| Travelers who expect to be greeted by
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| | northeast of Athens and the ancient
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| lone standing relics of ancient Greece
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| | Mycenaean excavation site at Velatouri is
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| will be awestruck by the sprawling urban
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| | to the south, boasting the unearthed
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| metropolis of today's Athens. The capital
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| | Thorikos theatre. While the Grecian
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| city is an explorer's paradise as
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| | period is omnipresent, Greece has
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| historic gems are embedded within the
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| | fascinating Turkish and Persian cultural
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| modern day melee and cultural nuances of
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| | influences as a result of many wars and
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| a turbulent past are written between the
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| | takeovers until the collapse of the
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| lines of concrete and the sparkling blue
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| | Ottoman Empire in the 20th century.
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| Aegean Sea. Everywhere in Athens is a
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| | Club Hopping or Island Hopping?
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| testament to why this mythic peninsula is
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| | In the spring and summer evenings, enjoy
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| considered the cradle of Western
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| | the cafés and restaurants as they begin
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| civilization and modern democracy.
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| | to spill into the streets and squares.
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| Of particular interest, Athens received a
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| | Greece, and particularly Athens, is
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| much needed facelift in preparation for
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| | notorious for its boisterous and tireless
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| the 2004 Olympics. Notorious for its
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| | nightlife. The Port of Piraeus comes to
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| nefos (smog) resulting from rapid growth
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| | life as many vacationers head out for
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| and congestion following World War II and
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| | their island excursions from this
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| the Cold War, Athens realized the need to
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| | historic cove. Athens is the perfect
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| clean up its act when it became clear
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| | place to become immersed in Greek culture
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| that historic monuments were eroding at
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| | and life before taking a ferry ride to
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| an alarming rate due to acid rain from
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| | one of the surrounding tranquil, historic
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| air pollution. Due to this Olympic
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| | or party islands - the choice is yours.
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| makeover, it is extremely easy to
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| | The port itself is also of particular
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| navigate around the well marked streets
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| | historic interest. One of the oldest in
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| in English and Greek and transportation
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| | the world, the port was heavily used
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| has never been more streamlined.
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| | during the Peloponnesian Wars in the 4th
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| Mythological Mythos
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| | century BC and remnants of the long
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| Ancient Greece reached its societal peak
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| | Themistoclean Walls, which fortified the
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| in the 1st century BC when magnificent
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| | port and Athens together during this time
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| monuments like the Parthenon and the
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| | period, still survive today.
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| Temple of Athena Nike were constructed on
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| | A trip to Athens is not only a journey of
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| the fortified Acropolis and Socrates and
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| | history, but one of modernity and
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| Plato developed their Western thinking
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| | progress. After Greece's golden age,
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| schools of thought. While most of the
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| | Athens' grandeur was squandered to nearly
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| major attractions from the time period
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| | nothing by invaders and the sweeping
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| are in the center of the city, travel in
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| | tides of history. Today, the free and
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| the outskirts of Athens will bring
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| | booming capital city is again a testament
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| encounters with many significant
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| | to its historic commitment to forward
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| locations from this time period.
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| | thinking civilization. Experience the
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| Marathon, of the famous battle (and
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| | rebirth of the foundations of the western
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| today's 26.22 mile race), is just
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| | world in Athens!
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