Run to Plant Trees
Photo of the olive tree I took atop the Acropolis of Athens, a symbol of dedication and reverence, November 13, 2018.
The next morning after the Athens Authentic Marathon there was no alarm, my body deserved a rest. Yet, my partner and I only had two full days left in Athens, so we wanted to explore as much as my legs would allow us.
On the first day after the marathon with no particular plan in mind we walked from our accommodation in Kolonaki towards the ancient Agora of Athens. As we walked we enjoyed the sun’s warmth on our skin, and along the way explored the National Garden, the blossoming flower beds and magnificent trees surrounded us on every step. Some of the trees looked like they have been there forever, the stories they could tell us; if only trees could speak. The garden was a tranquil haven in the middle of a concrete jungle, with plenty of shaded pathways and ducks.
The ancient Agora of Athens, located just at the footsteps of the Acropolis on the one side and on the other the Mount Lycabettus, which rises at 300 m above the sea level; it is the highest point in Athens. It was magnificent to explore the old paths of the ancient Agora, all built in marble, and to learn about the various buildings, some dating as far back as 6th century BCE. It was hard to grasp the age of the place, the importance and how many feet have walked these paths before us.
We walked up few steps into the Stoa of Attalos, which houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora - statues, busts of various gods, tools, dishes - so many testimonies of life that once existed here, all items nicely organised, dated and marked, treasures of unknown stories. As we walked back down those few steps, you could easily spot a marathon runner from the awkward way of walking down the stairs. I started laughing as I waved at a fellow runner who had the same expression on their face while tackling stairs going down; an expression of pain, pride and gratitude.
As we stepped back on the ancient paths, we looked around and noticed trees - cyprus, laurel and oak trees -, and many more that we didn’t recognise. On our way back to the accommodation we also noticed plenty of various citrus trees, the scent was so sweet and refreshing.
The next day on our way to the Acropolis we once again decided to walk through the National Garden to avoid the noisy and dusty streets, and instead enjoy the company of trees. Once we arrived we chose to walk through the museum first to learn a bit more about the history of Acropolis before heading up the hill. The Parthenon, a temple that dominates the hill of the Acropolis, is dedicated to the goddess Athena Parthenos, an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom and warfare, the patron of various cities across Greece, including, Athens. The goddess Athena’s two major symbols were owls and olive trees. In memory of Athena’s sacred olive tree, in the early 20th century an olive tree was planted atop the Acropolis, in the Pandroseion, a sanctuary dedicated to Pandrosos, the first priestess of Athena. The olive tree has remained a central part of Greek life; which reminds me of my Greek English Literature lecturer, when asked how are the olives at the faculty’s dinner event, she briefly replied: “They are not Greek.”
After admiring the Acropolis and enjoying the views over the city, we walked down back into the city, only to climb up to Mount Lycabettus, and enjoy our final sunset in Athens from the highest point in the city. The foothills of Mount Lycabettus are covered with pine trees, which bring an immediate sense of freshness and wilderness. My partner and I chose to ascend steps instead of waiting for funicular. Cactus and prickly pear plants decorated both sides of the steps with juicy looking fruits on them, along with some eucalyptus trees, which you can smell before you spot them. We made it to the top just in time for the sunset. The sunset was like a big warm hug to my inner being and my tired legs, I was filled with joy and happiness.
That evening I thought a lot about the importance we as human beings give to the things that human hands have created, and the way ancient civilisations regarded nature as given by gods and goddesses - Athena gifting the first olive tree. And I thought that in a way that connection with nature in a modern day society is almost lost. Nature is tamed, cut back, trimmed, and destroyed. We have forgotten to regard nature as something that is a part of us and within us, that nature deserves our respect, care, love and admiration. We are one with nature.
I knew then I would continue running more and further, however, I was also wondering could I add a greater purpose to my running.
Before we left for the airport, we walked down to Dromeas (The Runner), as I wanted to leave flowers there and pay my respects to the city and the marathon. And there, underneath Dromeas, a giant sculpture made of pieces of jagged glass that looks like a runner in motion, I realised that I would Run to Plant Trees.