Sunday 5th September

 

05/09/04 Day 64

Our great plan had been a morning of internet and clothes washing. Yet for all Heathers brave efforts we could not reall our route on the first evening that stumbled upon our favourite (for no good reason) internet cafe.

We stubbornly persisted, and it was only after we had given up on memory methods and I had stubbornly declared that if we found it bychance once, we will darn well find it by chance again, that we Raine across it. In keeping with the morning so far we got ripped off by a 30% surcharge for eating our pastry breakfast at a table, then proceeded to write an epic email to Heathers Mum & Brother and then lose it in the depths of Hotmails inadequacies.

My list of friends has increased slightly - in rough order: Pierre, Sanne, Jill, Sarah, Lucy, Heidi, Owen, Nicki, Jo Sarah and Fee, and Rob, are in serious trouble!

It was midday before we could get naked and take our clothes down to reception to be washed (yes - it was a bit tricky!). By the time we got them back we were a tad hungry so after a hurried galana session we rushed to Goodys where I had two meals (club sandwich & hugely scaled bar) and Heather had a pitta.

Oh wait! as is my habit I forgot the shopping detour after the internet. The only reason I recall it at all is that it had the unusual distinction of actually involving the transfer of money in return for goods. Do not be fearful though I estimate there were a good seventy-eight thousand tops in the shop - and Heather looked at all of them and tried on half.

Right so where are we... waiting for buying them or away to get turning to pay more Either way we're not

Two months plus of 24/7 in-your-face was never more apparent than the walk to the Acropolis with Heather in her knew top!

Our second approach to the Acropolis for me was far more enjoyable than the first, and was when I saw finally gained true appreciation for it. (It is about this tome that the precious poetic rubbish was written). Thankfully, it's splendour was not diminished by the museum; our first, and, I pray, last, archeological museums. It was still interesting though - seeing the size of the statues in the triangular end bit, next to a minute model of what the whole thing once looked like, and some interesting detail about the laser technology used to clean the rock, and the aesthetic techniques to fill gaps etc, and, in every case, 'give the inadequence' of past restorations'!

A lovely two hours or followed, as the sun set and the dusk settled* (not really) and as we were being herded off. a large group of immaculately dressed catered ceremonial guards turned up to, apparently, lower the flag - despite the fact that no one was allowed to watch. I was most impressed!

Picking up what Heather insinely dawns was a better-than-Belgrade quality calcs on the way to the hostel, we got back, cooled down in about eightseconds, elite our cake and went to bed. Sleep came about 4 hours later.

I have decided that Athens, ironically, is a city of little things - so here is at an attempt at a list of things we've noticed about Athens:

* large groups of 'municipal police' (Are those the infamous tourist police, I wonder?) stand on street corners and chat all day (damagized

* Everybody drinks Ice coffee all day, every day

* Entire main roads can be deserted because the constant stream of cars all, without exception, are turning right

* A city of riots - which we slat through!

* the main tourist office is actually quite good - they had lots of shiny pamphlets about various Creek places of which we took 4 and more was also a girl with a beard (which provided much entertainment)

Back to Saturday, our tomato-and-courgette canchertion was a lot more tasty and cool about 35p each but that's because we got free courgettes.

enough to stick it but the didn't see any other sight - since we We had the Americans (Steve + Nicole) and we wish them well on their year of travelling 'together' (crazy kids but then they are married.). Till now we haven't really talked to anyone travelling longer than us, so it made me feel less cool but quite relieved that I had a home to go back to at some point. I don't think I could travel for that long (unless I spent longer in each place - long enough to unpack anyway). Some of their places I'd like to do but not as a backpacker trend and more as a holiday stay. I had a pretty good nights sleep that night but Nicole had 3 hours sleep due to the noisy and so we concluded we are now permanently knackered and can sleep through anything (especially without all of Athens' archaeological sights in one day).

* Athens' Golden age - 5th BC. Past.

* Penon parthenon on acropolis destroyed by the Wolfisons Fort.- the top of the acropolis was the whole city in ancient times (before it grew to modern day Athens). Fact

- 'Nike' means 'victory' in Greek. There's an Athena Nike temple (which has also been taken down)

- Lord Elgin took some of the marbles from the Dome here on his parthenon in 1801. Fact!

Just a bit of history for you...

Oh how nice to have fresh, clean clothes that smell of washing powder rather than sweat. I finally feel like the last leg has begun...

Our last visit to Corfu was, as expected, a sad one, and already (now in Naples) we miss the service they provide, hours spending lamely about McDonalds-style food places.

The museum would have been fascinating if you are an archaeological buff but I was quite happy just to see a) the original marbles from the pediment and the original 6 maidens (the caryatids) which support the roof of the Erechtheion (next to the parthenon). Well 4 actually as one is under re-construction and 1 is still in London because of the British "finders keepers, we'll actually we stole it because we're allowed to because we're British" mentality.

It got a bit chilly as the sun set but it was worth the pain for the time spent in awe of the superiority of the structure. It made me feel quite small and unimportant, considering I barely lasted 3 hours up there and it had been waiting patiently for over 2000 years.

In conclusion, Athens is a good old city and a great new city. There's something for everyone (Cliche I know) (Grasp a beach!) but for a city break it's perfect. I definitely want to come back. I liked the fact you couldn't walk very far without tripping over a column or piece of crumbling rock (I also loved the maps, the tavernas) thepeople and their mentality, the weather the choice of food and even the "suburbs" were perfectly pleasant to be in. It is everything I thought it would be (from the archaeological perspective) and more (from the modern parts).