My Week in Athens… April 12

Springtime weather has everyone outside… The week’s tragedy was fresh in everyone’s mind – but still something about the sunshine, the fresh air and the families outside made Saturday a ‘good day’…

I spent the afternoon learning about the past – the ancient past on display at the National Archeological Museum of Athens.

I know, I know - I figured I knew as much as one needed to know about ‘all that stuff’… I mean, it’s kind of everywhere in Athens. Well, was I ever wrong.

This time, we were lucky to be escorted through the museum by a professional Guide (friend of a friend of a friend…). This made all the difference. She knew the history, the symbolism, the cultural realities, the archeological controversies, the stories, the myths, the regional contexts, the social customs, the religious background – and anything else we cared to ask her about! For the first time, the rocks and the statues really came alive. There is really so much there to take in – the richness of the Hellenic past cannot be comprehended just by walking around and reading the little descriptive paragraphs alongside the endless rows of statues…

And what’s more, we got to see the brand new exhibit of the Antikythera Shipwreck, the sunken treasures of a 2nd century BC cargo ship. This is a really cool display (both in content and in concept!), and includes the Antikythera Mechanism – what some are calling the first ‘computer’.

All of that for the 7euro admission charge (Guide extra!) – not bad for a Saturday afternoon. And totally worth the visit.

National Archeological Museum
44 Patission Street
http://www.namuseum.gr/wellcome-en.html

See you next week.

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…