Wandering the streets

We had nothing to do today because we had already seen everything that Athens had to offer.


HAHAHAHAHAHA!!


Seriously, there is no way you could see everything there is to see in this place so you have to draw a line somewhere or you will go mad. So, the line was drawn and we decided that we had seen what we had set out to see and we were content.


Except we hadn't actually seen the Roman Agora.

Upon looking at the pictures in the guide books and pamphlets that were left in our apartment, we realised that Hadrian's library and the Roman Agora were two separate ruins. Doh!
With that back on the list we went back to the Monastraki area to find the Roman Agora.

Its mostly various piles of rocks with the notable exception of the Tower of the Winds (Horologion of Kyrrhestos). Its an octagonal tower with a representation of the personification of various winds. There used to be a bronze weather-vane at the top to let you know who was blowing at any given time. Inside was a water clock which was operated from water running down the Acropolis.
 

Next to it was a public latrine - not much left of it but its good to know they thought of such things. The Romans built this agora in the 1st c BC to try to move the commercial centre away from the Ancient Agora. Sadly, I didn't see any turtles, but there were a couple of cute kitties!

 

This was our last day in Athens proper. Tomorrow we are heading to Delphi on a day trip and then we leave on a 5am flight to Santorini!