Neo-Classical — Athens, Greece (IV)

Tags

Athens, Greece, National Academy of Greece, National Gardens of Greece, National Library of Greece, Olympic Stadium Greece, Syntagma Square, travel, University of Athens, Zappeios

Emboldened by safety, we ventured down one of the main avenues shooting off Omonia Square which would lead us to the Parliament Building in Syntagma Square. We nearly missed the street because I was looking for its nickname, “Panepistimiou” (University Street), while its real name starts with an “E”. On this avenue, we passed the National Library, the University of Athens, and the National Academy.

Then we came to Syntagma Square. It was pretty much empty, and the guards were very courteous to us. I felt a rush of admiration for the Greek flag every time I saw it flying over one of these neo-classical buildings. The color of the cloudless April sky, it seemed to be everything that is beautiful and renewing. We took an unintentional shortcut through the National Gardens to the Exhibition Hall.

It’s impossible to describe the loveliness of a street lined with orange trees, which has the added charm of spring flowers in the distance. Now, as I sit listening to the London hail slashing at my windows, I recall wistfully that the alley outside our hostel had been full of the scent of lilac blossoms. On our map, we saw something labeled “Stadium” and wandered over without any great expectations. We laughed at ourselves when we saw it was nothing less than the Olympic Stadium of 2004. We sat on the royal seats looking down the length of the tracks. And Keats Wentworth jumped onto the podium, dreaming of applause and a hero’s welcome.