Athens

After enduring two delayed flights (Toronto-Frankfurt-Athens) and an hourlong bus ride from Athens airport to Grand Bretagne Hotel I fell into (very comfortable) bed and stayed there for twelve hours until breakfast at 6:30 a.m.  Walked into hotel restaurant still dopey, headachy and hardly seeing at all. Waiter brought silver jug with coffee.  I drank one cup and a second one before the light in my head came on.  At which point I looked up and finally noticed the sight looking back at me through the wall of windows.  It was still dark but in the distance stood the Acropolis with the Parthenon lit by floodlights from below.

I ate my scrambled eggs (okay, I also had a mini croissant, a small slice of custard pie, and some kind of cookie) without taking my eyes off the site.

 

Later in the day our group went up to the Acropolis where I stared up at the momumental columns slack-jawed before walking to the nearby Acropolis museum to visit the Parthenon gallary where original blocks of the Parthenon frieze and much more is on display.

As to the people, on the whole, Athenians do not seem particularly friendly towards strangers.  Big city busyness, I guess. However, when I came out of the pharmacy and stood staring at my map to figure out how to get back to the hotel, a woman with a dog (of course!) approached me and helped me find my way.

I also have to make a confession now:  I had dinner at a Chinese restaurant tonight.  I have no excuse except that I longed for vegetables and knew I’d get still-crisp broccoli there.

Until next time.