Epidaurus.

Greece Must See – Mycenae

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Lion Gate, Mycenae, Greece

Lions Gate, Mycenae, Greece

Located about 60 miles southwest of Athens on the northeastern Peloponnese, in the region of Argolis, Mycenae was a major center of power in the eastern Mediterranean from about 1600-1100BCE. The Mycenaeans were culturally influential and the period is the source of a lot of Greek legend. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey sprang from this time.

In the Iliad, Agamemnon, the legendary king of Mycenae, led the Greek forces in the Trojan War. War sparked when Helen (of Troy) ran off with Paris, prince of Troy. Helen was the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta and Agamemnon’s brother. It’s a good story, really. Whether any of the bones of the story are factual is debatable but there’s no question that it was inspired by some complex power struggles, think Game of Thrones.
(See my brief retelling of the Iliad here and here.)

Excavations at Mycenae represent different periods, ranging from 17th-century BCE shaft tombs to the 14th– century cyclopean walls (so called because the stones are so large the Cyclops must have built them) and the 13th-century Lions Gate. A fair bit of walking over very uneven ground is required to see the site. Good, sturdy shoes are a must, and a big bottle of water.

Myceanae is an easy daytrip from Athens and also a regular feature on longer bus tours. These Ya’lla tours include visits to Mycenae: Scholar’s Classical, Scirocco, Aegean Highlights, Ultimate Greece, Aeolos.

Delphi: Center of the World

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Delphi, Greece

Delphi, Greece

Delphi is a 2.5 – 3 hour drive northwest of Athens on the slopes of Mt.Parnassus, a really stunning spot. The ancient Greeks believed it to be the center of the world. According to legend, Apollo killed the Python that guarded the Omphalos, or navel of the earth, and thereafter, the site was dedicated to the god. The Delphic Oracle was a priestess known as the Pythia, who channeled the words of Apollo for seekers of wisdom from near and far. Delphi was also known for the Pythian Games, similar to the original Olympic Games.

The extensive remains are mostly from the 6th-century BCE and are scattered on several terraced levels right down the side of the mountain. The small museum holds artifacts found at the site. The modern town of Delphi is right there, with lots of hotels, restaurants and shops. Staying a night instead of doing the roundtrip to Athens in one day is a good option. There are motor coach tours either way.

These Ya’lla tours to Greece include visits to Delphi: Scholar’s Classical, Scirocco, Aegean Highlights, Ultimate Greece, and Aeolos.

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 23

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All the clues in this post refer to one Ya’lla Tours destination: Bahrain, Cuba, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Turkey, or United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai).

We’ll show you images of popular tourist sites in our mystery country, along with descriptions of those sites. Continue reading →