CAIT AROUND THE WORLD

May 21, 2022 — I got a later start today but I managed to get on the subway and head to the Temple of Hephaestus.

The Temple of Hephaestus is actually located in the Ancient Agora, which I didn’t realize until I arrived. It’s a huge archaeological site which was once a public square. It was built to completion in the 2nd century A.D. and was a major hub for the entire city. Democracy was born here, administrative officials worked in the Agora, and religion, law, and cultural events flourished as well.

The Stoa of Attalos is one of the main buildings that was here in ancient times although it has been restored and the building that stands now isn’t exactly the “original”. It does, however, give a really good look at just how large the building was in its heyday and its very awe-inspiring to imagine building such a thing without all the modern tools and machines that we use today. If you walk through the museum that it houses, you can also see, from the stonework, how large each of the different vendor stalls were when the Stoa was a functioning marketplace. You could spend hours here as they have numerous different figures and pieces on display from different periods of antiquity. It’s really an incredible monument.

I walked around the rest of the Agora with a bit of speed, at least until I got to the Temple of Hephaestus. This is the best-preserved temple on the mainland of Greece. Most of the original building is still standing, and it dates from the 4th century B.C., meaning that it has stood for about 2,500 years. Isn’t that just incredible?

After I finished in the Ancient Agora, I wandered my way back into the main part of town near the Ancient Roman Agora and Monastiraki Square, stopping to admire Hadrian’s Library. In Monastiraki Square, I found O Thanasis, a little taverna that I remembered as being on the tour guide’s list from the other day, and I managed to get a table for one even though they were insanely busy! I got their Thanasis Kebabs which were just absolutely divine along with a half litre of wine and got just a little bit drunk 😄. That’s what happens when you don’t drink for a few months! (Plus, I’ve never done so well on wine.)

It was such a nice lunch, though, and I highly recommend going if you’re in Athens. The staff were super nice and the food was absolutely delicious. I’m still dreaming about those kebabs a full month and a half later…

I walked back to the hostel with the fresh air in my face (which felt really nice) and then took a shower and laid down. I ended up nodding off to an episode of a show and woke up a little after six, feeling much more sober.

After a little bit, I got up and went out for an ice cream. I wasn’t very hungry since I’d eaten lunch kind of late in the day. I went for a little wander and saw the oldest house in Greece (built in the 18th century), then returned to the hostel about an hour later after picking up a bag of popcorn and a Coke.

I got the blog caught up a little bit by adding bullet notes to the days I had yet to record, then watched a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother with my popcorn before going to sleep.

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