Athens - Part 1: Around the Acropolis

I start my Greece-Italy trip in exciting Athens and head straight for the Acropolis at the beginning of the first day. I behave like a cat, sneaking around the hot milk without touching it right away: Because I first visit - always with the Acropolis in view - what lies at its feet, namely the Roman Forum. With my combination ticket, which costs a proud price of €30, I can visit several archaeological sites, so I take my time immersing myself in antiquity. After sniffing at the Greek Agora, the former market and meeting place, with its Temple of Ares, at least from the outside, I lose patience and sprint to the Acropolis. Yes, there are already crowds of tourists here in mid-April, but I try to ignore them. And yes, the Parthenon is currently being renovated, but I ignore that too. And then: What really blows me away is the Herodes Atticus Odeon Theater. Unfortunately, you can only enter it during events, but the atmosphere is breathtaking, and I would give a lot to be able to sit on the ranks or at least set one foot on the stage. There is also a theater about 700 years older, the Dionysus Theater, which is considered the birthplace of drama, with an honored place and poppies between the stones, and the Erechtheion, an impressive Ionic temple from the 5th century BC. On the way down, I stroll through narrow alleyways with picturesque houses, cute local establishments, and keep looking back at the Acropolis, which I have now firmly embraced in my heart.