City in the wedge of olive

For the first time, seeing Athens, feel some confusion: one-color, melting megalopolis with poor vegetation flaps, squaty mbid-shaped churches and non-challenging motorcycle crackles. Where is the sugar brilliance of marble, divine silence and sweet bustles invisible harp? Whether they were? – You ask yourself, banging in the epicenter of the roaring plug.

Athenian "auto plant", As it turned out – the result of not only the increased welfare of the Greeks, but also their deprive. In response to an attempt to urban authorities, put road confusion, putting traffic in dependence on the parity of autonomyers and days of the month, the citizens immediately acquired "Dublers" With alternative numbers, practically doubled car park. And then there is still an Olympic HOT with its ubiquitous construction.

Once finally, in the very center of the city near Syntagma (one of the main Athens Squares), cross the highway Vasileos Amalias and deepen in the direction of the Old Town in search of Athens Fidia, Socrates, Aristophane. And the closer to Acropolis, the story the story awakens. However, about the past splendor of ancient Athens only guess, one after another, with a single sampling context, the rare glimpses of antiquity – the ruins of Zeus Olympic, cemetery ceramics and, finally, here it is an antique agorror, where two thousand years ago, Kyiv, wine and fruit , speakers collected crowds of listeners, and on the remains of the painted colonnade, artisans and craftsmen.

The neighboring Tesone – the temple of Hephaesta, God of Fire, is about to knock 2500, and he is still strong and monumental. For 500 years younger than the wind tower – eight of which are marked by allegorical friezes on the facade; A kind of accuracy symbol: the edges of the tower are strictly oriented on the sides of the light plus a couple of hours – sunny outside, water inside.

Olympic calm is found only on the Acropolis, closer to heaven, – Silence suppresses the sounds of the city and a multilingual tourist cavity. Here you can forget about the disappointment, which was tested, for the first time seeing Athens.

According to legend, on a flat, like the surface of the table, the rectangle of the Acropolian Earth, the Goddess Warper Athena planted the city of Oliva, which became his symbol. And the Athenian briefly broke the head, which will be the emblem of the current Olympiad – of course, the crown of Olive! The temple of Athens – Parfenon, long-deprived of the precious statue of the goddess warriors and many fragments of Frieza, wounded by fragments of the powder explosion of the Turkish-Venetian war, almost always in the scaffolding: dilapidated designs and blocks are gradually replaced by new. Can be seen, not far from the day, when a genuine is except that his foundation will remain. Nevertheless, Parfenon will always be the main pride of exported Athens, its guideline. Above it, only Lycabetus is a bell-shaped green hill on a small distance, accusing agaves and pedestrian serpentine.

From the height of the Likabetus, the whole city is visible – both the new Olympic buildings, and the avant-garde roof of the main stadium, almost late for the Olympiad due to customs problems.

Below, on a paid, a festive crowd fills the maze of souvenir shops and small shops with too welcome street tissue. Trade alapoked ceramics and small mythological plastic. In the eyes of Ryabit from the Olympic symbolism – stylized olive crowns on the shirts, baseball caps, circles, postcards. All this was sold before, selling and after the Olympic Games.

Greeks seriously took care of the security of the Olympics. Two dozens of Olympic structures, including the Olympic village, on the eve of Security games were protected from all, including journalists. Impatiently advised: you want to look – arrow binoculars and screaming on Likabetus. The owners of the same tickets were looking forward to the official discovery of sports competitions, then, capturing bread, olives and wine with them, headpace on the heat-heated steps of the Olympic Amphitheater. Maybe it happened in the era of ancient games?

For 17,000 participants in the Olympic Games, Greek chefs were especially partitioned (about 700 people!). Guided by the motto "Each athlete must feel in Athens as at home", They mastered the Olympics dishes of any national cuisine.

And yet, being in Greece, it is better to go to a simple Greek tavern with a hitch hit from time to time – a sign "Exposure" And the quality of the institution! Interiors here, as a rule, pretty ascetic: White walls, rude rigid tables, Rustic sitheria on the windows. Immediately serve wine – like water, in clay jugs, and bread – fragrant, in wicker baskets. While you wait for the job done, you look, and hunger will catch. And there is no rushing here – not "fast food" Still! Yes, and the evening is long, have done more than once and get drunk, and know the truth: to sit in the tavern is not a prose neglence of appetite, but a kind of ritual. National music sounds to deep night, and everything from small to great dance, deftly striking rock and roll pats on the clear sortocks.

Proper meal always ends with a cup of coffee. However, Greek coffee – EllinijoskaFES (in no case call it Turkish, although this is the same) – they are supplied rather sips: a little bit on the bottom, but with a big glass of cold water. There is still Frappe – whipped with ice and milk soluble coffee. Perfectly refreshes into the unreacted Athenian heat, when, hiding under the umbrella of a street cafe on syntagma, you expect the change of honor of the guard before the Greek Parliament – the former royal palace. And if the truck fluttering the same Rotosheev who flies to the same Rotoshev cameras, there is a chance with comfort, without leaving "parquet", see how the Evzons march – Guardsmen in national costumes. Selection Criterion – High Growth, Excellent Endressing and. Slender legs – after all, marching them in short fasteners skirts.

In the peak of the Olympic season in the city of Apple, there is no place to fall. Most hotels booked at least six months ahead, and in the few remaining, not most, by the way, fashionable, prices took off at all proportionately the level of services and amenities. But all this pays off by the impressions remaining from the Olympiad, as anywhere with a comprehensive antique spirit.