Europe or Bust!: Athens, Greece Day 1

Greece has been suffering through economic problems lately and the day before we arrive, two blocks from our place we were to stay at and right where the bus would drop us off there were massive riots, the worst the country has seen in over four years. According to the news, the morning we left Rome, tear gas still lingered in the air at Syntagma Square, the site of the riots. Across the street is the Greek Parliament and two blocks away was our room. When we arrived, however, it was not apparent that there were massive riots less than 24 hours earlier and we probably wouldn't have known had we not looked at the news. Our first afternoon in Athens we didn't see any signs of the riots but our first full day we walked to the National Archaeological Museum and saw signs of the riots.

A truck drove by with loud speakers playing a man talking, we believe this was a propaganda truck.

Our first sign that there was a riot was this burned stand that was being removed.

There were riot police everywhere but we didn't think this was too uncommon because there were lots of places in Rome where we saw groups of police officers sitting in trucks around the city.

This was an historic movie theater that was destroyed by fires caused by the riots.

A business cleaning up after the riots.

We made it to the National Archaeological Museum.

The Artemision Bronze, it is either Zeus holding a missing thunderbolt or Poseidon holding a missing trident.

This was a predecessor to the modern computer! 

Wela trying to look like the statue.

There was a demonstration on the street as we were walking back.

This is a typical street in Athens.

This is Syntagma Square where the riots began. Behind is the Greek Parliament.

We stopped to eat out lunch in Syntagma Square and there was a band performing.

We got a good look at the Acropolis. This building is the Erechtheion.

After lunch we walked to the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The grounds were closed but we could still see the ruins.

We made our way to the New Acropolis Museum.

The museum was built on top of ancient ruins.

We had a great view of the Acropolis from the museum.

We could see the rooftops of Athens from the museum.

When the sun set, the Parthenon was lit up and we had a great view from the museum.

More ruins beneath the museum.