9/10/11
Mykonos Sunset
The view from our table at dinner during the last evening of our stay in Mykonos. The wind is one of the most notable residents of the town. It gives a tangible quality to the spirit of the town while at the same time making it difficult to eat outside. It was one of the most gorgeous evenings I have ever experienced.
Red Accents
Mykonos Island
I reached the land of the white washed walls and colored accents. Mykonos town is more quaint than I expected as it was refreshingly untainted by commercial resorts. It was devoid of the necessaries that are incorporated into most commercial areas - lamp light, advertising, signage etc. As a result a visitor feels that they are really on an island and away from it all. The pictures speak volumes. Mykonos has a party town reputation but our experience there was on the calm side.
The Ferries
Parthenon Front
Parthenon
Athens Fish Market
The Food!
Onto a lighter subject, the food in Greece is unbelievable. You can't open your mouth without something tasty finding it's way in. Figure out your favorite food and the country of it's origin. Go visit that country. Every single meal will be an experience. That's how it was for me while indulging in the tzatziki, fried feta, lamb, olives, and red wine. Pictured is a real greek salad - minus the lettuce that is typical of the American derivative.
9/7/11
Desperation Felt
It was one of those moments that sends a bolt of lightning into your soul. The kind of moment that let's you know that life is fragile and that desperation leads alternative methods. I wanted a picture and I knew the precarious situation before me. Immediately outside what seemed to be an abandoned university (likely temporarily closed for summer) were men of all walks of life that were unified by their obvious anger and apparent unrest. Some appeared as a homeless person would. Others as hippies of America's 60's. And still others seemed as the average citizen would who had taken up a picket for a cause. In combination, they were a mob. A mob that would likely not be hospitable to an outsider. I am not Greek. Neither was she. The lady, with a lighter complexion and "I am a tourist" written all over her, wanted to capture the same picture I did. So, we both, two distinct looking persons, walked into the promenade and voluntarily surrounded ourselves with a wall of disturbed people and whipped out our cameras. I knew, although I don't think she did, that this could go one of two ways. We get the shot and leave quietly, or all hell breaks loose. Well, not all hell was unleashed. Just as the shutter on my camera closed a few guys rushed us and a chorus of others began yelling. I threw my camera in my bag immediately and began to retreat to the main street. Only one of the pursuers decided to actually prevent us from taking home the picture to our respective countries. The pissed off guy decided he would stop her by physical force if he must. He ran up to her, there was a struggle, and he ripped her camera from her grasp and ran. I stopped my retreat and was about to enter into the fray when the other protestors stopped the jacker and retrieved the camera for the female tourist. They escorted her away from it all and I escorted myself the hell out of there too. Our recession in America has been bad, and in Greece it has been worse. The protestors and incivility I witnessed are a result. With my heart in my throat, hands fisted, and camera in bag I escaped. The defacement of the statue expresses the frustration of the citizens of Athens. I felt and witnessed it first hand.
Life Imitating Art
Next Top Model?
Ubiquitous
Graffiti City
Graffiti of all genres is all over the city of the Athens. This blog is going to continue by taking readers on a tour of some of it's best. It is political, humorous, and even disturbing. The people bring the buildings of the city to life through an explosion of expression that is evident in the finished works. Please enjoy as much as I did.
Athens! Changing of the Guard
The guards at this government building did a high step routine for the crowd. The ten minute spectacle involves the replacement of two harassed guards with a brand new set for tourists' sadistic pleasure. These guys stand completely still and unabashed as the guards at Buckingham Palace. Dopey tourists make faces and do those jump pictures and all. The high step routine actually seemed normal after watching everyone else interact with them.
Greece
Greece was on my top 5. It was a country that I had read about in philosophy books and in the recent news of the countries hardest hit by the economic recession. I had high expectations - some of which were met and others which were slightly unattained. This is a must see/visit. Some conclusions: visit the islands less visited, eat everything, and don't believe anyone if they tell you to only spend one day in Athens.
Beachside Service
Green Sand
Mental Notes
When I find myself at a place of peace while traveling I make a mental note. I stop. I think. I try and cherish the moment and then lock it away in the attic of my mind. In the future, during a long night at the office, I will stop writing, take a second, and try to place myself back in that peaceful moment. The experience of Banje beach in Dubrovnik has been stored away.
Banje Bech - Dubrovnik, Croatia
We did the cultural stuff for 2 weeks. We got lost in museums, peered intently at paintings, pontificated in cafes, and gazed into the vaulted ceilings of cathedrals. Finally, we found ourselves in paradise and we took full advantage. I have nothing of cultural significance to write about because we didn't see or visit anything along those lines. Mother nature did all the work on this portion of the trip.
Havar, Croatia
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