I guess you could say that the Acropolis in Athens (this isn't the only one, you know), and the temples that sit upon it (including the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion) is my Eiffel Tower. When I first saw this wonder 24 years ago, I simply could not believe that such an ancient beauty still existed and that we could still step on stones worn smooth by so many centuries of sandaled feet. Since my first visit there, Athens has long stood as one of my favorite cities in this wide world.

Seven years ago, when we returned with this same scientific conference we just attended, the bus taking us to dinner pulled up to the base of the Dionysiou Arepopagitou (a pedestrian street that runs along the base of the Acropolis) and when I caught my first glimpse of the majestic Parthenon, I burst into tears. And yes, I may have shed another again this year.

Cal has been studying ancient history in school this whole past year, and even though we knew we'd be heading to Italy after our time in Greece, we couldn't pass up the chance to spend an extra day in Athens (And honestly, given the jet lag and the five-hour drive to Olympia, coming in a day early was the smart choice.)

Our hotel was located along the Dionysiou Arepopagitou, so after we had a little nap, it was only a short walk before the Parthenon was sitting on our shoulders, and were ascending the slope. The best way to reach the entrance of the Acropolis is along the western side, u well-worn (read: slippery) marble steps along side the Theater of Dionysus. It's a moderate climb, but there are views of the theater and shady olive groves along the way. At the entrance are food and drink stands (of course exorbitantly priced, but delicious and often necessary on blistering days) as well as stands of guides selling tours. The entrance fee is only €12 (and covers loads of other sites), but for some reason the site was free the day we were there, a total bonus.

If you wan a history of the site and structures on it, you can check here and here. There are other people who write about this way better than I do. What I will say is this, it's often hot and crowded, although it was pretty quiet when we were there this year, and even so it feels strangely serene on top of the hill so high above the city. The sweeping views (all the way to the Peloponnese in the west) over the city really give you a sense of how secure the Athenians must have felt in their hold on their lands. The giant Greek flag that flies high above you, with stripes of crisp blue and white reminds you that these Greeks are still very proud of their heritage.

My favorite spot atop the Acropolis is actually not the Parthenon (although, what's not to love, right?), but instead the smaller temple Erechtheion with the six caryatids guarding the front porch. This temple was dedicated to both Athena and Posedion and is built of marble with intricately carved friezes and elaborate doorways and windows. The Porch of the Caryatids is a six-columned structured with the draped figures of women supporting the roof of the porch. I think it's simply stunning.

It feels that every time we go, there's a crane and some scaffolding, and I guess that's a good thing, right? Restoration began in 1975 and continues today with the goal to reduce the effects that decay and pollution and years of wars have had on these ancient wonders. They are also being supported and reinforced to continue to thrive in this earthquake-prone region. You can learn more about those efforts here. They talk about the Acropolis being a breathing thing, and it's true. History lives here.

If you have a day in Athens (or less, really, which was what we had) this is where you need to go. Are there other amazing sites? Well, yes of course, and next time I plan to place my feet on some of them. But it had been a long time, and as Neel said often of this visit, it would be a sin not to take advantage of being there. How could you not?

*My mom and her minister Pope standing together at the March.*

To read Part One of my mom's story, please go to yesterday's post on Still + Life.

It was very exciting when we got to the Washington Monument. We picked up signs and banners and everybody started walking toward the Lincoln Memorial. The March itself was very moving. Many of us joined arms or hands and sang “Freedom, Freedom” or “We Shall Overcome.” I think I began to get an idea what a big deal this was... all these people who didn’t know each other but were united in this cause and committed to doing something brave for it. And on a personal level it was clear that people were committed to being nice to each other. It always fascinates and reassures me that what one chooses to do on a personal level can have such an enormous impact on a much broader scale. Anyway, I never saw anything that resembled hostility or even testiness the entire time we were there, or on the whole trip for that matter. That in itself kind of tells the story of the event.

Here’s the disappointing part, at least as far as a good story is concerned. As I said, when we got to the Lincoln Memorial we found it impossible to see or hear anything. Well, I take that back. We could hear some of the speakers but not well. We heard Mahalia Jackson and we heard the applause and cheers for the speeches...especially MLK’s. If you look at that picture on Wikipedia looking out from the Lincoln Memorial there are trees lining the left side of the mall. We were behind those trees, about a quarter of the way back. At the time we weren’t really disappointed. We were happy to be there and felt very much a part of something profound. We were actually lucky about the trees because it was HOT. There was a special on CNN on Sunday night and on it one woman mentioned the heat, saying it had to be the hottest day of the year. There were sandwiches and drinks for the crowd along the March so it was kind of like a picnic at times.

The churches in the surrounding area were opened up so we could use the bathrooms and wash up at the end of the day. After we washed up and ate a bite (more sandwiches at the churches) we got back on the buses and rode all night and all day and arrived in Carbondale the next evening. The mood on the bus going back was pretty joyful with lots of singing until most of us fell asleep. We were exhausted, of course. I’m sure there was relief as well as pride in how well everything went. And more hope.

It wasn’t until after the whole thing was over that I heard and saw some of the speeches on TV. I could see then the same kind of uplifting experience I had felt at the march. As the years have gone by I’ve become even more impressed about what happened. Of course, no one at the time could have foreseen just how important the March was. It was a critical moment in the civil rights movement. Even though there was plenty of violence both before and after that event...(Medgar Evers, Birmingham bombing, assassinations, murders) I think the intention of non-violence and the spirit of peace among the demonstrators at the March had a profound impact on the civil rights movement and on how the people of America in general saw the movement. This was the moment that MLK had the audience he needed to get his message across to the nation.

I am proud I was there.

city on the hill {life}

the dream lives, part 2 {still + life}