Stories from the Acropolis Front

It’s 9:30 in the morning, and I am marching purposefully amidst a crowd of overseas tourists up the cobbled pedestrian street of Dionissou Areopagitou. We pass the entrance of the Acropolis Museum, heading toward the main ticket office for the Acropolis and its slopes near Filopappou Hill.

With the gentle din of rush hour traffic in the background, the sun is climbing in the sky, and the mercury is already pushing past 30 degrees Celsius. For some, it’s already starting to feel unbearably hot. Indeed, this summer has seen an unprecedented number of back-to-back heatwaves, lasting from early June to now, with temperatures reaching into the early forties.

Around me, dozens of tourists mill about, taking in the scene. Looming above us to the right are the iconic monuments of the Acropolis of Athens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the cornerstone of ancient Greek culture and Western Civilization. Many of the visitors, hailing from almost every corner of the globe, are heading in the same direction as I am: to spend the morning exploring the world-famous archaeological site.

Upon first impression, some are better prepared for the day ahead than others. I notice several families with young children, all wearing durable, practical footwear, ideal for scaling uneven surfaces, and loose-fitting clothing, with broad-brimmed hats, and big sunglasses. Some are even carrying small umbrellas to shield themselves from the hot Mediterranean sun. Others, however, are clearly unused to mid-summer temperatures in Greece. They walk in flimsy flip-flops and skimpy outfits, exposing too much skin, no hats, and no sunglasses. One wonders how they will fare under the midday sun.

I stop to top up my water bottle at the Hellenic Tourist Organization station at the lower end of Dionissou Areopagitou, where I catch up with a small family group from Michigan in the US. I ask them how they’re coping with the heat.

“The weather’s great, but it’s seriously hot!” one exclaims. “Summers back home in Michigan can be hot and stifling like this, so we’re more-or-less used to it,” she continues, “but we’re taking all the necessary precautions and drinking lots of water.” I see they’re well prepared, each sporting a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and carrying small, battery-powered fans. I ask them about their trip in general. “We’re here in Athens for just a few days, so we want to pack in as much sightseeing as possible. We’re then heading over to Mykonos.”