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I used this service in 2004 and had a great time. They were prompt, courteous and knowledgeable. Bob Findlay
EMAIL: LIMO THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY A BRIEF IDEA OF SOME OF THE TOURS. WE CUSTOMIZE THEM FOR EACH GROUP. Full day tour, Athens and Cape Sounion includes: Acropolis/Plaka/Tower of winds/The Temple of the Olympian Zeus / The ancient Greek & the Roman Agora center/ Old palace/ The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier / the Parliament / Olympic stadium -the original stadium built in 1863 for the first modern Olympic games in 1896 / the Hill of Lycabetous and the national archaeological museum of Athens. It is the most important archaeological museum in Greece and one of the richest in the world concerning ancient Greek art.And Cape Sounion.Below you can read the history of the sites. Archaeological sites in Athens: Acropolis. For thousands of years the Acropolis has been the symbol of Athens, the sacred rock, the link that connects the magnificent ancient civilization with the modern. The Acropolis and its monuments, its history and the myths that are connected with it are rightly the pride and the glory of this city, the envy of all other cities in the world. These is no Greek or foreign visitor who does not want to make the pilgrimage to the sacred rock and absorb its magnificence and beauty. If you have never been to the Acropolis we assure you it is a unique and unforgettable experience. The Parthenon .The Parthenon is the unique masterpiece of the world. You will realize it yourself the moment you stand in front of it and learn a little of its history and the secrets of its construction. The beauty, harmony and grace of this monument make a really lasting impression on everyone who sees it. Today admission to the Parthenon is prohibited due to the restoration work that has been taking place there since 1983. This will not prevent you from admiring this unique temple dedicated to the goddess Athena and built of white marble from Penteli. Under the Parthenon of the Classical times there are remains of the monumental Ur-Parthenon, an archaic temple dated in late 6th century B.C. The architects of the classical temple, which was constructed and decorated between 447 and 432 B.C. during the Golden Age of Perikles, were Iktinos and kallicrates. The Parthenon housed the golden-ivory statue of Athena, work of the famous sculptor Pheidias. This statue was the final destination of the Great Panathenaea procession, depicted on the frieze of the temple. The theater of
Dionysus. Pass through the entrance to the archaeological site at the southern
slope of the Acropolis in Dionysiou Aeropaghitou Street and start climbing. On
your left you will see the oldest of all known theatres in the world, the
theatre of Dionysus. Here, the four greatest ancient Greek poets, Aeschylos,
Aristophanes, Euripides and Sophokles, saw their plays being performed for the
first time, in the 5th century B.C. The koilon (cavea) and the proskoinion
(stage) were originally of wood. They were reconstructed of marble during the
4th century B.C. Today only parts of the stone koilon have survived. Experts
estimate that the theatre could accommodate 17,000 spectators. Delphi, One day Excursion.The
famous sanctuary of Delphi is located in Phokis, in one of the loveliest and
most impressive Greek landscapes. Its ancient ruins spread out over the southern
slopes of Parnassos,beneath the looming gigantic Phaidriad rocks,known in
antiquity as Yampeia and Nauplia. Such is the aplendour and magnificence of the
setting that the visitor is overcome with awe and ecstasynthe at the moment he
turns his gaze from the olive groves of the Pleistos valley to those rugged
crags which tower over and enclose the archaeological site from north and
east.Delphi was believed to be the center of the world.According to tradition
Zeus, in order to find the center of the earth, sent two eagles to fly around
the earth in opposite directions. Since they met over Delphi, he pointed that
specific area as the center of the earth.The trip also includes a visit to the
monastery of Osio Lukas. In the year 946 AC he first built his cell, a small
church in which to pray. He also made a beautifull garden in which he grew his
vegetables. He did not, however, manage to finish it. He died on February 7th
953 at the age of 56. The monastery is famous for it’s wall paintings. Those
paintings have been cleaned and restored recently and they exhibit special
interest. Half day Excursion from Athens. The temple of Poseidon, standing some 60m/200 feet above the sea at the edge of a cliff on Cape Sounion, in one of the most breathtaking and deeply moving sites in all of Greece. And Greece has many of them. The temple is an hour’s drive from central Athens and both the site itself and the route leading to it are worth every minute of the drive. The road runs along the Saronic coast and from the window of your car or bus you can enjoy the endless and brilliant blue sea. If you are traveling by car make sure you stop for a breath of sea-scented air and a walk on the beach. You will also find many coffee shops, fresh fish tavernas and ouzeri along the way. The promontory of Sounion is the southernmost tip of Attica. Here, on the windswept bluff rising above the Aegean Sea, stands the temple of Poseidon, one of the most impressive classical monuments to have survived to the present day. It was built shortly after the middle of the 5th century B.C. during the same period that saw the beginning of work on the great monuments on the Athenian acropolis Although it is today in ruins it still dominates the surrounding countryside from its site on the highest point of the region. Quite close by there is also the sanctuary of the goddess Athena. Sounion receives today countless visitors from every part of the world. There are now two roads linking Sounion with Athens, which means that the trip can be made swiftly and in comfort, and that it is possible to take a different route on the return journey and thus see two entirely different facets of the Attic countryside Nafplion the
first Capital of Greece has 20,000 inhabitants and is divided into the old and
the new town. The old town was built mainly in the days of the governor Ioannis
Capodistrias, at the beginning of the 19th c, but buildings still exist from the
Venetian era. The new town is an ordinary Greek town with no special assets, so
stroll about the old, historical quarters with their neoclassical buildings,
charming squares and majestic fonts.Nafplio capital of the prefecture and one of
the loveliest towns in all of Greece. The old city with its neoclassic houses,
picturesque streets, wooden balconies with cascading flowers, Turkish fountains,
Constitution (Syntagma) square with fascinating mosques and outdoor cafe tables
and tavernas(restaurants) is like a faire land. The ruins of ancient Corinth are spread out at the foot of the huge rock of Acrocorinth. The monuments are mainly Roman; only a few are Greek. You can trace the Long Walls which began at the summit of Acrocorinth and descended all the way to Lechaion (Leheo), the artificial harbour on the Corinthian Gulf. Lechaion was the start of Lechaion road which led to the ancient agora. This was paved with flagstones and lined with sidewalks, arcades and shops. The area of the marketplace was filled with imposing buildings, temples and business emporia. The Doric temple of Apollo (6th c. BC with 1st c. AD restorations) stands on a knoll to the north of the agora; it is the most important monument of that period. To the northwest of the agora lie the ruins of the 4th century BC theatre - which underwent some changes in the Roman Odeon. The museum is in the southwest sector of the site. It contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and Corinthian pottery, terra cotta sphinxes, statues of two supernatural beings, relief plaques, the Roman head of the Goddess Tyche and small objects of various kinds. On the north side of the building one can see the remains of the fountain of Glauke hewn out of the rock. Glauke, daughter of king Creon, was the reason why Jason deserted Medea. In revenge Medea sent her as a wedding gift a poisoned mantle which envelopped the girl in flames the moment she put it on. In order to save herself she leapt into the fountain which since then has borne her name. ACROCORINTH The imposing mass of Acrocorinth (Acrocorinthos) rises out of the ground at the edge of the ancient city. At the top of the pinnacle, at an altitude of 575 metres, stood the acropolis of Corinth during ancient and medieval times. This is the largest and oldest fortress in the Peloponnese. The Franco-Byzantine-Venetian fortifications (built atop the ancient walls) and Turkish additions have left deep signs of their successive claims to supremacy. At the summit which offers a magnificent view, there were a vast number of shrines and temples dominated by the Temple of Aphrodite. Lower down is the Upper Peirene Spring. Pausanias mentions that Peirene was a woman who was transformed into a spring by the tears she shed for her son who had been killed by Artemis.
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