Athens is dense, urban, hot, and great. Nick and I went to the Acropolis yesterday and saw the Parthenon, which I sort of expected to be un-wowed by, because we've got columns in the US, too. It turns out I'm an idiot -- big wow for the Parthenon. We went late, so we saw it in the pink afternoon light in a nice cool breeze. As an added atmospheric bonus, there was guitar music drifting up the hill from a concert rehearsal below us in the Theater of Dionysis (which reminded me, unsurprisingly, of the Greek Theater in Berkeley).
We also went to an outdoor movie theater (of which Athens has many) for a screening of Ocean's 13. They don't dub in Greece, so the movie was in English with subtitles, but I still had some trouble following the details of the various scams. Am I getting old? Was the volume too low? Or are George and Brad too cool to allow themselves to be completely scrutable to the likes of me? Not sure. Anyway, it was better than Ocean's 12 but nowhere near as good as Ocean's 11. Fortunately, it was impossible not to enjoy the movie, since we had sunset and the Athens skyline as a backdrop. If you're ever in Athens, I highly recommend outdoor cinema.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
45 comments:
You are so lucky to have been in Greece. I definately want to go there the next time I'm abroad.
www.smokeveil.blogspot.com
Anna, I liked your answer to the profile question. Sometimes there is a perfect answer to things and that time you hit it right on the nose.
Be sure to check out Matt Barrett's Athens, Greece Survival Guide at
www.athensguide.com and be sure to visit Plato's Academy. There's a bus that will take you right there. Also be sure to visit the Agora and if you walk up to where St. Paul spoke to the Athenians, be careful coming down the steps. Go down them sideways so you don't slip. And, oh, be sure to get yourself some komboloi. Good gifts for friends.
sounds 2 cool!
I'm going with they're too cool to be scrutable.
Nice blog!
Congratulations on being blog of note today!
NOte sure outdoor Cinema would work in the UK - too much rain...
Have a good weekend and you may want to turn on comment moderation...that sound in the distance is a tidal wave of spam heading your way!!!LOL.
How can you have expected to be 'unwowed' by the Parthenon? Because 'we have columns in US! I am outraged by such comments worthy of a philistine. You appear to live up to the stereotype we have in Europe of Americans that believe history was born in the last few hundred years. Do you know anything about this special place steeped in cultural significance? Given the fact that 75% of Americans don't have a passport I suppose you should consider yourself relatively cultured. Where do you think the influence of the White House or the Lincoln Memorial architecture came from? Go get yourself some education whilst in one of the homes of European learning!
Anna, very interesting blog….and sounds like fun lol..
As a person with a B.A. and M.A. in art history I still understand what you mean about having columns at home...and I don't think it was an uneducated comment. I am married to a Brit who is rarely impressed by anything ancient. It is just not his "thing." He also might initially think of the ruins as just another set of columns. Unfortunately, the snobbish attitude that Americans are provincial and "stupid cowboy" type figures who are lucky to see foreign places but too stupid to understand them still exists with some in Europe. Our country has just as much history...remember the native Americans? It is just not white European history. I appreicate your insightful, humorous, and honest commentary. Keep it up!
hi, i see you being featured in the blogs of note, yeah, several blogs today, congrats, it's a great blog, oh i love to travel too. hopefully someday to Greece. happy traveling.. tc..:)
Yeah, i kinda hate movies with subtitles...it just bugs me, and makes me cross-eyed. haha
I have just started blogging, but not too sure what it is all about. To start with I have come into your blogger and read your first item about Athens. You know I have waited years to see the acropolis band last year we went on a cruise which stopped there - loved the city but the acropolis, it was covered with scaffolding so I didn't see it in all it's glory. You never know I might get another trip there one day.
Just left you a comment and it wouldn't send it because you do not allow anonymous comments - I have obviously done something wrong - will try again. This is my first comment ever as a blogger so hope i do it right this time. I have read your article on Athens, you know I have waited years and years to see the acropolis and last year we stopped at Athens on a cruise. I was really looking forward to seeing it but sadly discovered that it was covered in scaffolding. Never mind perhaps I will be able to go again some time. Incidentally the same thing happened to me when we went to Rome - do you think these places are trying to tell me something!!! BAbeading
This is my first experience as a Blogger and I can't seem to get my comment to you. I will try once more - here goes. Enjoyed reading your article on Athens. I had waited years and years to see the Acropolis, then last year we went on a cruise that stopped at Athens. I was so disappointed as when we reached the site of the Acropolis it was covered in scaffolding. This happened to me in Rome as well - do you think these places are trying to tell me something!!! Never mind we go on lots of cruises now I have retired so one might stop there again. The one we are going to this August stops at Rome. Talk to you again when I have read your other articles. Barbara. www.Barford60@aol.com
A very funny blog indeed. Good luck with seeing the world. /Anna( swedish) - starting here in england
Hi !
Very beautiful country! I'm french man. My english it's very poor.
http://allainjulesblog.blogspot.com/
Are you travelling in Greece? We have been living here on Euboia, a 'mainland island' for 12 years. The Parthenon is great, but a bit like a theme park. If you really want to see some good archaeology in Greece then head off for Dion, Pella and Vergina. 'Alexander territory', no tourists, amazing. Also, where are you going? We took the train from Athens to Istanbul, amazing. Look at the Archive section, left hand tool bar, of our pages, www.batch.uk.com
You are such a broad
Really, u hv been so lucky to reside in greece....
wanderful...
wanderful...
Yasmim-Brazil
www.yasmimferreira.blogspot.com
ESTA PAJA,ATENAS,SIGUE ....
Wow--your travels sound amazing. I have always wanted to see eastern europe, and greece as well. thanks for blogging about it.
<3
silvia sea (silviaconnolly.blogspot.com)
cool blog
www.girltalk-ladiesonly.blogspot.com
nice blog
I can recommend a visit to the Greek Islands. It is very cheap to go there - but go to the small islands with only few tourists.
Love
Oskar
In 1996, I spent a day and a half at the Acropolis sitting in the sun. I was a study abroad student coming from Jerusalem and meeting my friend Tony, who was coming from Sydney. We were going to backpack through Europe for six weeks. Somehow we missed each other at the airport. After four hours of waiting and no sign of his flight, I decided that I would check into a hostel and go to the Acropolis. In that pre-cell phone age, I thought, what better meeting point could there be then the Parthenon?
Well, after a day and a half of sitting at the Acropolis in the sun, the place lost its luster. In fact, I even began to resent the Lincoln Memorial by association as I wondered what had happened to Tony.
It turned out that great minds weren't thinking alike, or that perhaps neither of our minds were all that great. He actually arrived a day later than I had written down in my notebook, and was holed up in a Penzion called, "Tony's." He figured that would be obvious to me . . .
Because of my day and a half at the Acropolis, I always have at least seven back up meeting points when I travel. Thanks for letting me relive the memory!
Benjamin Orbach
Author of Live from Jordan
www.benjaminorbach.com
i have visited your blog.
BYE
Hey r there any pregnant say them to visit http:www.pregnancy-forum.com it's very help full forum
just saw you on highlighted blogs and i'm in athens too! loved the parthenon.. if you've got time, you should check out dioscouroi, a restaurant off of adrianou street, near the stoa basileus.. we loved it! great house wine.. enjoy the rest of your stay in athens!
Hy Ana, it seems that you are a very happy person, kisses
Luis
top of the blogging list, cheers to that! enjoy greece and thanks for the ocean's 13 review.
Excellent Blog Anna; enjoyed it immensely; nice style too
Have a look at mine www.ivyvilla-tours.blogspot.com - our holiday is just ending -
Sue (UK)
Have you been to India? Please check out http://indiamonuments.blogspot.com
Sounds like the makings for a wonderful evening!
anche io e antonietta siamo stati recentemente ad Atene. La più grande emozione è stata il camminare pensando che lo stesso terreno è stato calpestato nell'agorà da Socrate mentre insegnava a vivere ai giovani ateniesi.
Ciao
Elio
Really ! You go to see the Parthenon and say you have columns in the US too ! You have columns in the US ? Nice to know Americans are moving out to see the world and realise that there is more to the world than the US of A.
i wish i had your travel schedules!!!
Keep writing it down, Anna! Nice to find an open-minded States girl with a sense of humor out there in the world!
Watching a movie to the setting sun...You made it sounds poetic *sighs in envy*
All totally familiar. Paris is wonderful. Greetings from India.
You travels are infectious. I want to go somewhere now. Have fun. Nice to see how easy it is to blog, while overseas. Do you have you laptop or are you finding cybercafes?
Post a Comment