Greece
The first democracy, the last victim of the financial crisis.
Greece is a country of wonder and history - everywhere one travels there is a ruin which speaks of the people who lived and ruled more than 2000 years ago. The objects on display in their museums show work of exquisite design, the buildings built with extraordinary symmetry and beauty.
The government in Athens is slowly putting the Parthenon back together, so the experience is somewhat marred by the cranes and scaffolding. But it is fascinating to see, a giant 3-D jigsaw puzzle taking shape, the old pieces merging with the new white, and piles of numbered marble chunks assembled on the ground waiting to be incorporated. Subway stations in Athens are a museum in themselves - the excavated walls are truly archaeological digs and are displayed behind glass with plaques indicating ancient roads, Christian burial places.
Greece is so much more than islands, sun and fun. In the Peloponnese, lies the foundations of the Greek civilisation, the source of many of the things we take for granted, or remember and make into epic Hollywood films. The Olympic Games - pulled together to stop the fighting between rival groups. The fleet that sailed on Troy to rescue Helen from the Trojans. Castles and forts and ruined amphitheaters litter the countryside, shoulder to shoulder with the people and towns of today.
Travelling in Greece is a history lesson. Enjoy.
Greece is a country of wonder and history - everywhere one travels there is a ruin which speaks of the people who lived and ruled more than 2000 years ago. The objects on display in their museums show work of exquisite design, the buildings built with extraordinary symmetry and beauty.
The government in Athens is slowly putting the Parthenon back together, so the experience is somewhat marred by the cranes and scaffolding. But it is fascinating to see, a giant 3-D jigsaw puzzle taking shape, the old pieces merging with the new white, and piles of numbered marble chunks assembled on the ground waiting to be incorporated. Subway stations in Athens are a museum in themselves - the excavated walls are truly archaeological digs and are displayed behind glass with plaques indicating ancient roads, Christian burial places.
Greece is so much more than islands, sun and fun. In the Peloponnese, lies the foundations of the Greek civilisation, the source of many of the things we take for granted, or remember and make into epic Hollywood films. The Olympic Games - pulled together to stop the fighting between rival groups. The fleet that sailed on Troy to rescue Helen from the Trojans. Castles and forts and ruined amphitheaters litter the countryside, shoulder to shoulder with the people and towns of today.
Travelling in Greece is a history lesson. Enjoy.