October 21: Athens, Greece, where I got a brief dose of humbling history.

A view of the Acropolis from the balcony at my hostel, City Circus (highly recommended by the way).

The Parthenon, located on the Acropolis, is a temple dedicated to Athena (patroness of Athens) that was used as a treasury. Construction began in 447 BC.

The Erechtheion, also located on the Acropolis, was a sanctuary dedicated to Athena (refresher: daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, and a zillion other things apparently) and Poseidon (god of the sea and “earth-shaker”). Its construction began circa 421 BC when the earlier temple to Athena was destroyed by the Persian invasion.

In the background: Mount Lycabettus, the highest point in Athens, which has views across the Attica basin and the Aegean Sea.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, considered to be the largest temple in Greece, took nearly seven centuries to complete. Construction began in 515 BC.

The Theatre of Dionysus, once used for festivals in honor of this god.

Hadrian’s Library, created by this Roman Emperor in 132 AD:

And the cemetery:

I needed some nature so hit up the National Gardens.

That evening I wandered around the touristy Plaka, known for its “authentic Greek culture,” which hosts cute cafés and bars. After polishing off a plate of gyros the size of my face, the waiter made fun of me, saying that it seemed like I hadn’t eaten in days. This was true.

The prison of Socrates, on Filopappou Hill:

Views of the sea from Filopappou Hill:

Because the big city had indeed begun to feel like a circus, I bought a boat ticket for Santorini!