Sometimes the most interesting travel experiences come from bypassing the main attraction. The first thought that comes to mind about Athens, Greece is usually the Parthenon, but if you walk right across the street there is another wonder of the ancient world. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, or Olympieion was built about 2,600 years ago, almost a full two-hundred years before Athens’ star attraction, the Parthenon. Despite centuries of being pillaged for building material, the structure that remains is still impressive. I wont go into a long history of the temple, if you are interested, the history can be found here. This time, I’ll let my photographs do the talking.
When I visited this site, it was completely deserted. I think everyone else was at the Acropolis. I spent a long time just sitting on the ground, taking in the view of the temple from different angles, and trying to imagine what it would have looked like when it was first built. It was just me and a solitary stray cat, and he was in no hurry to go anywhere either. The enormity and stillness of this megalithic marble structure was overwhelming, so instead of rushing off to photograph the next site, I just sat, and enjoyed the view.
Jaunting Jen 
The Temple of Zeus is amazing. When I visited it, I was imagining how huge it used to be. The pillars are so tall, one must feel so little upon entering the temple.