Travels

Athens Day 3:

We went to the National Archeological Museum today. Many of the vases and jewelry had bovine and octopus motifs. It was somewhat dark in the museum, and flash photography was prohibited, so I only got a few good shots.

Neolithic vases

Helmet found in Mycenaean grave site

Mycenaean vases

Greek traditional sculpture generally protrayed the male naked, standing stiffly and smiling. The female was generally clothed to portray feminine grace and modesty. You can actually see the evolution of sculptural style as you progress through the museum - the sculptures become more realistically posed, with a more natural expression.

Earlier sculptures

Later sculptures

Some carvings - if I remember correctly, this was the base of a Kourous

There were also some fantastic bronze figurines. My favorite was a figurine of Artemis.

Artemis

We also ended up taking a very long walk through Athens. Here are some photos:

Of course, Athens is not all graffitti'd. But some graffiti can be quite beautiful, like fungal bloom on a fallen tree.

After walking through the delightfully tourist-y area near the Agora, we ended up in the Monastiraki Square.

We took the tram home, which was an adventure in and of itself (turns out you have to validate your ticket before you get on the train)