Athens, seen from Lycabettus Hill
Acropolis in Athens
Constructed roughly 2,500 years ago, the Parthenon is the crown jewel of the Acropolis. Built as a temple for the goddess Athena (the city’s namesake), it symbolizes the zenith of ancient Greece’s golden age as the home of philosophers, the birthpla
The Anafiotika section of the Plaka neighborhood sits at the base of the north slope of the Acropolis. Dating from around the mid-19th century, the homes were built by carpenters and masons hired by the newly installed king to make Athens—recently n
Fashion model in Anafiotika
Fashion model
Rising from the Thessaly plain in the heart of Greece’s mainland, the stone pillars of Meteora punctuate the sky at heights of hundreds of feet to create a stunning landscape made more spectacular by six monasteries perched high atop some of these s
Varlaam Monastery
Holy Trinity Monastery
Varlaam and Roussanou monasteries
Monastery of Agios Nikolaos Badovas The hermit caves of Badovas dot two large rock formations in the valley of Panagia (Virgin Mary) in the Meteora region. In the foreground is the tiny Panagia chapel. Above that is the remains of an ascetic’s cave
Meteora nun
These people brought a gong to an overlook to make a video capturing the spiritual atmosphere of Meteora.
The Meteora hills are covered with an abundance of beautiful wildflowers.
Meteora (important messages)
Kastraki is a handsome village nestled in the embrace of the Meteora rock pillars.
Mytikas Peak, the tippy top of Mount Olympus. It’s the highest point in Greece and legendary home to the Greek gods. I did a long day hike to the top of Mount Olympus, and after I reached its heights the weather changed as clouds completely envelope
This tomb is thought to have held the cremated remains and assorted goods of Philip II of Macedonia, conqueror of much of Greece in the 4th century BCE and father of Alexander the Great. The tomb is located in a large burial mound in Vergina in nort
As the so-called second city of both the Byzantine Empire and modern-day Greece, Thessaloniki has been a central player both in trade and warfare in the Mediterranean and Balkan regions throughout its long history. Founded in 315 BCE, it was named f
Thessaloniki waterfront
Ano Poli Ano Poli, or Upper Town, is Thessaloniki’s old town. Perched on a hill north of the modern city center, Ano Poli’s is a warren of narrow—and at times steep—cobblestone streets lined with homes, apartment buildings and churches representing
Alexandra Papadopoulou Street was a two-minute walk from my Airbnb in Ano Poli and has three tavernas/restaurants and a cafe. While visiting the city I ate three of my four dinners here, and all of the food (and coffee) was very good. This small str
Venus and the moon over Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki kiosk
Brettos (pronounced Vrettos in Greek), a famous lounge in Athens’ Plaka neighborhood that’s billed as the city’s oldest distillery.
Panathenaic Stadium Host stadium for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The initial stadium on this site was a rectangular structure built by the Greeks in the 4th century BCE, and it was transformed by the Romans in the 2nd century CE to its
Fokianos Sports Park (Athens)
Athens bus stop
Sunblock attire (Athens)
To the west of Omonia Square in central Athens are the scruffy, up-and-coming neighborhoods of Keramikos and Metaxourgio. They include clusters of businesses owned by Chinese and South Asian immigrants. These two men sat in front of the Royal Curry
Ελπίδα, or Elpída (pronounced El-peé-tha), whose name in English means “Hope.”
Evzone guard, Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located in Syntagma (“Constitution”) Square in front of the Hellenic Parliament building in central Athens. Two Evzones, members of the elite Presidential Guard, stand wat
Supporters of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gather at a rally in Syntagma Square in central Athens on June 23, 2023. Mitsotakis, leader of Greece’s center-right New Democracy party, won a second four-year term in May with a big victory in
Political rally
Political rally
Political rally
Kyriakos Mitsotakis fires up his base at his last rally before the election. His New Democracy party improved its standing in the second election with a little more than 40% of the vote, giving it an outright majority in Parliament. Mitsotakis shook
It’s a cat’s world, and we’re just living in it. (Athens)
National Garden. Its name in Greek is the melifluous sounding “Ethnikós Kípos” (pronounced eth-nee-kós keé-pos). It’s an oasis of green and serenity in the heart of Athens.
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