Far from the madding crowd…

I wasn’t working this Sunday.

How did I spend my day off? I went up to the Acropolis as I do almost every day, only this time it was early and I was alone.

The Acropolis I found was different from the one I see every day.

There were no endless lines at the entrance and the ticket office.

There was no heat, no noise.

There were no crowds milling about and looking for a good spot to take pictures.

There was plenty of shade.

The view to the monuments was unobstructed.

I didn’t have to look at my watch and worry about the time.

I left, promising myself to do it again…

… to be alone with the Caryatids …

…and Dionysus.

Take my advice: if you can make your own schedule and want to really enjoy the Acropolis, choose to go either very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, so as to avoid the heat and crowds.

Opening hours in the summer are 8 am to 8 pm every day.