Pilgrimage to the Oracle -- Tuesday Jan. 4 2010

Woke up at 6am today, ready to make our journey to Delphi. We realized we'd been pronouncing the name of the sanctuary wrong all this time -- it's dell-FEE, not DELL-fee... Showered, found a supermarket with apples and bananas (things definitely looked a bit more lively now that it was Jan. 4th. Rachel and I joked that the Greeks were finally stirring awake and returning to work for the first time since New Year's Eve.) Packed up our suitcases to put in storage and then headed out to catch our bus to Delphi. It was a little more complicated that we had thought... Apparently the local bus that usually runs to the big Terminal B long-distance bus station is no longer in service. We were informed of this by an avuncular gentleman who had spent 5 years in Pasadena (as he proudly exclaimed to us!). He apologized for smoking and then wrote us detailed instructions about how to get to Terminal B via metro. Luckily Rachel and I had allotted enough time so we made it to the metro, got off at Attiki, hitched a city bus (took 2 tries as the first driver did not speak English and seemed to be going the wrong way) to Terminal B. It was a typical grungy bus station, but it was amusing to watch the elderly ladies feed bread crumbs to pigeons inside. Greek people seem to especially love their pigeons! Caught the 10:30am bus leaving Athens for Delphi. So nice to travel when there aren't too many tourists around -- Rachel and I could sprawl out with our luggage and nap a little. Woke to these amazingly huge rocky mountains. It was a cloudy, misty day, but the overcast weather made the ubiquitous olive trees look even more silvery and beautiful. The bus ride lasted 3 hours, but it was nice chance to relax, read up about Delphi and just watch the scenery -- mostly mountains, farmland and tiny mountain villages. At one point we passed through a city and scraped a lady's car. She was very angry and called the police. We had to wait for them to arrive and sort it out with the bus driver, but it was actually kind of amusing to watch our fellow bus passengers make a point to go outside, crane their necks and try to converse (don't know what their intention was... haha). A few rows in front of Rachel was an Italian couple who periodically made out with each other on the bus -- also a source of entertainment for us...

Arrived in Delphi at the edge of the very sleepy little town. It is definitely colder than Athens -- Rachel says the weather makes her "ears feel pointy." The air is brisk but also very fresh -- so much cleaner than the city air of Athens! Everywhere in Delphi you look out on a gorgeous, dramatic view (craggy rocky mountains, vast plains of olive trees, a blue sky with patchy clouds, the distant port of Kirra). It's built on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, and there's definitely something inspiring and calming about being so high up with such a spectacular view of the surroundings. 

First things first, Rachel and I checked in at our hotel, Hotel Sibyllia. The Sibyl was the name of the Oracle at Delphi. She (always a woman, usually an older woman)sat in a little tripod seat, inhaled the vapors from the spring and uttered some vague babbles in answer to the questions (about politics, morals, love, daily dilemmas, anything) posed by pilgrims. The Oracle was believed to be able to "channel" the spirit of Apollo. Priests interpreted her babblings to the visitors. Famous Delphi visitors include Alexander the Great (apparently the Oracle told him he was unstoppable) and Socrates (who was inspired by the quote "know thyself" above the entrance to the sanctuary of Apollo). The Ancient Greeks believed Delphi was the center -- the navel -- of the earth. This was determined when Zeus sent two eagles in opposite directions to fly around the world; they met in Delphi. Delphi was also the center of worship of Apollo, god of the Sun.

I'm getting carried away though... so we checked into our hotel (only 28 euros/night for one room, very clean and the brothers who work at the front desk are extremely helpful). Then went down to a neighboring café for lunch -- spanakopita and vegetable soup-- overlooking the gorge. Sitting just behind us was a Professor from Temple University, an archaeologist who specializes in Black Vase pottery. He said he was just visiting sites in Delphi he hadn't seen in a while (he's been coming here since he was a teenager). He tried to give us haggling advice for whenever we go to Istanbul and told some story about how he ended up buying 2 rugs the last time he went to Turkey.

After lunch we headed over to the ruins of the Temple of Pronaia Athena. First we walked by the Gymnasium where athletes trained for the Pythian Games (superseded in size only by the Olympic Games of the ancient world) which were held once every four years to commemorate Apollo's victory over Python. Then we came upon the Tholos -- a round temple with an unknown function. We wanted to hike up to the Castalian spring (where pilgrims went to wash themselves before consulting the Oracle) but it was all closed down and it looked like the wooden scaffolding up the trail was crumbling! As we walked around the Tholos and the gymnasium though, the sun peeked out from the clouds and illuminated the marble colums and the rocky face of the mountain. We spotted some billy goats way down below us and marveled at the old olive trees all around us. Everything was so lush and green -- can't wait to do a hike tomorrow!

Checked out the edge of town, ran into Mr. Professor again (waiting for the 4:00 bus back to Athens) who "name-dropped" that his daughter was an actress on Law and Order... One thing we did learn from him though was that 90% of the cost of the marble used to construct the sanctuary and temple here at Delphi came solely from transporting the marble from the port of Kirra up here to the mountain slope. Then we found some delightful staircases and narrow passages to poke around, purchased very fresh Greek yogurt in a terracotta pot (!!) retrieved our computers and lounged in the free wifi café after dark. They had delicious fresh squeezed orange juice. Our waiter was very intrigued by how we typed away at our computers "like they were pianos" and he asked if we ever did anything with pen and paper anymore. He was a Delphi-native, and he made a very interesting comment that Delphi "is a small town... small town, big problems." He didn't elaborate further, but Rachel and I guessed these problems had to do with the economy, the tourist industry and overall slowdown... but who knows?!

Then we headed to dinner at a little family-run taverna.  Our waiter had a brother who looked just like him, and the whole family seemed to be eating in the restaurant. We had a rocket salad with very fresh goat cheese (almost like quark or something...). They made their own olive oil there too. We also had rabbit-onion stew. All their vegetables and ingredients were locally produced. Delicious baklava sticks for dessert too. Now it's 9:30pm and Rachel and I falling asleep! It's definitely a sleepy little town in the off-season, and I think we're just enjoying the chance to breathe the quiet mountain air deeply...

Water, water, everywhere!

Monday
Breakfast with Mee, our roommate who is leaving for Istanbul today
Athensbybike bike rental not open, even at 10:30
Piraeus walkabout. This is the biggest port in the Mediterranean!
no bicycles in Piraeus. everyone was shocked by the idea that we wanted to bike around the port city!
Lots of ferries
At one of the harbors, we found a series of exercise machines with detailed instructions. They were mostly being utilized by excited old ladies. The "surf simulator" was pretty cool -- as was the giant metal elliptical. In English, signs detailed how they improved "pneumonic function and flexibility" and also explained how to use the machines.
Beautiful little harbors with fishing boats and leisure yachts.

It was funny to see how the buildings were practically toppling into the water because they were so built up to the water. We came across a beautiful little sandy beach with swimming pools, tennis courts and squash courts. We talked about water polo, team sports, competition...
Lunch at the slowest place on earth. Probably because we ended up eating around 12:45 -- way too early by Greek standards. The first place we visited wasn't even open until 1pm. Exhausting attempt to order our greek salad and fisherman's spaghetti. We practically had to walk out of the restaurant before they brought us the bill. Waitresses had to walk across the street to get the food from the kitchen. Rachel and I suspect we get better service from male waiters. The food was good though, and we were sitting right next to the water with a gorgeous view of the sea.
After lunch, we walked over to one of the huge stadiums in the city -- no signs to explain, but it looked like a giant grey and orange dome that was perhaps built for the Olympics. Conveniently, the metro stopped right next door so we hopped on. Unfortunately though, once we got to Monastiriki, the metro backtracked and starting heading back to Piraeus! So we quickly jumped off at Thissio and walked back to the hostel. The streets have very poor gutter systems, so water was flooding down the Acropolis. Droves of umbrella salesmen approached us, but on principle, Rachel and I decided we would not purchase one from them. We were going to get wet anyway on the 20 minute walk (rain was torrential at this point) and we had raincoats already.
Back at the hostel, we dried off, enjoyed hot tea and stretched and planned for Delphi tomorrow.
At 5:30 we trekked over to Kolonaki for yoga, but I think we may have gone to the mailing address and not the actual studio... it's hard to tell because the website was mostly in Greek, but bottom line, we couldn't find it. We have yet to find a good functional online map of Athens! And google maps is surprisingly unhelpful.
Oh well though, we laughed it off, did some yoga on our own in the room (which we now have all to ourselves) and napped from 6:30 to 8:45! Then went to Strofi taverna for dinner -- a historic establishment where visitors often dine after a performance at the Odeon.

We had very hospitable service, delicious food (an amuse bouche of breadcrumbs -- had to be soaked in water first -- with tomato and cheese, beets with yogurt-dill sauce, tomatoes stuffed with rice, pinenuts and raisins, and sea bream fish). House wine was the best we've had in Greece. oddly, they served a shot of vodka to us as we ordered (definitely didn't drink it -- made no sense to us) and limoncello afterwards. Finished up dinner at 11:30 and went right back to bed hahah! So exhausted but such a relaxing evening.

Thunderbolts in the sky! January 2, 2011

Today is our first day with sub-optimal weather. Rain started around 9am and the forecast says it'll last through the evening. The thunder and lightning reminds me of all the statues and pictures we've seen of  angry Zeus wielding heavy thunderbolts. Luckily it wasn't raining too hard in the morning, so Rachel and I were still able to walk about a fair bit, dodging rain drops like pros.

Started off the day with a morning stroll to get our greek yogurt for breakfast. Since it's Sunday, we decided to attend a Greek Orthodox service. The first church we tried had just ended it's Mass, so we moved on to a different one somewhere at the base of the Acropolis. Inside, we were confronted with the strong smell of incense and the sounds of the priest chanting (in Greek, I assume?). The priest wore a big white cape embroidered with silver thread. Every bit of wall space in the church was adorned with murals or hung paintings, all in the typical 2D Byzantine-style. The church-goers continually crossed themselves, and everyone who entered kissed a painting that was placed at the entrance of the church. I think it was a painting of a saint... After the mass, all the churchgoers went to the front to take communion. Instead of crackers, they all received a big chunk of bread. Then they went outside to mingle and socialize.

After the church service, Rachel and I ventured over to the New Acropolis museum. Lots of street vendors tried to sell us umbrellas (amazing how quickly they can switch from the tourist tchotchkes to practical necessities).

Rick Steves had suggested that the New Acropolis museum had been built to demonstrate to the world in general and the British Museum in particular that Greece was ready and deserved to get its Elgin marble statues back (most are currently housed in the British Museum but some are in the Louvre, Germany, other places). Our visit today convinced me that this was a primary motivation for the construction of this museum! Throughout the museum we were reminded by placards and gaping holes that many of the ancient Greek treasures are housed thousands of miles away from the Parthenon. Don't doubt the power of ancient artifacts to stir heated political controversy...

First of all, the architecture of the New Acropolis museum is pretty cool. The floor is made of glass so you can look down and see what looks like an archaeological dig site. The top floor of the museum is positioned slightly askew from the other floors -- the top floor (which provides a life-size model of the Parthenon) is actually positioned to parallel the Parthenon. The glass walls and windows allow visitors to constantly look back and forth between the actual Parthenon and the remnants of statues, friezes and artifacts that once adorned the structure. Rachel and I agreed the museum designers had definitely done an impressive job.

On the ground floor we saw mostly pottery, lamps and votives. Since the first temple was built on the Acropolis, Greeks brought offerings  to the Goddess both to please her and to thank the gods for granting them a wish. Apparently a lot of ancient Greeks got married along the slopes of the Acropolis. Mid-January to mid-February was the month of marriage, and the preparations and ceremonies were a big deal. On the first floor we saw the remains of one of the oldest pediments from the acropolis: The earliest Parthenon was called the Hekatompedon, and its pediment shows 2 lionesses tearing up Taurus. It was built around 570 BC and its name means "100 feet long."

Then we went up to the Parthenon gallery, which was definitely my favorite part. It showed the life-size layout of the marble pediments, frieze and metope panels. The frieze reliefs depict the summer procession (the Great Panathenaia) honoring the goddess Athena, which took place every 4 years and lasted 12 days. It depicts lots of important Athenians, animals and horses, and on the east side (would have been above the entrance to the temple) it also depicts the Athenian people presenting the "peplos" gift to the cult statue of Athena. Of the 160 original meters of frieze, the Acropolis has 50, the British Museum has 80, 1 is in Paris and fragments of the others are scattered around Europe. The New Acropolis museum noted under each panel whether it was rear or original and, if the real one was not present, where that panel currently exists. Rachel and I also laughed because the plaster replica panels were so crude and ugly -- they hadn't even bothered to smooth out the lines of plaster -- probably because the Greek museum curators hope those plaster proxies will only need to be used for a very short period of time before the British deliver the Parthenon treasures to their "home". I wonder if the British will ever let go though...

While the frieze decorated the outside of the Parthenon, the inner wall was covered with metopes -- 92 panels depicting self-contained scenes of struggle. Most of the subjects were scenes from legendary battles (especially Greek victories over the Persians). While the metopes are also relief art, each relief is so substantial (if that's the right adjective...) sometimes up to  6inches deep, that these reliefs could almost be considered sculptures.

Probably the most impressive part of this exhibit were the pediments -- the triangular spaces at the roof at each end of the temple, which were the last parts of the building to be decorated in sculpture (437-432 BC). Again, the museum detailed exactly which parts of the sculpture were original and which fragments were replicas based on originals housed in foreign museums. The east pediment (above the temple entrance) depicts the birth of the Athena from the head of her father, Zeus, in the presence of the Olympic gods like Apollo, Iris (the other messenger) and Artemis. The west pediment illustrates the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the claim of the land of Attica (which, of course, Athena won). Athena and Poseidon are both flanked by their respective chariots, though sometimes only the hooves of the horses remain.

After admiring the Parthenon gallery, Rachel and I descended to see the Caryatid maidens from the Erechtheion. These statues are undergoing laser renovation, which is actually taking place in the museum so as not to have to move the very fragile statues. They were very beautiful, although unfortunately their faces were mostly rough and eroded. Apparently, the pollution and grime to which the statues were exposed during 20th century caused more destruction to the statues than all the other centuries preceding. Makes me wonder what the pollution is doing to my own face every time I walk into the street ... ew. There was another cool goddess statue head made of marble with a dark stain down the face -- looked like the goddess was crying. The statue had holes in the eyes too -- probably for inlay of some sort.

After the New Acropolis museum, Rachel and I walked over to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It was the biggest temple, has huge Corinthian columns (one of which toppled very dramatically in a gust of wind), and took almost 700 years to complete. It was finally completed by Emperor Hadrian (a "philhellene"), who took the liberty of commissioning an enormous statue of himself, exactly the same size as the giant ivory-gold statue of Zeus -- they were to be worshipped as co-equals! Temple construction began in the 6th century BCE and was completed in the 2nd century CE.

Then we continued on to the Panathenaic stadium, the marble stadium which we'd walked past at night on New Year's eve. This is where the 2004 Olympic marathon finished. Many more umbrella salesmen...

Then we found a street of chocolate shops -- all still mostly selling Christmas chocolates. Then we went to a "no-frills" restaurant for lunch. Even though it was probably 1:30pm when we sat down, we were clearly very early. Waited for 30 minutes for our waitress to write in the prices on the menu (based on the stacks of vegetables and fish she could find in the kitchen). We ended up having our favorite fava bean dip, bread and eggplant-tomato-garlic-onion dip all for 12 euros. When we asked for hot water to drink, our waitress confirmed, "so, almost boiling?" The food was very good, but too bad the service was so lackadaisical. Oh well, not many places are open on Sunday so it was a good find overall. After lunch we headed back to the hostel for tea and the dessert we purchased in a bakery yesterday: almond-honey cookie and a shredded-wheat-honey-walnut-pistachio thing. Quite tasty, and it was nice to have something sweet with our tea as we gazed out at the rain. 

After our siesta, went out in search of bananas (luckily the rain had stopped) but no success in finding an open grocery store. Returned to the hostel to look up restaurants in Psirri, the student neighborhood. Ventured over to Iroon square to eat at a place filled with young Greek-looking people and red-and-white checked table cloths. Felt like a tavern of sorts -- I guess it was a "taberna." Had our greek salad, eggplant-tomato-garlic-potato casserole, bread,  graviera cheese and white house wine from a red pitcher. Meals extend forever! When our waiter brought a 2nd pitcher of complimentary wine against our wishes, we asked for the check. We find amusement in the fact that the Greeks who are sitting in the restaurant when we arrive are still eating and drinking by the time we leave 2 hours later.

On our way walking back to the hostel, we started coming up with lists of things that are randomly sold on the streets of Athens: huge balloons (often 100+ are being touted by a stooped little old lady in traditional dress. Balloons include giant inflated Dora the Explorer and other cartoon characters), umbrellas on rainy days, artificially colored roses in the evenings, plastic "splat" toys, mass-produced kitcschy paintings, chestnuts, corn on the cob, oranges picked straight from the trees that line the sidewalk....

Back at the hostel, we met up with "Moo" and his Egyptian hostel roommate. Moo, a year younger than us, has lived in Athens for 2 years (is originally from Indianapolis), but Rachel and I knew the streets and neighborhoods better than he did. Moseyed through Psirri (Greeks apparently pronounce the P every so slightly) and then over to Gazi. The Egyptian guy, touting his high-tech camera, bought Swiss iced tea from a kiosk. He informed us that the city of Philadelphia is in Pennsylvania and that he has "loads" of American friends. Moo said that Greek people don't work -- they just go out and eat all the time and pass the night away in bars and nightclubs. He doesn't seem to like living in Athens. We learned en route that the loudpseakers blaring political propaganda are in fact an effort to inspire social consciousness among passersby. We were disturbed that some of the speakers in the recordings included Stalin, Hitler and Moussolini... When we ended up at Soho again, Rachel and I decided to duck out and return to the hostel to sleep instead. 

Kalí hroñá -- Happy New Year!

So all morning I've been thinking the Greeks are whispering about Rachel and me because I keep hearing them say "California." But actually, I've now realized that their "Happy new year" greeting (Kalí hroñá) just sounds like "California"! Crazy...


Woke up this morning at 9am. Aimee is leaving for Cairo today. Showered, too late for breakfast but luckily we had our yogurt-cereal-banana stash. Realized, as we sat down to eat at 10am, that it was just only midnight back home in California! So strange to be so many hours ahead of home....


After breakfast, we packed up for a stroll over to Kolonaki so we could ascend the Lykavittos Hill.
The hill is located in the center of the city and rises to a height of 910 feet. It can be seen from virtually every corner of the city, and its views from the top encompass the city, the mountains, and the coast. We enjoyed the chance to breathe in fresh air and start off the new year with a good hike through the trees. About halfway up we came upon a chapel grotto. Inside the little chapel, the rock wall was visible. The floor was carpeted (interesting...) and it smelled strongly of incense. Watched a Greek woman light 2 candles and another man prayed. Saw lots of images of St. George (which reminded me of Natasha's house and all her paintings and enamel pictures of St. George). Then we continued up the hill (asked a Greek soldier which direction). Up at the top were beautiful sweeping views of the city! The Acropolis looked like a tiny little mound from where we were. Rachel enjoyed looking at the many rooftop swimming pools -- all brilliant turquoise blue. At the top of the hill was also a small chapel of St. George (a whitewashed building from the 1800s). Rachel and I looked inside and also were sure to get our picture taken together at the top. Being up high -- again, my favorite way to spend the new year! We noticed a lot of elderly Greek people were also making the trek up -- I wonder if it's a traditional thing to do?

After our climb, we meandered back down the hill and scouted for restaurants. Most places were closed, though there were many cafés open and packed with people! We decided on a somewhat tourist-y place in the Plaka (it seemed like most Greek people were visiting family homes and not eating out for lunch) that was actually quite good. We enjoyed feta-tomato-olive-lettuce toast sandwiches and greek salad. For once we actually ate at a somewhat normal Greek lunch time (2:15pm)! Then we headed back towards the hostel for our usual afternoon siesta and relaxation....

Athens Day 2 -- last day of the decade!

Woke (to my amazement and delight) at the normal hour of 7:30. Enjoyed our yogurt supplement to the hostel toast downstairs while chatting to a fellow American hostel-er. Young boys ran around clanging musical triangles and asking for money -- it's a new year's eve tradition in Greece! Then we set out for the Acropolis (means "high city"!). Not a bad hike -- it's amazing how quickly you find yourself at the top! The weather was beautiful -- the morning sun struck the white marble perfectly, making it glow, and the sky was a brilliant light blue. I feel like winter is the perfect time to be in Athens -- gorgeous weather and few tourists! The Acropolis rises almost 500 ft above sea level and offers a view of the entire city -- it's incredible! And I, being the lover of high up places that I am, couldn't be happier to explore each view.


First we walked up through the Propylaea, the monumental gates with columns of Pentelic marble.  You really do feel like you're approaching something amazing walking up those gigantic steps. Admired the little Temple of Athena Nike on our right (with it's Ionic columns!).

The sun illuminated the columns so brilliantly... then made our way around the Parthenon. I had no idea about all the cool architectural tricks used to construct the building! For example, the columns have a slight bulge as they rise to counter the effect of looking smaller as the distance between the column and the viewer increases. Also, the ancient Greeks were aware of the fact that long straight horizontal lines appear to sag, and so the Parthenon's roofline is bent upwards a bit. Also, all the columns point slightly inward (if they extended upward long enough, they would all eventually touch!). This is to counteract the optical illusion created when two parallel lines appear to bow, or curve outward, when intersected by converging lines. It's just amazing that the Greeks knew all this!! The columns are built as drums -- segments of column stacked upon each other, each piece fitting on top of the other with precision to the 100th of an inch. Apparently, when this was a temple of Athena, there was a giant, 40 ft tall statue of Athena (with a 6 ft tall Nike in her hand). Every year, the Athenians processed up to the temple and presented the statue with a new robe made of cloth to drape over her. Incredible.

The Parthenon was a temple dedicated to Athena, protector of the city. Construction began in 447 BC and was completed in 438 BC -- all by free men, not slaves. The temple also housed the city's gold and other material wealth (like a treasury) -- I guess it wasn't too easily accessible being up so high. Over the centuries, it was also used by the Christians as a church and the Turks as a mosque. Learned a bit about the Elgin statues taken from the top of the Parthenon and now housed in the British museum. On the one hand, it's great to have so many treasures housed under one roof in London, but on the other hand, the statues really do belong in Greece!


After wandering around the Parthenon, meandered over to the side to admire the city views. Then ventured to the Erechtheum. Rachel and I laughed at the 6 Caryatid ladies (apparently, this was the first time sculpture had been incorporated into architecture!) because they "showed some leg." I didn't realize that the marble ceilings  of the temples were once painted. Legend/myth has it that the location of this temple is where Athena and Poseidon fought over city of Athens.

Rachel and I had trouble tearing ourselves away from the Acropolis and its marvelous views (you can see the ocean, Temple of Zeus, the ancient agora, miles and miles of city sprawl...) but eventually we descended through the olive groves (olive trees = Athena's gift to the city. Athens has more than 100 million olive trees!), stopping at the slippery marble rocks to look out over the city once again. The Acropolis is just an incredible place. Rachel and I found ourselves inspired -- like millions of travelers before us -- by the elegance and beauty of the columns and buildings. We found ourselves fantasizing about the houses we would like to build one day and the olive groves we hope to plant at some point. The perfect place to spend the final morning of the decade!

Next we headed over to the ancient Agora. Main center/square/piazza/commons of Ancient Athens. In the Stoa, Sophocles performed plays, ostracisms were held, Socrates and Plato and Aristotle discussed philosophy, shop owners sold their goods and people gathered. It's cool how history is still being made in the Stoa -- this is where the 10 new members of the European Union were officially "signed in" just a few years ago. Wandered through the grassy field to admire Corinthian columns (which the Romans loved), ruined statues, and big chunks of marble. In the Tholos, the standards for weights and measures were held. In the Odeon, there were musical performances (auditorium sat up to 1000 people!). The Temple of Haphaestus looks so beautiful and intact perched up on the hill -- I love how it faces the Acropolis too. Apparently, having a tomb in the agora was one of the highest honors for an Athenian... Finally we circled the little church in the corner of the Agora grounds. It's amazing how many layers of history exist in this one spot -- from ancient Greece through the age of the Romans, Ottomans, and modern life. Who gets to decide which "layer" of history should be commemorated and emphasized in preservation?

Next we ventured over to Café Abyssinia. Thanks to the recommendation of our very friendly waiter, we enjoyed a delicious meal as we looked out on a view of the Acropolis. Tomato/cucumber salad, a fava bean-onion-caper-olive oil dip, a fish-egg dip (taromosalata) and bread. So tasty! Afterwards, our waiter brought over some little phyllo dough pastry filled with a pink rose-flavored jelly. SO flavorful and piping hot -- right out of the oven!

Refreshed and well-fed, we trekked out to Omonia to visit the Archaelogical Museum. Highlights included the golden mask of Agamemnon, marble replica of the Athena statue from the Parthenon, bronze sculpture of boy jockey on a horse (washed up from a shipwreck!), bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon heaving a lightning bolt/triton (also washed up from a shipwreck!), coins, golden cups, jewelery and marble bowls from Crete. It's just amazing how many old sculptures and artifacts they have! We saw lots of very muscular statues of young men --kouros statues. Then there were all the Greek gods in statue form. Apparently, in classical Greek sculpture the figures often depict deities even though the human body is really actually the subject of study. It's incredible how accurately the ancient Greeks could depict the human body -- right down to the bulge of the calf muscle or the veins in the forehead. At the end of our museum tour, we stumbled across a more modern exhibit that combined HumBio and forensic anthropology with archaeology -- excavators had found the skull of a little girl who died of typhoid 3000 years ago and using all kinds of forensic tools, reconstructed her face to look as she might have when she was alive. The message: this little girl tied of typhoid way back then; now we have the technology to avoid these kinds of deaths; let's stop poverty by 2015! Ambitious, but an interesting way to make ancient history relevant and pertinent to the modern world.

After our museum visit, stopped for tea at one of the many Athenian cafés. Then we braved the marketplace. Omg, what an experience! So many lambs dangling in front of us -- eyes bulging, drenched in blood. Lots of turkeys with their black feathers still attached to the skin around the neck. Enormous pig hooves, white cow stomachs, deep red livers, pig testicles, long strings of cow intestines, cow tongues. We tried to avoid contact with the many blood-spattered butchers who laughed at us or called out to us. Also tried to the avoid flying pieces of meat that were launched whenever the butchers decided to hack away at a new spine or lump of flesh. I can't imagine buying anything here. As Rachel said, a stroll through this meat market could turn even the biggest meat lover into a vegetarian! So much anatomy -- luckily both Rachel and I tried to the liken the visuals to our dissection experiences in science classes... I personally preferred the fish market. I especially liked being able to recognize sardines, flounder, squid (covered in black ink!), octopus, swordfish, lobster and salmon -- so fresh, often caught in a rigor mortis position as if they had died mid-swim or mid-thrash. Also there was lots of seafood I didn't recognize... After these striking visuals, we meandered over to the calmer fruit and vegetable market to buy some oranges (like the many we see growing around Athenian streets!). Then strolled back to the hostel for some rest and relaxation.

Took a lovely nap from 6-7pm, woke up with some hot tea and chatted to our roommates (Aimee -- age 29 from Arizona/Georgia and Mee -- age 23 from South Korea). Then we looked up some restaurants and set out for the night. Tried to go to a place called "Aphrodite" but it was closed. We were able to walk by the huge Panathenaic Olympic Stadium though!  It is the only major stadium in the world built entirely of white marble (which is from Mount Penteli). In ancient times, it was used to host the athletic portion of the Paneathenaic Games in  honor of the Goddess Athena. It was refurbished in 1895 for the 1896 Olympic Games. It could seat ~80,000 spectators on 50 rows of marble steps! Huge, very impressive. Since Aphrodite was closed, we went past Syntagma Square to find a restaurant in the quaint Plaka neighborhood right at the  base of the acropolis. Went to a taverna up a narrow stairway. Enjoyed the house white wine, greek salad, spinach pie (Spanakopita) and grilled chicken moussaka. Our waiter invited us to the kitchen to take a look at the dessert "halva" (apparently made from semolina flour). I thought it had the flavor of cereal and the consistency of polenta. Our waiter was very kind and enthusiastic about california (he'd recently taken a trip there, rented a car and visited San Jose and San Rafael among other places...). The restaurant got very busy around 10 - 10:30 pm (typical Greek, as we've come to discover). After dinner, we walked to Syntagma square but didn't stay for long because there were only a bunch of musicians in red elf costumes and a lot of young men in the square. Instead of sticking around, we headed back to the hostel. Joined the other travelers downstairs at the bar for champagne at midnight. Rachel and I ran outside to try to catch the fireworks from Syntagma square but it was hard to see them through the trees. Didn't see any from the Acropolis either! But there were lots of lights (we mistook some blue tree lights for fireworks at one point) and everything looked very festive. Returned to the hostel bar, talked to some Swedish people, laughed at the bizarre musical choices (the "Build me up buttercup" song... how is that New Year's-themed?) and then ventured over towards Gkazi by foot. Tried to enter "Venue" but we turned away because we didn't have reservations. Instead we went to "Soho" which played mostly American music and was very lively all night, even by the time we left around 4:30am. Walked back along the street with the loudspeakers that blare political speeches in Greek, British English and American English. Not sure why they have those loudspeakers, but we've come to use that path quite frequently. Rachel and I decided it was an epic night.

Athens! The first full day

 So excited to be in Athens, one of the great centers of western civilization -- so classic.

Arrived last night around 6pm; took the metro to our hostel (very easy). I nearly nodded off several times, and almost had a heart attack trying to board the metro with my heavy 75lb+ suitcases. It was almost surreal to step outside of the subway station and look up and see the acropolis just behind us! Dragged the luggage up to our 2nd floor studio in the tiny, 1-person elevator. Then went hunting for the restaurant "Ambrosia" recommended by the guy who checked us in at the hostel. Realized we couldn't really read Greek (we strived to recall as much of the Greek alphabet as we had learned in algebra, trigonometry and calculus). Also realized we didn't even know how to say thank you in Greek! (It's Efharisto.) The word we did know was "ne" which means yes (and is accompanied by a head shake. The word for "no" is accompanied by a head nod.) Nevertheless, we found Ambrosia and enjoyed a real Greek salad with a huge slab of sheep-y feta cheese, hot lentil-tomato-onion soup and a 'gyro pie' which actually came with French fries on top. Realized the olive oil here is exceptionally good. That's why Rick Steves calls it one of the 4 pillars of Greek cuisine (along with tomatoes, phyllo dough, and feta). Exhausted, we strolled back to our studio and conked out at 10pm.

Woke up absurdly early (4am local time, though I looked at my clock and it said 6:15; five minutes later I realize it's still on CA time) and tried unsuccessfully to fall back asleep. Rolled out of bed at 6:30 to shower in our tiny hostel bathroom. The squeegie doesn't work too well. Breakfast at the bar with fresh bread, strawberry jam, cheese and hot tea. Then Rachel and I started our own walking tour of the city. Realized the Greeks don't really get going until about 11:30-noon. The streets were almost deserted until then. Wandered around the arch of Hadrian, which apparently constructed to honor Emperor Hadrian. Cars fly by it like it's nbd. Thanks to Anna, that acronym has become Rachel and my signature comment about our travels here in Athens. Oh, are those some ruins? Ancient columns? 3,000 years old? Nbd! Oranges growing every few meters on the sidewalk, nbd.

We walked over to the Parliament building at Syntagma square. Observed the changing of the guards at 9am at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Those soldier guards have a quite a stride! They must do some ballet-like stretching. We loved their pompom-ed shoes too! 400 pleats in their uniform skirt to represent the 400 years under Ottoman rule.

Then we meandered through the National garden, enjoying the fresh citrus-filled air as a welcome respite from the polluted city air of the streets. Found some cute ponds, a petting zoo, peacocks and chased the Greek soldiers (with blue berets) down the street as they marched past. Strolled along Amalia street, then into the Plaka district with many not-yet-open tavernas. Quaint crooked streets, shops selling strange things like sponges.... little churches in the middle of the block. Lots of stray dogs everywhere! Vendors selling rounded sesame-covered breads. Found a place to get a cup of hot tea (Forte tea actually -- white pear) and do some serious people watching. Greek people are very confused when Rachel asks for hot water. Continued along the neighborhoods into Anafiotika -- a neighborhood with very narrow cobblestoned streets, staircases and little houses, lots of stray cats, and moss, all of which hugs the base of the acropolis. Amazing views of the city--I didn't realize how huge and sprawling it was! Beautiful sunlight illuminated patches of the city -- looks like the greek gods had chosen their favorites for the day. I'm excited to climb the hill of the wolves, too (it's actually the hill of Lykavittos, the highest point in Athens rising 270 metres above the megalopolis. It is a pine covered hill visible from every part of the city. The name of the hill means "hill of the wolves" and the legend says that this name derives from the ancient times when the wolves roamed freely on the hill, then surrounded by countryside)... to me, it looks like a castle from a fairy tale at the top of the mountain up there.

After exploring the numerous stairwells, pointing out the adorable cats curled up under trees and chairs and descending back to the wider roads, we came to the Roman Agora, located on the north side of the Acropolis, and a short distance from the Greek Agora, with which it was connected by a paved street. An inscription on the the monumental Gate of Athena Archegetis ("Athena the Leader") indicates that Julius Caesar and Augustus funded its construction in the 1st century B.C. The Roman Agora consists of a large, open-air courtyard surrounded by colonnades on all four sides. Now most of the columns are crumbling, but you can still get a sense of how the market was set up. On the eastern side, there were also a series of shops. The Roman Agora apparently became the main market of the city, taking over many of the commercial functions of the Greek Agora, which had become something of an  archaeological park by that time. On the southern side was a fountain. At its east side is also a public latrine (you can still see the little canal to drain away waste and you can see a slab of rock with several holes to sit on...) and the "Tower of the Winds" (a tall, octagonal building designed by a famous astronomer Andronikos of Kyrrhos to be an elaborate water clock on the inside, a sundial on the outside, and have a weather vane on top). It was probably constructed in the mid-2nd centry B.C. -- Hellenistic period. 

After exploring the Roman Agora, we walked along Hadrian's library and into the Monastiraki district with its many shops, flea markets (I guess you could say, the modern agora?). Laughed at the many kitsch tourist-y souvenir vendors with random paintings, knick-knacks, etc. Then we used our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook to find a place for lunch. Decided on Filema and tried to walk over there (the streets here do NOT go straight -- so navigation is quite tricky and often screws up our reasonably good sense of direction.)

At Filema, we were warmly welcomed by two avuncular waiters. Tried the "Eggplant salad" -- babaganoush-like dip-- and baked sardines (heads, spines and all!). Absolutely delicious, as were the olives we enjoyed on the house. Our kindly waiter gave us a recommendation for a bar, warned to steer clear of the omonia district ("greek ghetto?") and wished joy and happiness upon us and all our loved ones. So sweet haha

Then we ventured over, past Stygmata square to the Museum of Clycladic Art. Lots of violin-shaped marble sculptures, feminine statues and sculptures (all with arms crossed, knees slight bent -- do they have to go to bathroom? suffering cramps? recently impregnated? all unclear). Early cycladic culture = 32000-2000 BC. So old but look strangely modern. I loved the "stargazer" sculpture -- so simple but with a delicate nose undoubtedly admiring the heavens. According to our guide, these sculptures with "their austere simplicity and abstract quality have inspired artists of the 20th century such as Pablo Picasso, etc." I love all the gold-foil jewelery too. Saw some cool gold haircoils (spiral shaped often), early coins, pottery that threw us back to 6th grade art classes (black figure and red figure varieties). It's amazing that the Greeks used potter wheels (foot powered) way back then. The little glass bottles. we learned, were among the most valued and difficult to make -- they were often used to store perfumes. 

At the top floor of the museum we learned all kinds of things about daily life in ancient Greece. "Gymnasium" means "place where you practice sports naked" and most girls married at age 14. The symposiums were gatherings centered around drinking as well as philosophical discussions. Lives of women were closely tied to spinning, weaving and domestic work. The only females allowed into the symposiums were dancers and musicians. The "stadium" footrace was 600 ft long and may have been the only event in the first Olympic games... 

In the Cycladic museum, we became extremely exhausted and so after we headed back to the hostel for a brief (nearly 3 hour...) nap. Awoke surprised by refreshed, ventured to a little market to get Greek yogurt and bananas, then scouted out a place to eat. Ended up at the Lonely Planet-recommended "Kanella" (means Cinnamon) in the Gatzi district. Had delicious zucchini-avocado-aged cheese salad, a lettuce-carrot-dill salad in yogurt dressing and a cheese pie (made with several different cheeses and phyllo dough) and their homemade bread. Greeks eat late, we've noticed -- we probably sat down around 8:30pm. After we headed to a bar and asked the bartender what he recommended. Tried traditioned greek "ouzo"-- an anise-flavored drink that was really strong! also had a shot of some mextaca or something like that. Very sweet and good! it was fun to stand at the bar and people watch... I definitely needed the popcorn they served us to help finish off the ouzo haha... I think tomorrow we'll try some greek wine. Then back to the hostel, using the illuminated Parthenon as our guide. The streets really do liven up at night!