Catch up time

Well time to catch up!!

Athens:  we spent 3 days on our own and I think I am caught up on all that happened.   My impression of the city is it is amazing to walk around with ruins, tourists and residents all around. A lot of street people with cups and tons of graffiti all over. They haven’t touched major sites because they are locked but everywhere else is covered.  It is not really artistic.  Apparently Athens is only second in the world for graffiti just behind Berlin.  I just feel it really degrades the city.  The graffiti isn’t limited to just the city but in other parts of Greece. It makes it hard to read street signs that have been spray painted over. Not to mention I have no Greek

One of the street people scams is to hand you a flower. In this case a really pretty rose. They usually work in teams and crowd the tourist. Yes it happened to us.  These were kids probably 15 and 10. The scene is crowded Dan on one side with a rose,  I am walking next to him like a good tourist my hand on the top of my purse when I feel the brother’s (?) hand on my arm.  At this point it had 2 glasses of wine and no food.  I started yelling to have him not touch me.  Since kids must be very inexperienced or we looked like an easy mark. Needless to say he then apologized “sorry, sorry” and they promptly disappeared. We actually walked the same way bake from dinner.  No other excitement in Athens just very tired after walking and stone steps.

Eating in Greece is not the adventure we usually see. Yes a few street vendors selling nuts and olives but not a lot of street food. Lots of vendors selling souvenirs. The kids should be grateful that the trinkets didn’t come from them.  There are lots of cafes and everything is outside tables and only a few inside tables. Supposedly there is no smoking inside but it is Greece.  Lots of cigarettes.  The way it is done is the customer just picks any table and sits down to be served.  There are sometimes people out in front tempting you with there menus. You are served water and given a menu.  The Greeks sit for hours at a table after maybe only a coffee or glass of wine. The Greeks like there coffee although I didn’t find it special at all.   Sitting in a cafe is also a way to have access to a WC. It is not unusual to see a person leave all their belongings, take care of nature and continue sitting, reading, texting or looking at Facebook.  Food in the cafes seems to have 2 levels, a tourist level which tends to be Western fare, pasta, pizza, salads, bruschetta, cold cuts and the famous sandwiches pitas and hamburgers.  There is also a Greek option usually moussaka, or souvlaki. Greek salads are tomatoes cucumbers feta cheese and olive oil. All menus have been in English as well as Greek.  Language has not been too much of a problem with the exception of Dan talking with the guy in the lumber company.   The most amazing part is there is always a snack brought to the table if you order a glass of wine. Usually olives and sometimes even meat and cheese.  There has been no problem with food this trip and I am probably 10 pounds up.  😩