Sounion and Athens

Saturday night, we took a bus out to the Attica peninsula to see the Temple of Poseidon, god of the sea, and the beautiful sunsets atop the Sounion.

Sounion

Temple of Poseidon

Today, we spent all day Sunday touring the city of Athens. First, we climbed to the top of the Acropolis (which means "high city"). It was a long climb up the slippery marble stairs. But seeing the Parthenon, the temple of Athena, was amazing.

Then, we made our way to Mars Hill, also known as Aeropagus, which was near the Acropolis. This is the place mentioned in the Bible, in Acts 17, where Paul debated the Greek philosophers. Paul's message had been going around, but people thought that Paul preached another god and his goddess, named "Resurrection." Paul gave a defense on top of Mars Hill, which now is just a hill of uneven rocks.

The sun on the top of the Acropolis was like a furnace, so we were all ready when it was time for a lunch break. Making our way through the Plaka, the downtown area of Athenian shops and restaurants, we had our first meal out. I don't know much Greek yet, but I quickly learned to use the word, "water" which is "neh-ROH" in Greek, because I was so thirsty! The meal was delicious - a cheese crossaint, Greek salad, chicken kabobs, and gelato.

We saw a few more sights before we headed to church at 6:00 p.m. - the International Church of Christ in downtown Athens. It has 4 services every Sunday, each one in a different language. Although the congregation was small, it was neat to observe people of many languages coming together to worship one Christ.

After we got back, gross and sweaty (it is hotter here than I anticipated), we jumped into the swimming pool in the backyard of the Artemis hotel building (where we live). That felt good!

Tomorrow is my second day of classes - Child Development, Greek, Wellness, and Conditioning. Then, as always, we have afternoons free until dinner. I'll probably go hang out at the beach.