 After cramming in so many sites the previous day you would think we would have spent our second day in the city of Athens relaxing a little. Well not us. There was still quite a list of places to see, and I certainly did not want to risk running out of time to see them all. So after breakfast we made our way to the city centre via our friend the subway.
First up was the ‘Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus’ and Hadrian’s Gate. Looking a little like someone’s botched attempt to piece together parts of various ruins, Hadrian’s Gate seemed a little out of place, and was kind of overshadowed by the nearby temple. However it did provide me with the chance to get an arty shot or two of the Acropolis through the arch, much to Kristi’s dismay.
 Zeus’s temple though was by far the highlight of the day. Despite only a collection of columns remaining, the grandeur of it left me breathless. It wasn’t until we got closer to the columns we started to realise the immense scale of it, which left me wondering just how humbling it must have been back when it was complete.
 Next we headed just down the road to the National Gardens - a chance to get away from the city bustle, which took us through to the parliamentary building. We made it just in time to witness the changing of the guard. Now, I have found most countries seem to have a custom of forcing their honorary guards into ridiculous outfits whilst making them conduct humorous marches. I thought the Cuban guards in Santiago were pretty funny, but they were nothing compared to the Greeks. I seriously thought they were acting out a famous Monty Python sketch. I shall have to look at uploading the vids so you can see for yourself. If anyone knows of other candidates for the silliest guards, let me know.
 We left the guards, with their skirts and pompom shoes, and headed for the Plaka district, renowned for its shops and popularity with the tourists. Stopping at one of the taverns I decided to try the local flavour of ice-cream, it took me a while to pin point the taste, but I eventually declared it as pine needle flavour. Kristi meanwhile devoured the biggest chocolate croissant ever devised. Well ok, I helped her out a little.
While the streets of Plaka were nice enough I was pondering why the disrict was considered a tourist hot spot. We could have been in any English city street as far as the achitecture and shops were concened. And as we went further in, the area seemed to get a bit downtrodden to say the least. We decided to head back to the hotel for some much needed Recuperation after the day’s walking under the scorching sun.
 Later that evening we decided to venture out to the Meson el Mirador - a Mexican restaurant that was recommended in our guide book. The area in which it was situated was giving Kristi bad vibes, with rundown buildings, graffiti and oil drum fires. But I didn’t get the feeling of being in danger at any point despite the surroundings, guess I was getting use to Athens. The restaurant itself was excellent, and well worth travelling a short distance from the city centre. Again it had a roof terrace, with the obligatory view of the Acropolis, with fantastic food and home made sangria to boot. A perfect way to round off another fine day in the city of Athens.
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