Athens is where our cruise ends, our final port of call with a 6 night port stay, at least for for most of us. For Kevin, Shannon, and Elias, a 4 night port call.
The Grandkids are into Rick Riordan books, modern day take offs on the Greek (also Roman and Norse) mythology so Greece matches their interests. We took cabs to the Moxy Hotel in downtown Athens. The Moxy brand tries to be edgy, bright colors, common spaces, and no reception desk, you check in at the bar. One son said it was the Boomer idea of what would appeal to Zoomers. I’m a boomer, our kids are Gen X and our grand kids are late Zoomers, whatever that means. The hotel was designed for younger folks but it appealed to me, mostly because the staff were kind and helpful. They accommodated a party of nine with grace and added thoughtful touches, like complementary fruit plates.
When we arrived in the morning rooms were not ready, so they checked our bags and we set out walking. I got text messages as the rooms became available. It was hot, 40 degrees Celsius or 104 Fahrenheit so we sought out streets with a lot of shade, although sometimes that was difficult. Throughout our stay we enjoyed several different local Greek restaurants in walking distance. Shannon found one that served family style. The kids did more walking than Suzi and me. They managed to climb to the Acropolis first thing one morning while we had a leisurely breakfast.
We also took the Hop on Hop Off bus. Some of our party rode on the air conditioned bottom while some of us rode on top, in the sun, but with the moving bus giving us some breeze. A few of us split the difference. Wherever you are downtown the Acropolis is a looming presence.
If you don’t want to climb the steps to the Acropolis, I recommend the Acropolis Museum. It is air conditioned with views of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. It was designed, in part, to show the world that Greece could take care of its antiquities better than anyone else. The museum’s interpretation presents the case that treasures from the Acropolis, like the Elgin Marbles, figures in relief which adorned of the Parthenon, were stolen by Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century and belong in this museum rather than the British Museum.
The British have a different opinion. Lord Elgin claimed that he had permission from the Ottoman authorities to remove the marbles. He tried to set up a private museum in England but ended up selling the marbles to the British Museum. The British Museum claims that the marbles were deteriorating and that Elgin saved them for all of humanity, that the British Museum is a repository for the world’s heritage and that more people will have access to them in the UK than in Athens.
The Greeks counter claim that they were occupied by the Ottomans, who had no right to give Greek treasures away, that the marbles are an integral part of the Greek Heritage and belong home. The museum certainly demonstrates that the Greeks can create and curate a first class museum. And while I have seen the Marble in Britain, having them displayed in a gallery that overlooks the Parthenon would give them a context that the British Museum could never match.
The museum is built over the foundations of some ruins so has glass floors in places to enable you to look down at some mosaic and the foundations of ancient Athens.
This is the first of three Athens posts.
