The world itself is an art gallery that consists of many works by man that have accumulated over time.
Athens, Greece holds a vast of amount of these art pieces that humble viewers in their presence. Unlike other artwork, these marvels are not placed in all white museums that draw the eye directly to them. Instead, the city of Athens surrounds them. The reality of people, lively restaurants/cafes, and bazaars contrast monuments of ancient civilizations that worshipped gods and goddesses.
As part of my London abroad experience, I have the privilege of visiting many places including Athens, Greece. For two of these five days, my classmates and I went where many of ancient Greece’s marvels are located. As mentioned above, they are extremely magnificent and worth visiting.
During my time there, I had the opportunity to hike the Acropolis, sit on Mars Hill (where the apostle Paul preached) while hearing the word of God, and visited the Temple of Zeus—and yes I did have, “Go the Distance” from Hercules playing in my head.
In addition to having the right music running through my mind, I had to dress appropriately for the journey. My outfit was equipped for lots of hiking, but with a chic twist. I wore a white tee with some fun cutouts tucked into my favorite high waisted shorts. For fashion and function, I put on my Nike Roche sneakers and a hat to keep me in the shade.
During this visit, it just struck me how monuments before Christ such as the Temple of Zeus and Acropolis stood the test of time or how you can still feel God’s peace on a hill that was preached on almost two thousand years ago. Their glorious nature does not get lost in the midst of crazy streets, city walls filled with gorgeous graffiti, and touristy hubs. In fact, while those parts of Greece are also amazing, they in a way cower next to historical landmarks.
Athens is a beautiful chaos, an eclectic city of the ancient and new. As far as I’m concerned, it is one of my favorite “art galleries.” Stay tuned for my next blog post about our time in Santorini, Greece!
Keeping it Krischic,
Kristin Vartan
Keeping it Krischic 