Lycabettus Hill

February 18, 2026

From the Acropolis the other day, the Temple of Hephaestus was visible northwest, and appeared to be very-well preserved. Upon arrival,  the site containing the Temple was closed. A nearby sign indicated construction of a new entranceway had closed the site for two days. Nevertheless, we circumambulated the fence around the site for a multiple views of the temple (1), and watched a local vendor feeding the feral cats (2).

The Guard changing ceremony a the tomb of the unknown soldier was kind-of on the way to our next destination, and it was about the top of the hour, so we stopped to see. The visiting Armenian President had stopped by this morning to lay a wreath, which helps to explain the Armenian flags fluttering in Syntagma square.

About two miles from the hotel lies Lycabettus (3) Hill, known for its hilltop chapel and sunset views. Most of the hike was up through city streets (4), with the final 1/2 mile or so in a city park surrounding the hill. The hike in the city park was along well-maintained dirt and paved trails. The small summit got increasingly crowded as sunset approached (5), with a wide variety languages being spoken, except when different groups spoke to each other, always in English. While the sunset was very nice, looking northeast revealed vibrant purple hues as the night approached. The descent was well-lilt as we watched Venus chase the sun to the horizon and the waxing crescent moon setting to the east.

(1) The metro line to Piraeus runs within the northern fence-line of the Archeological site, the graffitied train offering a stark contrast to the ancient site. 

(2) Setting out a pouch of food for three cats, they hungrily ate the proffered food. She then opened a can of food labelled something like "Bargain" on the can. Two of the cats continued to eat, while a third turned up his nose at the bargain food, hoping for more of the good stuff. We bought a pair of earrings and gave the change to the vendor to buy more cat food.

(3) Lycabettus means Wolf Hill, named for the creatures that once roamed its rocky heights. 

(4) We bought a tea kettle painted with cats we espied in a shop window on the way. Having a faux argument with my wife about who would "lug" the kettle up the hill, I said could not because I was carrying a large cookie we had brought to sustain us. The shopkeeper helpfully offered to eat the cookie  so I could carry the kettle!

(5) Most people ascended and descended via the funicular; the trails were fairly quiet.

The Temple of Hephaestus, viewed from outside the Archeological site

Painted door

Greek Orthodox Flag

Wandering through Monastariki Square. We passed by frequently; the square was between our hotel and most of the tourist sites.

Changing of the Guard

Wreath laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the visiting Armenian President this morning

On the hike to up Lycabettus

At Lycabettus summit

The Parthenon, view from Lycabettus 

View west to Mt. Parnitha National Park

Striking the colors (for some reason about a half-hour before sunset)

Sunset over the Saronic Gulf

The lights come on at the Acropolis

Night closing in from the East over the Kaisariani Aesthetic Forest. 

The purple hues were quite striking.

The 1896 Olympic stadium

This non-challant cat may have been photographed by more people than the sunset was.

Descent back to the city

Waxing crescent moonset

The Antikythera Mechanism

 February 17, 2026

A bike tour is always a hood way to see a city. Dimitros (1) led us a Dutch family past the Acropolis, then up Observatory Hill (2), offering fine views over the city. The Psirri district was formerly an industrial area, transformed into an artsy district by the cheap rent. Rolling through Monistiraki Square, remnants of all periods of Greek History were visible (left to right): Greek Republic bell tower, Byzantine church, Ottoman Mosque, Roman Hadrian's Library, Ancient Greek Acropolis, and the modern metro station.

Rolling east, the modern resurrection of the Olympics games in 1896 was held at the marble Olympic Stadium. Nearby is the Presidential Palace (3). We end the tour at Hadrian's Gate, with its iconic view of the Acropolis through the Arch. 

In 1901, sponge divers found a shipwreck off the small Greek island of Antikythera. They hauled up statues and sculptures, and a clump of brass wheels. Sent to the National Museum of Archeology, no-one knew quite what to make of the clump of brass until 3-D X-ray images were made of the brass clumps in 2005. What was revealed was a complex interconnected system of 62 different brass cogs, and Greek lettering explaining the use of the device. The mechanical device kept track of the position and phase of the moon, the five known planets (visible to the naked eye are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) (4), and even predicted solar eclipses. The device has been found to highly accurate, suggesting detailed observations over decades, followed by the ability to translate these observations into a finely-tuned mechanical device. Dated to the first century B.C.E., the Antikythera Mechanism predates the previous earliest known similar mechanical devices by over a thousand years (5), as is known as the world's first analog computer.

The mechanism and various modern reproductions are housed in the Archeological Museum north of the city center. A long wait to enter awaited us on this Tuesday, when the museum is open late. We found the hall with the mechanism, then wandered through the museum enjoying various other exhibits, including a (smaller scale) reproduction of the statue of Athena formerly present in the Parthenon.   

(1) Unusually for Greeks, he has blue eyes and blond hair. His long hair and beard make him look like images of Poseidon.

(2) Dimitros pointed out that the Greeks often having simple naming conventions. The hill with the Observatory is Observatory Hill, the office tower in Pireaus is the Pireaus Tower.

(3) Greece voted out its former royal family in a referendum in 1974 in favor of an (largely ceremonial) elected president.

(4) The word planet is derived from planētēs, the Ancient Greek word for wanderer, as the planets wandered among the background stars. 

(5) Knowledge really can be lost when Empires fall. 

The Acropolis in the rain

View from Observatory Hill. The Acropolis is in the middle distance, and Lycebettus Hill in the background to the left.

Grafitto in Psirri of Dog who barked at police during the 2010 protests. The bike tour guide is visible to the right. 

Ottoman-era mosque at Monastiraki Square

View of the Acropolis from Plaka Neighborhood

The stadium used for the rebirth of the Olympic games in 1996

Presidential Palace Guard

Where the athletes stayed for the 1896 Olympics

White wagtail foraging on the grounds of the Temple of Zeus

Hadrian's Gate

At the National Archeological Museum:

Original pieces of The Antikythera Mechanism

How the mechanism worked

Modern reproduction of Antikythera Mechanism

Small scale reproduction of Athena Statue from the Parthenon 

Statue of Athena

Statues and carvings from BCE

A Lion, the Daemon of Death, seeks to devour the dead man, while a friend tries to fend him off

Medusa Mosaic

Leaving the Museum

At a nearby coffee shop