On the hilltop of the Acropolis in Athens its the

On the hilltop of the Acropolis in Athens, “it’s the worst summer I’ve ever known” deliverance

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In the Greek capital, where temperatures are expected to reach 44ºC this Sunday, July 23, tourists rushed to the opening of the famous ancient site to see it ahead of the unbearable heat and the site’s closure.

“We thought we were alone at that hour, but we were clearly wrong,” shouts Andrea Yafai, an American tourist with a white straw hat on his head, noticing the length of the line. No sooner has the entrance to the Acropolis opened this Sunday, July 23, than the queue is already several hundred meters long. Almost all visitors have already paid for their ticket online, so be quick: the flagship archeological site of Athens closes its doors this Sunday, July 23, at 11:30 am instead of the usual 8 pm. In question is the blast furnace in the capital this weekend, feared by Greek authorities to be “the hottest recorded in July in fifty years”. The mercury temperature must reach 44 °C there, in the center of the country, in Thessaly, even 45 °C.

“Outdoor venues are all closed at lunchtime”

“We wanted to arrive early to avoid the heat and have time to visit,” adds Andrea Yafai, vigorously waving a fan in front of her face. The California teacher and her husband, whose arms are still white from poorly applied sunscreen, are far from the only ones who came up with the idea. Even when we arrived at the opening at 8am, it took me at least 45 minutes to reach the ticket office. There