The Vacation Part. Sunday.

Sunday was a full day. I toured, adventured and wandered from sun up to sun down! It all started at one of the more well known locations of Athens. The Acropolis.

I had to have my picture taken in front of the Palo Verde tree. My parents have one of these trees in their back yard ... it was cool how many plants and trees were familiar to me.

Then it was off to the top of the hill . This picture (and a few others at the end) is part of the Propylaea or the monumental gates.

The Parthenon.

The Erechtheum is a combination of several different temples to various gods.

The Porch of the Caryatids.

The view of Athens from Mars Hill also known as the Areopagus. I got quite the history lesson from a local Greek gentleman about what this place was called and why.

Ancient Agora. This area was the hub of all thing political in ancient Athens. Legal courts and public speeches were just a few of the things happening around this area.

I wandered the town some ... looking for lunch and of course, cool pictures.

It was time to cross the street and find Hadrian's Arch and the Temple to Zeus.

Dinner included an authentic Greek salad, bread and a very sugary desert. It was fun to eat at a little cafe on the street. The weather was perfect for dinner outside. After I ate I decided to try my luck at some sunset pictures from the top of the Acropolis. I was not able to go up there because it was closed for the day ... but I was able to go back up to Mars Hill and get some shots from there. As I was standing there enjoying the view and evening I turned to look back up towards the Acropolis and noticed there were people up there. Turns out each night soldiers go through the site making sure everyone is gone and they turn on the lights that illuminate the buildings. Only on Sunday, it is not the standard soldiers that make the rounds but the special palace guards who do the honours. I managed to catch it!As full a view of the Propylaea I could get. It was spectacular all lit up.