ministry of silly walks approved

greek soldiers wear pompons on their shoes!

More pictures from Athens

We made it to Athens

This truly a dream come true for me, as I have longed to come see the Acropolis since I was a young student in school reading about Greek mythology and again as a college student discussing the teachings of the great Greek philosophers.

Our day began early and overcast, but by the time we had reached the summit of the great Acropolis the sun had begun to fight its way through the stubborn clouds and it finally reigned triumphant by just in time to illuminate the breathtaking temple of Nike Aphrodite and its lovely statues.


We walked around the heart of the historical center of this whitewashed city for hours and managed to see 12 of the 14 most important sites. Our last stop was at the temple of Zeus, which was one of the largest temples of its kind ever built and, judging from its few remaining standing columns, must have been truly awesome in its heyday.


On a more modern note, I have been quite surprised at how beautiful, stylish, and altogether superbly put-together Greek women are. I'm not really sure what I was expecting but it was probably more "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and less "Vogue"! In any case, tight jeans tucked into calf-hugging boots is the uniform of the moment and it suits these women (of all ages) well. I, on the other hand, am feeling quite drab with my neither-here-nor-there hair and my one shirt and jeans!!!