Day 4

Lykavittos Hill has appeared in so many of my photos of Athens, both on this trip, and the previous one 6 years ago. Whether it's been a photo taken from the Acropolis, of the Acropolis or from Filopappos Hill, there it is, rising some 277m above the city, topped by the white Chapel of St George and the ever-present blue & white Greek flag.

The other night I found out from my guide, Panos, that there is a funicular that goes to the top. That sounded like a much better idea than walking up (which you can do). Panos even sent me full directions by email. So, Metro to Evangelismos station, and pretty much uphill from there. At the end of the road, the steps begin... and up I went... and up, and up... well, you get the picture! it's a really nice neighbourhood, as you can see here. The trees are tangerines, which are all over Athens. No fruit on the lower branches, so people obviously pick them.

It was a very hot climb, and I confess I did need (quite) a few stops on the way up! The funicular goes up inside the hill, so it was nice & cool - at least until we stepped out at the top. The 360 degree views across Athens, to the hills surrounding the city and down to the sea are nothing short of spectacular. At ground level, Athens may not be the most attractive city, but from above - wow!!

The chapel is tiny, and very pretty - both inside and outside

I spent a bit of time chatting in the sun with an English man who was travelling with his son. Was a bit peckish and, because there's a restaurant up there, I had lunch before coming back down. There are worse views to look at while you eat!

An uneventful trip back down to the Metro, and inside, as in a number of Metro stations, they show some of the ancient artefacts from when they built the station

I had to go to Syntagma station for the connection to get me back to the hotel, so I decided to watch the changing of the guard again (saw it 6years ago, but well worth another look, just for the spectacle of it all). Parliament is above Syntagma (Constitution) Square, so the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which these guys are guarding, was right nearby. Only had to wait 10 minutes for the hour, which is when the change happens - every hour, on the hour. These fellas were resting in the shade while I waited:

There are a lot of street dogs - and cats - all over Athens

And here you have it (that's really all I can say, as there are no words to describe it):

Tomorrow I'll be heading up to Kalambaka, the main town of the Meteora area, by train first thing - it's about a 5 hour journey. Should be an interesting trip.