Athens Greece - Top 5 Unusual Things to Do

The long history, the ancient sites, the rich culture... Yes, these are facts that we all know about Athens Greece and we appreciate. However, wouldn't you want to do some unusual things when you come to Athens? Visiting the Acropolis and the temple of Poseidon at Sounio are definitely must things to do, but wouldn't you like to discover some treasure activities that you will not find in your travel guide? Activities that will give a thrill of fun and excitement to your holidays in the Greek capital? Follow the list below and get to know modern Athens better.

1. Visit the Tactual Museum
The Tactual Museum of Athens is one of the 5 museums of this kind in the world. This museum is specially designed for the blind and for all people with visual problems. The unique thing is that, even if you see perfectly, you can wear a mask and actually touch the exhibits, which are excellent copies of famous works, including the Aphrodite of Milos, Hermes of Praxiteles, a maquette of the Acropolis and many other works of the ancient times, the Byzantine times and the Olympic Games. The Tactual Museum is found at Doiranis st, 198, Kallithea. To go, you take the Metro Green Line, station Kallithea and then take bus 911 to get off at the bus stop Faros Tiflon (lighthouse of blind people). The museum is open on weekdays morning.

2. Enjoy Marathon Lake
Situated about 40 km from Athens centre, the lake of Marathon is one of the three main water sources of the Greek capital. You will need to rent a car to go there. It is actually a big, artificial lake filled with water and surrounded by greenery. On the one side, there is a dam. Above it, a cafeteria offers great views to the lake and the nature around. Close by, you can explore beautiful and quiet villages, away from the busy atmosphere of the capital.

3. Go mountain biking at Mount Parnitha
Mount Parnitha is one of the few mountains that surround the Greek capital. Although it has suffered a lot from forest fires, there is a great effort to replant the mountainsides and recover its rich ecosystem. On top of it, there is a casino and some hotels to spend the night. Many travel agencies offer daily mountain biking and hiking tours on this beautiful and precious mountain. You will bike through lush greenery, see lakes and gorges and enjoy a day in pure nature.

4. Visit the Museum of Shadow Theatre
This museum actually depicts the story of Karagiozis, a famous shadow theatre hero, as drawn by the shadow player Eugenios Spatharis. Spatharis was actually the man who introduced Karagiozis in the recent generations and his work has contributed a lot in the education of many children. In the museum, you will see famous figures of Greek shadow theatre, how these figures were made and scenes from performances. It is probably difficult to understand the importance of this museum if you are not Greek, though it offers a great insight to Greek culture. To go to the museum, take the Green Metro Line to Maroussi station and then walk 10 minutes down to Kastalias square. Entrance is free.

5. Try paintball
Paintball is a relatively new sport and was introduced in Greece only a few years ago. Today, some paintball fields have been established on the suburbs of Athens, mostly close to the international airport, that host successful events and games. All equipment is offered there.

More information about Athens Greece and Athens Hotels

Women of Ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, boys were educated in schools while girls were educated at home. In fact, evidence supports that women were educated at home except for music and dance lessons. Often educated by their husbands, brothers, or fathers some Greek women became famous throughout history due to their advanced education level. But this was not common. Women in ancient Greece were considered essential in order to take care of their families' well-fare, but education was not something they were allowed to invest time in pursuing. The main idea behind this concept was that women did not need a formal education because they did not need to compete with men. The fallacy of this is that women need to support the work of the men and if they are not educated then they cannot provide support and will not be able to educate their children.

A specific category of ancient Greek women, who attended special schools where they learned entertaining, conversation, and rhetoric, was the Hetaera group. Since these women kept company to men while they discussed and enjoyed long food festivities, they needed to be better educated so as to converse with the privileged men, but were not considered citizens. The ones who never received the privilege of being educated were slaves (men or women). The interesting thing is that in case they had been educated before they became slaves, they were able to work and be considered to win back their freedom.

In principal boys learned grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic; these were selected so as to help students communicate effectively. Moreover, the classic ancient educational system included a study of literature and language, apart from arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy. On the other hand, girls were taught weaving and other household chores, like dancing, music, and physical education. The girls that were intended to become hetaerae-as mentioned above-also learned grammar, rhetoric and dialectic.

Although today's women who read the educational system of ancient Greeks can be lead to believe that Greeks did not care about their women, historic evidence suggests that in fact Greek women seem to have been the best educated women of any culture up until fairly recently, into the 19th century. As sociologists and anthropologists support, culture involves skills that are passed on by education and training and are developed by discipline and practice. Ancient Greek women have always been involved with their own culture related to the family and child upbringing. But the interesting fact remains that they have always been involved in early childhood education as well. According to evidence, other societies involved women in later aspects of education later in history, but in ancient Greece the distinction between women and men in education emphasized a separate women's culture that had its special religious holidays and festivals devoted to the worship of the female spirit. In fact, music was one of the main subjects for the education of women and some ancient Greek women became important in the area of entertainment-not in ancient Greek theater where all the roles were played by men. In relation to music, ancient Greece laid the theoretical foundation for contemporary polyphonic music so it is probable that the women of Greece enjoyed success in that field.

Furthermore, before the Trojan War women in Greece were permitted to vote, but they lost this privilege because men felt that they voted irresponsibly. Unfortunately, Greek women did not regain their voting privileges until the twentieth century as a result of various political, cultural and social misjudgments.

Finally, it should be noted that the schools of ancient Greece were so effective and well-known that they have been widely copied. This is true even for today's schools. Like ancient Greek schools, the day is divided by subject periods and a teacher presents his or her subject matter to students, who are divided by age.

Greece - Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidauros

For centuries, the myths and legends of ancient Greece have drawn travelers to the legendary Argolid in the Peloponnesus. More recently this fertile land of olive and orange groves has become one of the country's leading wine regions, centered around Nemea, famous for its Agiorgitiko grape vines. Drive along the well-marked 'wine roads' and stop in for tastings at the many wineries along the way. Your destination is Nafplio, one of Greece's most beautiful towns with its majestic castles, elegant neoclassical architecture, and the indelible mark of Venetian and Turkish occupation in its medieval quarter.

Exploring Nafplio is a journey through the layers of its history. In ancient times it was the harbour for Argos. Abandoned by the Romans, the Byzantines later fortified the hilltop settlement of Akronafplia in the 12th century. In 1210 the town fell to the Franks, and was later occupied alternately by Venetians and Turks until the War of Independence, after which Nafplio served as the country's capital between 1829 and 1834. A hike up the 900-plus steps to Palamidi Castle, built by the Venetians, offers magnificent views of the sea and town, as well as of the Bourtzi, a floating island castle built for the protection of the port and to house the local executioner. Alternatively, ascend to the Akronafplia ruins James Bond-style by entering through the base of the hill, and taking the elevator to the foyer of the super-luxurious Nafplia Palace. Built by a government initiative in the 1960's by Papagiannis & Co., the hotel has recently renovated its bungalows to extraordinary levels of opulence with private swimming pools and stunning views.

Equally beautiful (and more reasonably priced) are the main rooms of the hotel which are being upgraded to provide the latest in technology and modern amenities in this unique historical setting. For a homier atmosphere seek out the Boron Hotel, a converted neoclassical mansion with rooms with a sea view. When it's time for a swim, head down to the pebbled beach of Arvanitia where Frankish fig trees, pines and oleanders line the edge of the turquoise waters.

Away from the cafe and taverna-lined harbour, life centres around Plateia Syntagmatos, a grand Venetian-style square with an archaeological museum containing local Mycenaean artifacts inside the old Venetian naval arsenal. Stop for coffee at Cafe Kendrikon, or have a traditional lunch at Ellas restaurant. In the back streets between the harbour and the square is a cluster of tavernas on Staikopoulou, where real home-cooking can be found at Vasilis and seafood with-a-view at Savouras, right on the harbour. For something more up-market, try the Nafplia Palace's Amimoni restaurant, and for a little taste of Italy drop by Antica Gelateria di Roma, where Claudia and Marcello Ratio serve over 30 divine flavours of gelato and sorbet, made fresh on the premises.

As you wander the narrow streets, stop in at the award-winning Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation with its wonderful collection of traditional costumes from all over the country, and a special exhibition on the production and use of natural fibres in Greece from 1835 to 1945. The museum also organizes periodic exhibitions and has an excellent gift shop. Nafplio is known for such eccentric and eclectic shops as Metallagi, which showcases the jewelry designs of Panagioti Alexopoulos and Maria Koutsoudaki, and has an open atelier enabling visitors to view the works in progress.

The Komboloi Museum also has a komboloy workshop and retail store offering a wide variety of the traditional 'worry beads'. The lively Nafplio nightlife is a popular weekend draw for foreign visitors and locals alike. For romance, visit the restaurant-bar Agnanti at the edge of town, with tables along the pier and waves lapping at your feet, or the Nautikos Omilos bar next door, and for a more trendy club scene, head far the Living Room, off Bouboulinas Square, where the neighbourhood youth congregate.

Nafplio is also the perfect base for exploring two important archaeological sites: Mycenae (24 kilometres away), described by Homer as 'rich in gold', and Epidauros, with its superb theatre (30 kilometres). Mycenae was excavated in the 1870s by Heinrich Schliemann, inspired by his obsession with the Iliad and the Odyssey. Wonder at the Cyclopean masonry of its citadel (so massive it was said to have been built by the mythical one-eyed giants) and the 'Lion Gate' with its two rampant lions, Mycenae's symbol of power.

The most impressive tomb, the so-called 'Treasury of Atreus', dates to 1250 BC and originally contained such gold artifacts as death masks, breastplates, jewelry and weapons, which are now in the archaeological museum in Athens. Epidauros was the site of the important sanctuary of Asclepios, the god of healing and medicine, but is renowned for its splendid theatre, built in the early 3rd century BC. Set dramatically into the hillside, its remarkable acoustics allow even the drawing of a breath to be heard by a1112,000 spectators that the theatre can accommodate. Plan to attend one of the classical dramas performed here during the annual summer festival, for a memorable moonlit experience accompanied by an orchestra of cicadas.