Today started with breakfast at our hostel, wich existed out of simple bread, orange juice and coffee. We met a couple of our fellow guests who were primarily from the USA and Australia. We also met the two little kittens that live here. I don't know if they belong to the hostel or its owner, but everyone accepts them as they play through the garden and the hallways.

After breakfast, we decided to skip the Akropolis for now. In stead, we went to another ancient site wich is right around our corner: the Temple of Olympic Zeus. This was once an enormous temple, built over 2500 years ago. All that's left now are a couple of pilars and some stone walls. Nevertheless, it was very impressive to see. The €12,- entrance ticket should also grant you access to several other sites throughout Athens, among wich is the Akropolis.

A green Athens: The National Gardens

After seeing the Temple of Olympic Zeus and its surrounding (Roman) ruins, we walked into the National Gardens. This is one of the largest parks within the city of Athens, and offered us some shade and coolness. The temperature had alreay risen to a scorching 32 degrees (celcius) by then. The park houses a lot of special, mediterranean plants and trees and animals, such as Greek land turtles. Right next to it, we found a lot of government buildings such as the Parliament (with the famous guards) and many embassies.

We didn't plan our walk through Athens today. We just wandered around a bit, anxious to see what was behind every corner. This is how we bumped into the original Olympic Stadium - a huge place where the first, modern Olympic Games were helt in 1896. It appeared to be closed, but you had a good view from the road next to it.

After the Olympic Stadium, we entered the Plaka district once again and decided we wanted a snack of sorts. The narrow shopping streets we passed yesterday afternoon were now opened, and we saw nothing but tourists here. The Athens Flea Market was nothing but a mixture of tourist shops, leather goods stores, and outlets with (fake) soccer shirts. We bought ourselves a pita with gyros here, allthough mine had more onions than meat in it.

Filopappos hill: all of Athens beneath your feet

Plaka lies right underneath the mighty Acropolis wich risens above everything else in the city. But there is one more place that lies even higher: Filopappos Hill. This place gives you the best view over all the parts of Athens we've seen so far, and it was pretty easy to climb. The heat was scorching though, but the many pine trees that grow here offer you some shelter on your way up. On top of the hill lies a monument, once erected by the people for a former Roman emperor that loved and died in Athens. The hill also houses a system of caves. In one of them, it is believed that Socrates was imprisoned in it prior to his death after he was sentenced to it. The place now looks like any cave, but then closed down with bars. We wouldn't mind getting locked up in there since it was a very cool and shady place. The hill also houses a large number of Byzantine churches, a spring used since ancient times and the place where democracy was born: the Pynx.

Water: the key of (your) life

We spent a lot of time on top of Filopappos Hill today, enjoying the great view and the breeze that came from the Aegean Sea. By the time we got back in the streets again, the temperature had risen til its highest point: a 38 degrees celcius. The sun was also at its highest, and we decided to go back to the hostel to have a little nap. We advice anyone who plans to visit Athens in the middle of summer to buy plenty of drinks along the way. Mineral water is cheap and refreshing, but also vital to your health here.

The lovely sea monster

After waking up, we felt close to reborn. We were also a bit hungry, so again we went out to search a nice place to have dinner. Unlike yesterday, the place we fount this time wasn't really that romantic and remote. We sat down at a little restaurant with only Greek guests, right next to one of Athens busiest streets. Hundreds of mopeds, scooters, yellow cabs, busses and ambulances with yelping sirens, I ordered myself some calamari (grilled squid). They gave me a 30cm (1ft) squid, with all its bodyparts still recognisable! Don't get me wrong: I absolutely love squid, so this was like a feast to me. Loud Greek folk music on the radio made it all complete.

A final view

After dinner, we decided to get a desert somewhere more quiet. We wound up, without desert, on top of a beautiful rock right next to the Acropolis that overlooked the whole of Athens. This time, the sun had set so it was nothing but lights in any direction you looked at. A stunning sight, we enjoyed it together with dozens of other couples that sat there. A popular place to make out, so it seems. Goodnight again.

To be continued tomorrow - when we will be joined by Robin who flies in from Amsterdam too, and Alision, who flies in from Belfast...