Day 52-> Its all Greek to me

I love good museums. 

What makes a good museum? 

First, it must have a point. It can't be just a mess of stuff in one spot. From there, it needs to be logically organized. Well lit, easy to navigate, explanations, etc. are all requirements to be classified as a good museum. 

Athens' national archeological museum is one of those museums that qualify as being a good museum. In fact, it may qualify as being a great museum. The museum covers Greek history from the ancient to the respectfully modern. All of the exhibits have english explanations and are laid out in a fashion that is in chronological order. 

It was quite amazing to see art evolve from man experimenting with sculptures in 5,000 B.C. yes that's five thousand years before Christ. or 7,000 years ago. to the different ages of Greek style (Golden, Bronze, Archaic, Classical, etc.) One of the most interesting things about the art is the evolution of the human body. Man has seemed to always strive to explore what is the perfect human form. There also scenes on pottery of sports, sex, and other daily activities.

Aside from the sculptures, the most impressive aspect of the museum is the collection of pottery and glass. The pottery collection spans as far as the eye can see, with a gallery dedicated solely to the pottery. The collection of glass is breath taking. To see glass lamps that are thousands of years old that are see through because of the age. 

After leaving the museum, I went on a self-guided tour of the city. This is where the fun started. 

I began my tour outside the parliament house in Syntagma Square. The square is is the home to the birth of democracy in Greece and continues to be a spot where protestors gather to well, protest. This is the heart of modern Athens. My tour took me past various sights throughout the city that are rather un-notable aside from the home of the Greek Orthodox Church. 

Part of my tour was to take me back to the Acropolis, which I visited yesterday so I decided to skip that part of the tour. 

This is where things get interesting. I decided to head to the next stop on the tour, and got a bit turned around to say the least. This is where my day got fun (at 6:00 in the afternoon). I the more i thought knew where I was the more lost I got. I could not seem to gain my bearings. Yet, it was one of the most scenic views of the city as well as handfuls of various temples that varied in purpose and size. After 5 hours I finally made it back to my hostel. In no ways am I complaining about getting lost. First, I didn't have any plans for the rest of the day. Second, I feel that it is the best way to get in touch with the city and the people that live there. 

Take in the moment before it passes you by. 

Until-

Matt