Saturday, September 1, 2007

Reading about Athens

For me one of the joys of travel is the discovery of new culture, languages, people, food and society. I often study the place well before I go.

I have found DK Eyewitness Travel Top 10 Series very good. It was useful when I was in Rome last November , TOP TEN ROME.

In Athens the book TOP TEN ATHENS is extremely helpful. It listed the top ten most see attractions, what they are, how to get there and what to see. Often in a strange place, we often miss the most important sight even if it was just behind us.

Athen's Top Ten are
(1) Acropolis
(2) The Agora
(3) The National Archeological Museum
(4) Museum of Cycladic Art
(5) Roman Forum and Tower of the Winds
(6) Benaki Museum
(7) Kerameikos
(8) Byzantne Meseum
(9) Filopappos Hill
(10) Temple of Olympian Zeus




The other guide book I find extremely useful in this trip is the KNORF GUIDE.

The book carries the summaries (which are tastefully illustrated in color) about the culture, nature, history, sight, climate, hotels, restaurants.

It helps me to understand the ancient history of the Greeks from prehistory, the cycladic period, the Minoa civilisation, the Mycaean civilisation (Trojan War period), the migration and the geometric period, the two Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian war (between Athens and Sparta), The Roman period, Byzantine period, Ottoman period, the Independence and the catastrophe of 1922. And the book also shares about their religions (and mythology)





4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tip. I can look out for these series when I get to travel. I'd usually go for Lonely Planet. Did you get to visit all the Top Ten places?

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  2. hi pearlie,

    yes, I do use Lonely Planet but I find these two travel guides better. Missed two-but we do not want to go up Filopappos Hill anyway :)

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  3. Welcome back, Alex! Trust you have a good time there....

    How's Athens and Corinth? Was told that some sites in Corinth are now out of bound as they want to preserve the sites. True?

    Perhaps we can exchange photos on Corinth and Athens when I see in a few weeks' time!!

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  4. no problem, bro

    I have about a thousand photos so bring along a large enough storage media.

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