Greece

Gary and I departed for Athens, Greece on May 17th. Our stops were Chicago and London. We arrived in Athens on May 18th. The purpose of the trip was for me to present my research at an international research and education conference. This research is not my India research but it is my most current research I am working on. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon.

My first view of Athens was stunning. At this point, from the small window on the plane, I was wishing I had started reading the Lonely Planet book on Greece earlier than the day we departed.I was also wishing that I had learned a few phrases. And, one thing I know for sure, I will never plan another working trip for the end of a school semester. The week we left I had papers to grade and grades had to be turned in. Then, two days before we left a student submitted her dissertation proposal, which I've still not read.

As we departed the airport terminal a driver from our hotel, St. George Lycabettus Hotel, greeted us. He was holding a sign with our name and I was so glad to see him. Our flight was about an hour late and I wasn't sure anyone would be at the airport to pick us up. The drive from the airport to the hotel was approximately 30 minutes (70 Euros). Check in was non eventful and we were so excited to see our room. This hotel is advertised as a five-star hotel. It was more like a good three-star hotel. The room was tiny and the bathroom was very small. However, the shower had so many knobs and places for water to come out of I was scared to take a shower. Our patio view was of blue tarp covering construction. Not the Acropolis. We had to go to the 6th floor dining area for that. High speed internet was also advertised. I paid for premium internet for two days (35 Euros) and managed to squeeze an hour total of internet. When I asked at the front desk about the Internet I was told "In an hour it will be working." An hour came and went. Never really worked. Most likely for Europeans this is a five star hotel. It was just fine for me, though. I could have used a little more room, but, I'm not complaining. It was clean and we were able to watch CNN every night. That's when we heard about the tornadoes in Oklahoma. The news said Moore but that is right next to Brent and his family. I knew they were always out and about but CNN never told the time that it happened. I had the impression it was during the night until we got home and we able to talk to Brent.

The St. George Lycabettus Hotel is advertised as the only hotel in Athens with a view of the Acropolis.Our room was on the 4th floor.We didn't have the "view" but we did have a nice patio and I could still sit outside on the patio and people watch.

The reference to "the hotel on the hill" is not understated. We walked everywhere and we would begin to regret all the walking any time we headed back to the hotel. It was all a steep uphill walk. One day Gary estimated that we walked five miles. I did wear about a pair of tennis shoes. No kidding!

I had the slightest bit of problem as I was getting ready to give my presentation. I'm in the room finishing my makeup. Now, time for hair. Guess who forgot to change the adaptor to converter? You're right. Me. My curling iron was receiving 230 watts and was heating up to 230 watts. I wrap my hair around the end and then got ready to release and all the hair on the back of my head stayed on the curling iron. I literally burned my hair off the back of my head. Gary said "Oh, well, I don't notice a thing!" I decided I would just have to make it work. No one could walk or stand behind me all day. I have the shag look from behind.

On Monday night we attended the "Official Greek Welcoming Dinner" for everyone at the conference. One thing we have learned is everywhere is a 5 minute walk. If you ask anyone how far a place is the reply is ALWAYS "it's just a five minute walk."  I had asked someone at the conference how far the restaurant was and the reply was "it's just a five minute walk." Having been told that, Gary and I decided to walk instead of taking a taxi. We arrived at the dinner 1 hour and 15 minutes later, and that included taking a taxi at the end where I was almost run over.

The "walk" was rather interesting. All we had was a map written in Greek. Have you tried to match up Greek letters on a street sign to a map? You can't. Especially when most of the streets don't even have a street sign. Gary would say "that way" and we would walk that way several blocks. Then, it was a different "that way." We would stop a few people but they didn't speak English. We found a young couple that "looked" like they spoke English. They said they did and they told us pointing their finger "that way." We went "that way" and it didn't lead us to the restaurant. In fact, we ended up in a very remote area. It's dark, very dark. After an hour we stopped a taxi and he didn't understand us. We stopped another taxi, he didn't understand us. We stopped another taxi and he did. Gary gets in the front seat. I open the door to the passenger seat and the drunk taxi driver took off while I had one hand on the door and one foot in the door. I am literally running alongside the taxi with another taxi driver seeing all this blaring down on his horn. I can't complain. He actually knew where we wanted to go. Yes, we were late but we were not the only ones. I wonder how many more people were told "it's a five minute walk."

The food and entertainment was very much worth it. At our table was Eduardo from Brazil who we really bonded with. I met some wonderful people...a very nice lady from northern Ireland, a couple of sweet ladies from South Africa (Beatrice and Corinne), a lady from Brazil, another one from London, and then Egypt. There was one lady from Japan who was nice but kept cutting in front of people when it wasn't really needed.

 

We took a taxi back to the hotel after the dinner. The very nice lady from northern Ireland rode with us.I believe that was 7 Euros and the best 7 Euros I've ever spent.

I presented my paper and the chair reminded everyone that "English was the spoken language because people where English is their first language can't speak other languages." Ouch. It's true, though. He didn't have to say it in the sarcastic tone that he did but I wasn't offended. It is impressive....all these people from 44 different countries can all speak English as their second language. 

We learned that the Emporiki Bank ATM was the only one that gave an option in English. The first ATM we tried to use didn't provide that option. Gary came very close to withdrawing $10,000 from our bank. While in the U.S. you put in a period after your amount; for example, you would key in 100.00 to withdraw $100; you don't do that in Greece. We tried several ATM's until we found one at Emporiki. We made a mental note of where it was so that we could go back to it. Most of the ATM's don't work after 2:30 p.m. In fact, if you find one that is working, you better go ahead and withdraw some money. There is no guarantee it will be working the next time. Shops did not like credit cards and most places would not even take it. Once, while on the Delphi tour someone was buying a similar print and I was. She wanted to pay with a credit card. The store owner wouldn't let her and then he finally said "Okay, but it will be 33 percent more."  I think I was able to use the credit card only one time and it was for a small purchase. The mode of money was primarily ATM's and the money exchanger at the hotel. The exchange rate wasn't very good. For $200 in Euro's it would cost me $258 in American money. However, I didn't think prices were too bad even though I read they were. 

Because of the poor economy there are always demonstrations. While I was at a meeting Gary rode a bus all over town and observed a demonstration. I heard different versions of it. A taxi driver called it a riot. Gary said it was more like a parade. So, next time I am watching CNN and they are reporting on a riot in Greece, I'll wonder....so, is it a riot, demonstration, or just simply a parade.

I was surprised by all the military/police presence. They seemed to be everywhere and they always had riot gear (the clear plastic shields) with them. Around the Parliament it was common to see a navy blue police bus with police inside (about 7 of them) passing time chatting. They would also be standing on street corners with the riot gear. I don't know what they were expecting but their presence was known and they were ready for anything.

The changing of the guard takes place every day at 11:00 a.m. on Syntagma square. The ceremonial guards, the Evzones, stand motionless at the tomb of their unknown soldier. The uniform is based on the clothing of the Klephts, mountain fighters who fought the Turks from the 15th century until Greek independence in the 19th century.

 

They move in slow motion, in perfect sync, first dragging their foot backward, then raising that leg out straight before taking each step.

 

Gary and I took an Aegean Sea cruise to three islands. One island would have been enough for me. The water is the color of midnight blue. I've never quite seen water this color.

We took a carriage ride "around the island." We did NOT go around the island. It was supposed to be for 30 minutes....it was for 20 minutes. It was 20 euros and way overpriced, especially since it did not go as advertised around the island for 30 minutes. I complained to Gary but it would not have done any good to argue with the guy. English definitely was not his first language. He would just give us his smile showing his one tooth.

I was very uncomfortable in this picture with the toothy carriage driver. He put his arm around me and smiled with half (most) his teeth missing. I'm sure Gary was laughing inside the whole time as he was snapping the camera.

And, then, as if that wasn't bad enough, the toothy grinny carriage driver wanted me to pet the horse. I am scared of animals, all animals, bugs, etc. Gary was saying "Oh come on, do it for Anna Claire. Anna Claire will love this picture!" So, Anna Claire, this is for you! (I still didn't touch the horse.)

The little side streets on all the islands were so nice. Everything was clean. The one thing I didn't see anywhere in Greece were yards with grass. I also didn't see trash.

 A view of one of the islands from the cruise ship.

The cemeteries were very interesting. Beautiful also. Pictures of the deceased person would be in a beautiful frame on top of the tombstone. I would have loved to take a close-up picture but I wasn't sure if it would be disrespectful or not. The cemetery was stunning. Tombstones were marble and it looks as if the ground is marble also. I saw several cemeteries like this throughout Greece.

Right in the middle of everything you would see a donkey carrying bags on each side. This is on Hydra Island. The donkeys stand patiently on the dock waiting for the boats to sail in.

 

 

 Pistachio tree. We bought several packages of pistachio nuts from the island.

View of our ship docked in port. Beautiful landscape.While on the ship we overheard one young man say to a young female "We thought this was the booze cruise....instead, it's a bunch of blue hairs!" Excuse me young man but all I saw dancing were a bunch a blue hairs......where were the young ones?"

Another view of a donkey on Hydra Island. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the island so the mode of transportation, especially to carry anything, is a donkey.

 

 

 

On this island we bought several packages of pistachio nuts and I bought a Greece bag (big purse). We paid a crazy price for a very small bottle of sunscreen made in the U.S.A.

The Acropolis sits on a high rocky hill above the city of Athens. The word Acropolis comes from the greek words "edge" and "city." 

This is the first view we saw when we arrived at the entrance.

My goal at the Acropolis was to find a good place for a picture for our Christmas card! I'm not sure I succeeded but this is probably the picture I will use. We are standing at the back of the Parthenon.

 

 It was a very hot day and we probably walked 3 miles to the Acropolis.

There is a restoration project underway. It began in 1975. The purpose of the restoration was to reverse the decay. An attempt is being made to restore as much as possible.

This is the Erechtheion built between 421 and 406 BC. On the north side is a large porch with six Iionic columns, and on the south, the famous "Porch of the Maidens, with six draped female figures (caryatids) as supporting columns.

 

Gary standing at the entrance.

The Parthenon is dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its construction began in 447 BC and completed in 438 BC. The Parthenon housed the statute of Athena.

 

 Ongoing restoration of the Parthenon.

This is the Propylaea, the gateway entrance to the Acropolis. Constructed of white Pentelic marble and gray Eleusinian marble or limestone. Construction began in 437 BC and was terminated in 432, when the building was still unfinished.

 Looking down at the city from the Acropolis.

 

 A view of the Acropolis from a city street in Athens.

 

Looking at our hotel (next to the blue tarp) from the Acropolis. Our hotel is right in front of the blue tarp.

The city of Athens was beautiful and interesting. The trees (small ones) were different.

This building is where elections are held.

Hadrian's Arch. Constructed in 131 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as part of a wall separating the old and new cities of Athens. Made of marble.

The Propylaea serves as the ceremony hall and rectory of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The Temple of Zeus is located right in the middle of town, close to Syntagma Square. It was completed by Hadrian in 129 AD. Across the street is shops...clothing and vendors.

Meat shop.

Everywhere you will see a ruin right across the street from modern day buildings and shops.

I always looked forward to riding in a taxi. They were either BMW's or Mercedes....mostly Mercedes. The yellow taxis were the only ones I saw. It was 40 euros to the airport. It was 70 euros to have the hotel call a taxi and pick you up at the airport, which is what we did when we arrived. It was 7 to 10 euros to go just about anywhere. Of course, the taxi driver would never have change.

The one thing I enjoyed about Athens is the street vendors didn't yell at you and try to get you to buy something. They were more polite than India and Indonesia. They would bargain with you but they weren't pushy.

This is another example how you will find ruins in the middle of the city.

We took the Delphi tour, which was about 4 hours from Athens. Halfway we stopped at a tourist attraction for a rest break. According to tradition, Delphi was the geographical centre of the world, the meeting point of two eagles dispatched by Zeus from the ends of the universe to find the centre of the world.

4th century BC theatre where plays were performed.

 

This is the Sacred Way. These are stone bases you see along the path up to the foundations of the Doric Temple of Apollo.

Temple of Apollo, 4th century BC dominated the sanctuary with a statute of Apollo. On the temple vestibule were inscriptions of Greek philosophers known as the Delphic Commandments.

Bay leaf tree at base of Temple of Apollo.

Athenian treasury. Inside is where precious stones of gold and silver were stored. It is built of Parian marble. Its date of construction is disputed, ranging from 510 to 480 BCE.

View from the restaurant we stopped at on the way back to Athens.

 

The Delphi Museum houses most of what was found at the Temple of Apollo. The statue of Antinoos is a 4th century nude statue of a handsome Greek youth who coincidentally was much loved by Emperor Hadrian.

The Column of the Dancing Girls. 330 BC. Made of pentelic marble.

These are known as the twins. Kouros Statutes, early 6th c. BC (circa 580 BC) They are known as Kleovis and Biton. The two boys who heroically pulled their mother on her chariot to the sanctuary where she was to worship. They died the same night peacefully in their sleep.

Socrates was the first great Greek philosopher, Athenian by birth. He was born around 470 BCE and died 399 BCE. Socrates questioned what effect nature had on our lives and wanted to know how far the sun was from the earth. The oracle at Delphi declared him to be the wisest man. Authorities questioned him with the charge of corrupting young and of not believing in the gods of the city. He was put on trial and condemned to die by poison. He left no books. He did not put his beliefs in writing. Plato put everything Socrates said in writing.

 

Charioteer of Delphi, 470 BC. Cast in bronze. The sculpture depicts the driver of the chariot race at the moment when he presents his chariot and horses to the spectators in recognition of his victory.

I can't write about Greece without mentioning the graffiti on beautiful marble columns. I don't understand why someone would want to deface such beautiful marble columns but it is everywhere. There isn't an attempt to clean it. After a while you do get used to it but my mind would imagine how beautiful the marble building could be.

Look at this building. Graffiti everywhere. It doesn't matter what area you are in. This is an upscale center and graffiti marks every marble column.

All of the women are tall and skinny and I don't know how. We didn't taste anything we didn't just love, with the exception of some type of meat rolled up in something that Gary had. I didn't care for that. My first night I had a Greek salad, which turned out to be my favorite meal. This is a Mediterranean salad, which was okay, but didn't compare to the Greek salad. They are in no hurry to take your order, bring you your food, or bring you the ticket. It's very laid back. As you order something they would bring you the ticket in a "whiskey shot" glass. A salad receipt, drink receipt, water receipt (if they charged you for water, some places did), Gary's meal receipt, etc. We would have a whiskey shot glass with probably about 4 or 5 receipts in it. Of course, it was written in Greek so I had no idea what the receipt said. 

Our last night Gary had octopus. Looks awful to me. Most people here share meals so when I ordered the salad they brought the salad out with 2 plates and then it was another 30 minutes before Gary received his meal (the octopus). 

I was disappointed that wine was not the choice of drink with the locals. Red wine was served in a heated, yes...heated....glass. White wine wasn't, thank goodness. The locals drink beer and iced coffee. The iced coffee was wonderful and I wish I had known about it earlier in the week.

One of my favorite foods was grilled feta cheese. And, we ordered it by accident. We stopped at a restaurant that didn't have anything written in English. No one spoke English either. So, Gary pointed to the first three things on the menu and that is what we ordered. We had no idea what we would get. Bread was one, grilled feta cheese was the other, and I can't remember the third. However, I'll tell you....that grilled feta cheese was out of this world. I ate so much cheese this week. Olives. And pistachio nuts. Cheese and olives were served every morning for breakfast and you also got cheese and olives with every meal. I could have just lived on cheese and olives. We brought some olives back but I'm sure they will not taste as good. Dessert was complimentary. We always had dessert with our meals. The first time dessert was brought to us I thought that maybe they felt we were special. Nope. It's just the thing to do here.

Athens was wonderful. Other than the drunk taxi driver I only have wonderful things to remember. We enjoyed Eduardo (the guy from Brazil) and the two women from South Africa that we shared a taxi with. The northern Ireland lady was very nice, also. Eduardo was into the whole Athens scene. He wore a straw hat with Athens monogrammed around it. I can't say anything though....I carried around a purse with Greece monogrammed all over it. My only purchase was a vase which was a worry all the way home. I was certain it would be cracked.

People would ask us where we were from. After saying U.S. or "the states" then they wanted to know more. No one had heard of Arkansas but if you said "Texas" then every one had heard of Texas. Gary would just tell anyone that wanted to know "Texas." The next comment was usually something about Boston.

We barely made the London to Chicago flight. There had been a disturbance at London Heathrow and all flights coming in and leaving were cancelled for a few hours. We were given an orange tag that we had to keep visible that said "Express Connection." It was to allow us to move on through the lines to make our connection.

We are home now and I am cherishing the wonderful memories of Athens, Delphi, the Aegean Sea cruise, the Acropolis, and the Greek dancers.