2009 06 03 Athens, Greece

Arriving in Athens brought the pages of history to life and exploring Athens is like walking in the footsteps of the great statesmen who planted seeds of our Western philosophy, science, culture and art. If you've ever visited Athens you would have to agree that it is an experience you'll not soon forget.

Viewing the Arch of Hadrian and the Olympian Temple of Zeus is moving. As we approached the Acropolis our excitement grew. The Acropolis dominates the Athenian landscape and it was a quite an experience to walk up the 80 steep steps through the Propylea leading to the Parthenon, the Erectheion and the graceful Porch of the Caryarids. I know what you must be thinking and I'll admit that I cannot pronounce half of these places - but to witness such grandeur and imagine what life must have been like in Ancient times is a dream come true.

The National Archaeological Museum displays major archaeological finds. We viewed the stqtue of Poseidon and the Mask of Agamemnon.

The Plaka is the modern shopping district at the foot of the Acropolis and is home to a sprawling flea market. Cobbled streets lined with shops, tavernas, cafes, T-shirts and lots of gold jewelry...Gotta have that retail therapy.

We also visited the old Olympic Sadium built in 1896 and made of gorgeous white marble. It was built on the foundations of the Ancient Athens stadium of the 4th-century B.C. More recently it was used in the 2004 Olympic games. It looks as impressive as ever - and it is over a hundred years old.

As we left Athens we looked past Hadrian's Arch and viewed the remains of the largest temple in antiquity, the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The Temple took over 700 years to complete and is impossible to imagine how beautiful it must have been.

Of course there is more to Athens than the Acropolis, Temples and Museums - but it is hard to focus on anything else. Street signs and the Greek language makes it difficult to communicate with the locals. Still, everyone was friendly and the need to sell, sell, sell is alive and well. The city sprawls into the hills and appears to go on forever. What an amazing place. We are moved by the experience.