June 16

Oh Magoo, you’ve done it again.  That’s all I could think of as we walked down from the Acropolis.   Al once again put together an amazing tour through a private company.  9 of us in a Mercedes bus with a Greek driver who spoke perfect English and our guide, Sofia, an archaeologist and mother who knew her stuff and had a little chuckle that just delighted. 

 I honestly was dreading heading to the Acropolis and the Parthenon, not because I didn’t want to see it, but because I knew it would be a walking schlep and hot.  This is the second time I was pleased to find that except for the actual grounds of the ruins, Greece is loaded with shade trees (olives, of course).  There was a constant breeze at the top of the hill but the best part? Our tour took us there FIRST, instead of other sights and then getting to the Acropolis when forty other tours are arriving at the same time.  As a result we were able to get some pretty decent photos and in general it was pleasantly uncrowded. It wasn’t that nobody was there, but by the time we made it back down to our bus, the line to get in with other tour groups looked ugly.  It could have been much different.

 The Acropolis looks just like the pictures you saw in your geography books.  I guess what I didn’t expect was how much bigger it was than what I envisioned (pictures in my geography book were so small).  I guess I also figured “meh” because everyone’s seen the pictures a million times.  Once again, the spirit of the ancient stories caught my attention and the sense of awe at all that went down during the lifetime of this monument took me by surprise.  The marble alone without the backstories would be enough to marvel at.

 One of the drawbacks of having tour guides is they tell you fascinating details and anecdotes.  It is stimulating to hear these educational lectures but by the time it’s all finished I don’t know whether it’s 500 BC or 1972.  I know that the Athenians and the Spartans had at it more than once; I know that the Greeks were under the thumb of Persia for a long time. I know that the Persians ultimately started the Parthenon on fire –  and something about the Athenians knew they were coming, they all fled the city except for some die-hards and old people who barricaded themselves with wood up there and the Persians, being all dressed up with no one to kill started a conflagration.  It took the roof off the Parthenon and part of the south colonnade and that’s where we stand today.

 I learned that the stages were all open air, the music halls were not.

 I also learned that Socrates was a sculptor by trade and only did his philosophy thing as a side gig.  I did not know that.  After he was accused and convicted of being the cause for the deterioration of Athens, by dissing the gods, corrupting the youth and suggesting that perhaps the Persians were not complete barbarians.  He took the hemlock willingly on the premise that if his beloved Athenian peers, through rule of law, agreed he should be convicted, so be it.  Stand up guy, that Socrates.  That’s what you get though for being an “amateur” philosopher, though.

After we left the Acropolis we went to the Parliament to watch the changing of the guard, which honestly looked like they were training the guys to do it, because they were not quite as sharp as you’d expect a changing of the guard to be, and also there was another person dressed like a sergeant or something seemingly telling them what to do.  It was weird.  I’ll include the video and you can decide for yourself. (It just wouldn’t upload. I may need a refund from WordPress). One detail was that the cute fluffy shoes were good places to hide razors and everyone in Athens wore them, especially women, to protect themselves from occupying rapists and general marauders.  

 Onward for a quick stop at the site of the first modern Olympic games for pictures and another opportunity to stand where others have stood.

 We made our way to the Plaka which is a flat area in Athens and floated through the souvenir shops and had lunch.  Al got a t-shirt. His modus operandi when we travel is to take old t-shirts that have seen better days with him, leave them behind and get new ones. I lured Al into an olive wood shop just to look.  I really didn’t think I’d find anything, I don’t need any wooden salad bowls or salad tongs or wood bowls of any kind.  What we did “need” was up there on a shelf.  Before we left I wondered what ever happened to our travel mahjong set.  Haven’t run across it in awhile and maybe we left it somewhere.  We ended up with a gorgeous handmade olive root set. 

 Our lunch was a shared moussaka.  I always associate moussaka with eggplant but this one was beef and potatoes and sooooo good.

 After lunch we went to the Acropolis Museum which is new and state of the art.  Sofia told us that it has always been an issue if you want to build anything new in Athens.  The minute you start to dig you hit something ancient, Greek or Roman.  Then there is a big fight to keep it from being disturbed.  Finally, a compromise has been reached.  The Museum was built but the floor is glass so you can still see the excavation, and hope is that the system can be used in other places where this occurs (everywhere, tho?). 

The Museum houses original and replicas of the ornamentations – sculpted story panels about the gods and eventually every day Athenians, full size and mega sized sculptures.  Pottery galore of course and a nice exhibit about natural sources that were used to make the paints –  for example lapis lazuli, vermillion (minium), indigo plant, malachite.  Before we came on this trip Al had told me about The British Museum that houses a lot of  stuff pilfered from – well everywhere the British Empire landed, but he particularly remembered huge slabs from the Parthenon and Acropolis.  It was sickening to see HUGE sculptures of the gods and animals that are plaster replicas because the originals are in Britain.

Sofia said there is a push to start bringing things back now that there is a place to put them, and prior to this it was more or less agreed that the best place to preserve the treasures is in a museum in a controlled environment.  Whether it will happen or not only time will tell, but there is a movement to start returning stuff that’s been stolen in the past from “conquered” countries.  It’s not just the Brits, of course, it’s everyone from every country.  Walking off with “spoils of war” is not just a passing fad as I’ve learned in every country we’ve visited so far this trip.

Can’t remember the details of why the statues were “sawed off” and then not taken after all. So the ladies of the Parthenon are still in the Grecian museum (please note their lovely braided hair) but without feet. Frustration abounded in the voice of our archaeologist/guide.

Another thing I learned in the museum how they lugged all those discs one on top of another. There’s a miniature replica of the system that is pictured below.

It has been a very calm sail since we started four days ago.  Until tonight.  We left Athens with a stiff breeze in our faces and as I write we are rockin’ and rollin’ and it sounds like a gale out there.  Although I love the energy of it, I’m starting to actually feel a little queasy even though I’m already in bed.  So I sign off and tomorrow – is there no relief for this night owl? – another early morning as we arrive in Turkey and tour Ephesus.  The cruise director before the main stage show told us the port city is known for genuine fake trade.  Buyer beware. The main stage show was a quartet of guys who were so great – each one a soloist but their solo talents were shared in every song, so it was never just a boring “this guy sings this song with the others backing”.  They choreographed but not so tightly that each guy’s personality did not come through.  Like a well composed painting, it was impossible to fixate on one – they eye kept jumping from one to another and finding enjoyment in the individual singing and dancing.

No seriously I need to lie down now and possibly pop a Dramamine. I love a good storm though.