I’m spending twenty-four hours in Athens before I ferry to Heraklion and begin my month-long MedTrek around Crete, Greece’s largest island. Naturally it’s always a pleasure, especially after viewing Greek antiquities in the well-presented and well-preserved but synthetic environment of the British Museum, to see Greece in Greece.

Despite a rainy dawn, I headed straight to the Acropolis to pay homage to my mentor goddess Athena and other deities and was surprised to find larger-than-usual crowds because National Monuments Day (who knew?) permitted free entry.

Rain didn't stop tourists taking advantage of the free entry to the Acropolis.

I took a dramatic shot of the Herodes Attikos Theatre on my way up the hill because I want to suggest to Kathryn Hohlwein, whose “Readers of Homer” is performing at the Getty Villa in Malibu on April 30, that she choose this as her venue in Athens.

A perfect venue for "Readers of Homer."

Then I blitzed past the crowd to the calming Porch of the Caratis. It’s supported by statues of six noble young women and is my favorite part of the Erehtio temple that contains a shrine to Athena.

Even a tourist who pays to visit the Acropolis finds it calming to look at the Porch of the Caratids.

There was such a jovial hey-we-got-in-for-free mood on the Acropolis today that a French woman volunteered to take a shot of me in front of the Temple of Erehtio if I took one of her. Deal!

The Idiot in front of the Temple of Erehtio.

Unfortunately the Acropolis continues to be blemished by reconstruction projects involving cranes, chains and concrete, though no apparent workers on National Monuments Day.

It was easier to build 2,500 years ago.

I cut through the agora on my way down to the Plaka and took a shot of headless Hadrian, the Roman emperor who is credited with enlarging Athens, to put the Greek era in perspective.

A headless Hadrian doesn't look unhappy.

Then I spent the afternoon at the Benaki Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art located near Constitution Square, the peaceful National Gardens and the Presidential Residence. Both museums provide insightful views of Cycladic/Minoan cultures and are full of ancient surprises, like the vivid depiction of Athena and Zeus at the Benaki.

Athena and Zeus.

Bust of Athena.

The top floor in the nearby Museum of Cycladic Art, which depicts what it was like living in antiquity, is my favorite display but I also spent time at a temporary exhibit that opened April 15. It features internationally renowned artists, including Leonard Cohen and Barbara Hepworth, who lived and worked in Greece during the 20th century.

International artists depict Greece.

Text and Photos: Joel Stratte-McClure with iPhone and one French woman using my iPhone.

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About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."