After one of the best breakfasts ever, we wander across the road to the parliament building. Quite by chance it's the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier in front of the Greek Parliament building! On the hour every hour 24/7, the guards (Evzones) change over shifts. Photos are allowed next to the guard provided it is one person at a time, no touching of or talking to the guard and no gestures such as saluting or anything disrespectful. There are two guards, one at each end of the tomb, and a soldier to straighten their hats and rifles when they first come on duty as well as make sure the crowd behaves. The guards must be very hot in their uniforms of thick leggings, a hip-length pleated tunic and heavy jackets as the sign above the pharmacy says the temperature is 32 degrees. They stand next to their sentry boxes so only their heads are shaded. I particularly like the huge pompoms on their shoes. I ask the soldier supervising if any guards faint in the heat but he assured me they are only there for an hour at a time! By the time I chatted to him, most people had left so having my photo taken was easy. We continue our walk past the Academy of Greece, the university of Greece and the National Library of Greece. The man at the top of the steps calls out to us, 'Come and look inside'. We walk up the steps and have a look in the library foyer. We find a little cafe with delicious baguettes for lunch before heading back to our hotel. This afternoon is our half day Athens tour. First stop is the Olympic Stadium. It is built on exactly the same site as the original Olympic stadium of 330 BC. The new stadium which can seat up to 90 000 people is built completely of white marble!!! Musical and sporting events used to be held here but the International Olympic Committee put an end to that and will only allow it to be used for the finish of the Athens marathon every year. Next stop is a photo opportunity at the parliament building which we've seen so we stay on the bus. The Romans ruled Greece at one stage and the Roman emperor Hadrian built Hadrian's Gate in 132 AD. It was one of the boundaries of the city. Nearby is the Temple of Zeus, the largest temple in Greece.It took 700 years to build!!! starting in the 6th century BC. On the bus our guide Martina talks constantly but her stories about the Greek gods and the ancient history of Greece are interesting and her English is good. We stop at the Odeum of Herodes Atticus. This was a theatre built for musical performances holding an audience of 5000 people. It was covered with a roof made of cedar! The theatre is still used today during the Athens Festival each year. Our final stop is the highlight of the tour, the Acropolis with the Parthenon on top. Acropolis means high city and it is quite a walk to get to the very top. The steps are all marble so it is also very slippery in places. The Parthenon was built between 447 and 432 BC in white marble which has yellowed over the years. There is a massive restoration program going on at present to rebuild it. White marble is being used because that is the original building material but it looks rather like patchwork with the yellow blocks interspersed with white. Visitors are not allowed to touch the marble and if someone is spotted disobeying, a very shrill whistle can be heard, blown by one of the attendants standing around! Apart from the Parthenon there are the remains of a couple of other buildings including the Temple of Nike. There is a magnificent view of Athens from the top including the Ancient Agora, the ancient marketplace which we'll visit on Sunday.