Photos: https://link.shutterfly.com/N83VuLFgBRb
Athens, pop 3.2M, stacked in dense dwellings
as viewed from the top of the Acropolis, the highest point in the city. The
Acropolis was built on the largest, tallest rock in 5th century B.C.
with only one entrance/exit to defend the city. At 512’, the only access is
walking. Two million visitors do that every year. There you find the Parthenon
Temple, the theatre of Dionysos which is still intact enough to use for outdoor
concerts, and several other world-famous remains. Even though Athens was the
birthplace of democracy, women were not allowed to vote until 1953. Most of the
population is Greek Orthodox and in keeping with tradition, babies are not
given a name for nearly a year as that is performed in a church service. Most
mothers also stay home with the baby the first year or so.
Both a walking tour and a bicycle
tour of the historical area, then a walking guide to Acropolis gave me more
questions about Greek history and mythology since I have never been a student
of ancient times. The ancient Greeks sure loved their marble. It’s everywhere
and, “slicker than snot” when walking on it wet. They love their cats. Cats
roam freely and seem to be owned by society, in exchange for keeping the city
rat-free.
While most of us are aware that European
statutes are often nude, displaying a small male penis, I was befuddled why so
many shops had racks of brightly painted wooden penises of all sizes. Embedded
in Greek mythology is fertility God Dionysus. The phallic image was a symbol of
good luck, prosperity and protection against evil spirits. Also curious is most
sculptures have small penises since that was believed to be a sign of intelligence,
self-control and civilization while large phallic symbols portrayed stupidity
and lack of civilization.
A bicycle tour to the beach and to the
harbor of multi-million-dollar yachts brought me to modern Athens. It’s a
destination of the rich and famous. Greece still struggles financially after
their financial crisis of 2009. Street
art is prolific. The story behind the street art painting of Loukanikos, the
dog, is a portrayal of all the street dogs that befriended and protected the protesters.
I look forward to watching the movie “Dogs of Democracy” to learn more. The
people felt like they were as little important as the stray dogs of Europe. The
dogs became their symbol of revolt and purity.
My young guide on the bicycle tour
to the beach told me that all Greek males are required to serve one year in the
military between the ages of 18 -30. In the military, they are paid 8 Euro per
month. All lodging, food uniforms are provided including a free beer at lunch
and dinner. But if you are from a wealthy family, you can pay 20,000 Euro to buy
out your 1-year commitment. On this warm, sunny day to the beach with temps in
the mid-60’s while I’m wearing shorts and summer jersey, I kept noticing the
locals were wearing winter coats and sweatshirts. Their warm-blooded population
is adept at handling the 100+ summer temps but not the fall/winter temps.
My final night was a treat to an
Ouzo tasting of five local distilled ouzo’s. The national drink of Greece and per
EU rules, can only be distilled in Greece. At home, one of my favorite drinks
is Sambuca, another type of anise (licorice) flavored drink. Ouzo is made from anise
seed plant plus a variety of botanicals, according to the secret recipe of each
distiller. The alcohol content can range from 40 – 50% (or more). My five
tastings varied according to the number of times it had been distilled which
was one to five times. Each distillation requires 12 hours and increases the
price of the Ouzo. Each distillation produces a smoother tasting Ouzo with my
favorite being the 5-time distilled, bringing it closer in taste to Sambuca. Afterwards,
I walked beyond the tourist district and had my final meal of goat and
vegetable soup. Very yummy!
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