Day 10 - Athens

γειά σας! (hi!)

I took lots of photos today, but most of them look like big hunks of stone.  Oh, yeah - they are big hunks of stone.  Really, they all look the same after a while, so I'm going to be very selective about which of them I post.

Here's my first sighting of the Acropolis and Parthenon.

And here's my comment about Athens: I don't like it.  In fact, it's for the birds.

I know, I know - I was waxing poetic about its wonderfulness yesterday, but that was before I spent a day in the city.  

The first disappointment was in the hop on/hop off bus tour I went on (part-way) to get my bearings and see what parts I wanted to walk through.  It was so convenient - just around the corner from my hotel.  If you come here, and think about taking one of these buses, don't.  They handed me earphones to listen to the tour info in the language of my choice, but the sound system was all static.  I was sitting on the top (open air) and had to cover the camera so it didn't get too hot to touch (high of 95 today).  I also slathered on sunscreen repeatedly.  We got to a major intersection and the bus died.  Well, that's what I thought until I looked over the side and saw the driver and ticket seller on the sidewalk waiting for hapless tourists like me.  We were there 10 minutes, which doesn't sound like very long unless you're in full sun and it's 95 degrees.  I actually threw my earphones down to the sidewalk in disgust.  At the next stop, I got off and told the ticket seller there how dissatisfied I was.

So then I was faced with figuring out where I was and where I wanted to go.  Hmmm.  Maybe see the most famous place up-close and personal?

I'm holding onto my hat because it was very windy - so much so that it was hard to hold still while taking photos.  
The guy in the photo below has the right idea.  Find whatever shade you can and stay there for a few centuries.

When I first saw these lovely ladies in Architecture History 301, I got a headache.  Why do the women have to do all the heavy lifting?

I see the ancient Greeks fell short on the quality control aspects of construction.  Slaves!  Can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em - oops - never mind.  

Walking around big pieces of stone is thirsty work.  Fortunately, there's a water fountain on top (really!).  After about an hour I moseyed down the hill to forage for sustenance.  Here's the view from the cafe I chose.  

After eating my tuna salad (exotic, huh?), which was covered with 1000 Island dressing, I walked toward the center of the city, looking for the market area.


It took some doing and lots of stopping to study the map.  Finally I saw women carrying shopping bags and knew I was on the right track.  I came to the modern shopping first, then wandered into Plaka, the oldest neighborhood in Athens.  It's the Greek version of the shopping alleys in the Old City of Jerusalem.  Mostly tacky stuff, and some merchants trying to get you to come in and take a look, but there are also a couple of very attractive streets with tavernas and gelato stands (I couldn't resist the latter - wonderful mango!)  

Here's my favorite photo of the day.

By the way, have I mentioned that the Ottoman Empire is not friendly to persons who are mobility challenged?  This little girl was having a hard time pushing her stroller.


And bathrooms are invariably in a cellar and barely large enough for someone who's ambulatory to get in and close the door without standing on the toilet.


But I digress...


I thought I'd see if I could find a new hat - you're all probably pretty tired of the canvas slouch hat look, right?  After checking out the wares at several stalls, I met Georgios (George), a smooth-talking Greek hat merchant.  Look at those bedroom eyes, will ya?

He flirted, and told me he loves me, and gave me a bottle of cold water, and asked me to come back when he closes (at 11PM), and showed me photos of when he was a model for suits (VERY handsome!!), and showed me photos of his ex-wife (to prove he's divorced) and his children, and then sold me the hat I'd chosen for only 10 Euros (he originally told me it cost 14 Euros.  Before I left, some young folks came in and he sold a hat to them for 18 Euros (which got him back the 4 Euros he lost on my purchase).


So that was my brush with romance.  Sigh...


After breaking George's heart, I walked over to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus, near Hadrian's Arch.  The latter is tough to photograph because of street signs and power lines, but what's left of the Temple is very photogenic.

By the time I got back to the hotel, at about 8 PM, I was ready for a cold shower (and not because of George).  I decided to go to the roof terrace for dinner, and here's the view I had.

It's off to bed now, so I can be up early to go on a day cruise of three islands - Hydra, Poros, and Aegina (a three island tour - remember Gilligan?).


γειά σας! (bye!)