Athens Day 3
Tuesday Morning, 20080603 7:54 AM
Like Sunday night, I found it difficult to sleep through the night last night. It felt as though I awoke often.l But perhaps it was not so bad as it seems. I am awakening now and feeling okay, although all my muscles are incredibly sore. It's funny to think that it's 10PM in Seattle right now. I am thinking of my friends going through their end of day routines. I think I'm mostly through the jet lag at this point.
Athens is a very noisy city. Right now, i am listening to a jackhammer in the street.
The streets continue to be noisy late, but not nearly so noisy as Saturday or Sunday nights.
There is a school right around the corner from our hotel. It was kind-of fun during breakfast yesterday to see all the little children going to their class. Just a mini picture of daily life in Athens.
I really look forward to going to the islands! I'm looking out at the brilliant sun, feeling the cool breeze, and imagining being on the Agean.
today will be my first glimpse of that as we are off to visit Eleusis. And then the parthenon. Wow!
10:30 PM ...
Today was not as planned. Not bad, mind you, but not as planned.
We took off for Eleusis immediately after breakfast as intended. When we got to where Eric thought the bus was, we found there nothing like what had been described to him. Sad day. So G took a look at the map, and we headed several blocks away. Still nothing. We wandered a couple more blocks until Karin realized that we needed to go back the way we had come. We needed to make a restroom pause along the way, and found ourselves (quite randomly, i am sure /sarcasm) at Kerimeikos -- now a historical site that was a cemetary and has been a burial ground since the 12th centure BCE. The sacred Way led from Eleusis to Karameikos and the Panathenaic Way set out from the dipylon Gate here to the Acropolis.
We did not take the time to wander the site this morning as we were in search of our bus, but the poetry of finding ourselves at the ancient starting place of the road to Eleusis at the beginning of our journey there was not lost on us. Oh, and may I add that the site was sacred to Hecate and still includes the Sanctuary to Her? The site was closed when we returned this evening, but we intend to return there tomorrow.
anyway, shortly after we left the site we found our way directly to the bus, having walked right past it the first time. It was right where Eric said it should be. :) In fact, we had looked at the buses themselves and passed them by thinking that they were charters. Ah, well. I think it all worked out well.
BTW - Did I mention that Athens is a noisy city? Much rucus out under the balcony right now.
So, Eleusis. I'm not sure how to even begin.
G's guidebook reads"Although there is little left today, it is still possible to sense the awe and mystery that the ites of Eleusis inspired." And I think that is true. I spent some time sitting and meditating at the site of the Telesterion today (until Karin came and said it was way past time I came in out of the heat *smile*). That said, the site is in ruins. (no pun intended, actually). It is the most poorly kept of anywhere we have been. It was difficult. It was depressing. We all left in an off mood at best. I don't think there's a one of us who did not shed tears there today. High points? Some cool statues in the museum there at the site -- including the oft-pictured relief of Demeter, Persephone and Triptolemos. It was amazing to see it first hand and in person. i took photographs, but bought a postcard of it as well so that I could have a better reproduction. Another high point was a gift shop on the corner with an incredible proprieter who was so knowledgable about the site and about writings regarding the site and the mysteries. Dozens of books there in many languages. We chatted with the proprieter until we could no longer ignore the collective drop in our blood sugar after several hours in the heat. And another was something I had missed around the corner form the bathroom until Eric pointed it out. A little shrine to Eumolpis. Sheep. I giggled and had my photo taken there. In actuality, I took well over 100 photos there today and hope that some of them will help to give a bit of a feel for what the site is like.
Preparing to head back to Athens, our bus passed us by even as we tried to wave it down while standing at the bus stop. Sigh. We decided to ger some food from a store-front along the 'main drag' in town. A bad plan. Not good food. Did not improve the collective mood. The next bus came along and we asked the driver where we could catch our bus back to athens. He gave us a lift to the main stop. I ducked in to the corner store to buy a coke and as I came out Karin Eric and G were getting onto the next bus that had come along (not ours, may I add.) I rushed to catch up, asking G "Why are we getting on this bus? *shrug*
hmmmm. Eric? *shrug* Hmmmm. Karin? "Well it goes to this place, which will get us close to where we want to go.
me: "?!" "Why didn't we just wait for our nice express bus that we know will get us there in under a half-hour?"
Oh.
Well. I guess we could have done that.
I just sat down and started laughing at the whole thing.
Yeah. About an hour later, we get off the bus in Athens, because we're a bit uncertain of which stop is best for us. Within two blocks, it becomes clear that although the Acropolis is indeed in site, that we are most assuredly not in the right part of town. Oops. Within another block, we started coming on the nice police men with machine guns. Sigh. We hailed a cab and that ended that adventure. Yes, we managed to quite randomly find a very very bad part of athens. The good news was another fun, exciting and adventurous cab ride! I took photos. I can't begin to describe the number of scooters and motorcycles in this town ... or to describe how hard each and every one of them seems to be trying to die at each and every moment.
Well, 11PM and I must get to sleep now.
Tomorrow is (FINALLY) the Parthenon. And the Archeological Museum which houses a couple of statues that I am really eager to see. And if we can find the time, Kerimeikos.
Like Sunday night, I found it difficult to sleep through the night last night. It felt as though I awoke often.l But perhaps it was not so bad as it seems. I am awakening now and feeling okay, although all my muscles are incredibly sore. It's funny to think that it's 10PM in Seattle right now. I am thinking of my friends going through their end of day routines. I think I'm mostly through the jet lag at this point.
Athens is a very noisy city. Right now, i am listening to a jackhammer in the street.
The streets continue to be noisy late, but not nearly so noisy as Saturday or Sunday nights.
There is a school right around the corner from our hotel. It was kind-of fun during breakfast yesterday to see all the little children going to their class. Just a mini picture of daily life in Athens.
I really look forward to going to the islands! I'm looking out at the brilliant sun, feeling the cool breeze, and imagining being on the Agean.
today will be my first glimpse of that as we are off to visit Eleusis. And then the parthenon. Wow!
10:30 PM ...
Today was not as planned. Not bad, mind you, but not as planned.
We took off for Eleusis immediately after breakfast as intended. When we got to where Eric thought the bus was, we found there nothing like what had been described to him. Sad day. So G took a look at the map, and we headed several blocks away. Still nothing. We wandered a couple more blocks until Karin realized that we needed to go back the way we had come. We needed to make a restroom pause along the way, and found ourselves (quite randomly, i am sure /sarcasm) at Kerimeikos -- now a historical site that was a cemetary and has been a burial ground since the 12th centure BCE. The sacred Way led from Eleusis to Karameikos and the Panathenaic Way set out from the dipylon Gate here to the Acropolis.
We did not take the time to wander the site this morning as we were in search of our bus, but the poetry of finding ourselves at the ancient starting place of the road to Eleusis at the beginning of our journey there was not lost on us. Oh, and may I add that the site was sacred to Hecate and still includes the Sanctuary to Her? The site was closed when we returned this evening, but we intend to return there tomorrow.
anyway, shortly after we left the site we found our way directly to the bus, having walked right past it the first time. It was right where Eric said it should be. :) In fact, we had looked at the buses themselves and passed them by thinking that they were charters. Ah, well. I think it all worked out well.
BTW - Did I mention that Athens is a noisy city? Much rucus out under the balcony right now.
So, Eleusis. I'm not sure how to even begin.
G's guidebook reads"Although there is little left today, it is still possible to sense the awe and mystery that the ites of Eleusis inspired." And I think that is true. I spent some time sitting and meditating at the site of the Telesterion today (until Karin came and said it was way past time I came in out of the heat *smile*). That said, the site is in ruins. (no pun intended, actually). It is the most poorly kept of anywhere we have been. It was difficult. It was depressing. We all left in an off mood at best. I don't think there's a one of us who did not shed tears there today. High points? Some cool statues in the museum there at the site -- including the oft-pictured relief of Demeter, Persephone and Triptolemos. It was amazing to see it first hand and in person. i took photographs, but bought a postcard of it as well so that I could have a better reproduction. Another high point was a gift shop on the corner with an incredible proprieter who was so knowledgable about the site and about writings regarding the site and the mysteries. Dozens of books there in many languages. We chatted with the proprieter until we could no longer ignore the collective drop in our blood sugar after several hours in the heat. And another was something I had missed around the corner form the bathroom until Eric pointed it out. A little shrine to Eumolpis. Sheep. I giggled and had my photo taken there. In actuality, I took well over 100 photos there today and hope that some of them will help to give a bit of a feel for what the site is like.
Preparing to head back to Athens, our bus passed us by even as we tried to wave it down while standing at the bus stop. Sigh. We decided to ger some food from a store-front along the 'main drag' in town. A bad plan. Not good food. Did not improve the collective mood. The next bus came along and we asked the driver where we could catch our bus back to athens. He gave us a lift to the main stop. I ducked in to the corner store to buy a coke and as I came out Karin Eric and G were getting onto the next bus that had come along (not ours, may I add.) I rushed to catch up, asking G "Why are we getting on this bus? *shrug*
hmmmm. Eric? *shrug* Hmmmm. Karin? "Well it goes to this place, which will get us close to where we want to go.
me: "?!" "Why didn't we just wait for our nice express bus that we know will get us there in under a half-hour?"
Oh.
Well. I guess we could have done that.
I just sat down and started laughing at the whole thing.
Yeah. About an hour later, we get off the bus in Athens, because we're a bit uncertain of which stop is best for us. Within two blocks, it becomes clear that although the Acropolis is indeed in site, that we are most assuredly not in the right part of town. Oops. Within another block, we started coming on the nice police men with machine guns. Sigh. We hailed a cab and that ended that adventure. Yes, we managed to quite randomly find a very very bad part of athens. The good news was another fun, exciting and adventurous cab ride! I took photos. I can't begin to describe the number of scooters and motorcycles in this town ... or to describe how hard each and every one of them seems to be trying to die at each and every moment.
Well, 11PM and I must get to sleep now.
Tomorrow is (FINALLY) the Parthenon. And the Archeological Museum which houses a couple of statues that I am really eager to see. And if we can find the time, Kerimeikos.