Sunday 29 March 2015

Athens snapshots




I Vouli, The Parliament building, Syntagma Square, and how delightful it is that the iron fence designed to prohibit the people from getting too near, has been removed.





Iliou Melathron, now the Numismatic Museum, on Panepistimiou Street. Built by Ernst Ziller between 1878-1880 for Heinrich Schliemann, it was considered to be the most magnificent private residence of Athens. Its design was inspired by the Renaissance Revival movement as well as Neoclassicism.



 
Walking down Voukourestiou Street
 
 
 
 

 
 
some beautiful buildings on either side




 
the arched passageway leading to Stadiou Street.
 
 
 
 
 
Seville orange trees line most streets in Athens
 

 
 
 
 
a gorgeous house by Dexameni in Kolonaki
 
 

 

 
looking closer
 
 
 

 
still in Kolonaki, down the steps
 
 


that provide a good view of the city





Pindarou Street and another neoclassical building
 
 

 
 
 
and next to it, another one, with gorgeous plaster work on the front
 
 
 

 
 
 Academias Avenue, this building has been recently restored





it's a corner building, straddling three roads, this is the Pindarou and Academia's corner




 
We tend to use the National Garden as a short cut
 
 
 

 
a breath of fresh air in a city where cement predominates
 

 

 
a tiny little pond
 
 
 


Still in the National Garden, I don't know what this little building is, but it's cute




 
One tends to notice the few remaining older buildings in a city where the modern apartment block predominates.
 
 
 
 

During another visit we walked along Pireos Street





past the old Gasworks which is now an art gallery and performance centre




 
its chimneys dominate the landscape
 
 
 


the old gas storage cylinders






Surveillance





Then walking along the old Keramikos archaeological site





that affords good views of Lycabettus hill.





The Planetarium on Syngrou Avenue - we went on the day of the eclipse because telescopes had been set up so that the public could view the eclipse
 
 

 
The queue wasn't long, but it was static most of the time as it was too cloudy - after queueing for about half an hour, we gave up and left.
 

 
 


I love the way some of the olive trees have been trimmed.



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