A Day Around Athens

Today we went to the National Archaeological Museum. It is immense. The relics are from as far back as 5800 BC. I was surprised to see how moved I was by the sculptures. I wanted to see the faces, and imagine what their lives had been like. The colossal kouroi (larger than life sculptures of young men) are fascinating studies of the representation of anatomy. We're trying, only partially successfully, to retain all the information about the different ages of Greece; and who took over whom when.

Then Jan and I walked on back to the hotel at our own pace; leaving Patty and Jim to go at theirs. We got lunch at a local haunt. Jan got a gyros sandwich and I had a souvlaki sandwich. Both came with everything, including french fries, right in the sandwich, at a cost of two Euros each. Everything is so expensive in Athens – it was refreshing to find a local bargain.

Just for the heck of it, this afternoon Jan and I rode the Metro to Piraeus, Athens sea port. It is the biggest port I have ever seen for passenger travel. The Metro also took us by some of the stadiums that were built for the Olympics. They really built up their infrastructure for that event; including adding two lines to their Metro. But all does not seem to be well in Athens. There is graffiti everywhere, some in Greek and some in English. The pollution is a constant. Traffic is crazy – leading drivers to make daring moves all over.

Tonight we went to a rooftop restaurant with a view of the Acropolis and got treated to some wonderful Greek music. We watched the sunset and lights come up on the Acropolis. Rick V – one of the musicians played a bazooki – which looks just like an oud. And every once in a while, people got up and danced. It was very fun – felt quite genuine. We had fun conversations with all our neighbors, who came from diverse countries: Finland, Spain, and Australia. Patty told the group from Finland that she remembered a beautiful vase she had seen decades ago when she was there. They knew exactly what she was talking about; got her address and told her they would send her one. Another random act of kindness that gives us heart about the state of the world.

Over the course of this trip I have been trying to read books that help me understand the area. (I am amazed at how little reading I have managed to do. And all my New York Times crossword puzzles remain untouched.) The book I read about Turkey is called “Today's Turks.” It was all about who was in power when since Ataturk's death. It is very dry; very dense. The book about Greece is called, “Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter.” It is all about philosophy, social interaction and warfare – told through myths and historical story-telling. It's striking how different the books are; and even with my surface level understanding, how different Turks are from Greeks. And they really (I mean really) do not like each other. I find that sad, since we have loved both places.

This afternoon on CNN we caught sight of Obama speaking on his policy related to Guantanamo. It is striking that everyone we've met on this trip has asked us about Obama. He is admired all over the world. It honestly feels like we are better received because of him. But seeing him today reminded us that we are coming home in two days. The adventure is drawing to a close.

I'm also drawn home because last night I learned that my dear friend Lupe Serrano died on Monday. She is one of the first people I met in Minnesota when I moved there in 1988. The service in Friday, and we won't be home until Saturday. My heart is broken, but I am happy that I saw her a few days before we left.

It reminds me to express how important each of you are to us. Hugs to all of you. And please hug each other!