Acropolis in the a.m.

On our trip to Athens, Greece, we could see the Acropolis from the street in front of where we stayed, Hotel Attalos (29 Athinas St.; phone +30 210 3212 801 — 2005 price, from €62 [$75]), in the Monastiraki area.

From the rooftop of our hotel, we watched the sun set over the Acropolis and then the spotlights come on, illuminating the hill. It was a spectacular show!

In the morning we walked to the Acropolis. We passed several archaeological digs on our way, worked our way up the hill and entered the Acropolis complex. We were early enough that the tour buses had not yet arrived.

What a beautiful place! We walked through all of it once and then went back to further enjoy the history and grandeur of it all. My Lonely Planet guidebook gave us plenty of information on the various structures. It got more crowded as the morning went on.

I have heard and read many negative stories of the terrible pollution of Athens, but we had beautiful weather and the view was relatively unpolluted. It was an awesome morning at an impressive site that I will remember for a long time.

RICHARD BERNER
San Diego, CA