DESTINATIONS — GREECE & CYPRUS
DESTINATIONS ALSO IN
ADD-ONS PAGE 59
CASH IN ON ATTICA
ith my utter lack of equestrian expertise, I was concentrating so hard on every tilt of the saddle as the horse plodded up the steep path that I almost forgot to take it all in. So it came as quite a surprise when we
W
reached the top and I looked down to find the steep slopes of rocky island Hydra unfolding below me, a patchwork of whitewashed houses and red roofs leading down towards blue seas. We were already a world away from the bustling harbour cafe where we had sipped strong Greek coffees barely half an hour before, never mind the busy streets of Athens left behind on boarding our island-bound yacht that morning. Then again, that was pretty much the point
of my visit to the region of Attica, home to the Greek capital and its surrounding hinterland. I was there to find an answer to the question every Athenian tourist asks once they’ve ticked off the Acropolis: what’s next?
l ATHENS SIGHTS First, make sure visitors have really understood the city’s most famous monument – a fleeting visit isn’t enough – so the New Acropolis Museum (left) is an absolute must. It displays beautiful statues and everyday
There’s more to Athens than just the Acropolis, discovers Katie McGonagle
artefacts from the fifth centuries BC to AD in a light and airy environment. But its crowning glory is upstairs where – with the actual Acropolis in sight through floor-to-ceiling glass walls – the magnificent frieze that once adorned the Parthenon is recreated on its original scale. It’s the only way to get a feel for the dimensions of this grand monument, and to understand the dispute over the Elgin marbles, which remain at the British Museum in London despite calls for them to be returned to Athens. Those with an interest in this era should make
time for The National Archaeological Museum, home to an outstanding array of artefacts
1 May 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 49
GREECE & CYPRUS
travelweekly.co.uk/destinations
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