Public transport whisked me off through another gorgeous day into old Athens and my experience was transformed. I'm not equipped to even begin to recount the historical context of this grand site, nor will I begin to do so. I can say that it was breathtaking. Approaching things from a historical craft perspective, what spoke most to me about the ruins at the Acropolis (as is true of all ancient ruins I have ever experienced) is how it is that people were able to construct monuments of such a grand scale so precisely with tools that must have required such incredible skill to master. To bear witness to the rows of columns supporting stone beams enclosing these massive palaces and to wonder what you did if your column ended
up 1/2" taller than the others - or if the relief carving on your next slice of column didn't quite line up with the one below it is something that I can't fathom. It was definitely a different world.
I ended up doing a lot of that slow museum walking - over 10 miles worth - at least according to the built in pedometer on my cell phone. The views were majestic in all directions. I can't help but continually see the parallels between the sprawling city and the ice sheet that feeds an advancing glacier out into previously undeveloped territory.
I wandered through the tangled streets of the old part of town - an enchanting maze of cobbled streets, staircases, buildings, churches, etc. This area seemed ablaze with the tourist legacy - shops pedaling endless souveniers, banks and ATMs ready to dispense funds, cute cafes lining the streets and an impressive population of stray dogs, all making the most of the afternoon heat, sprawled about the streets deep in siesta.
I took an opportunity to do the same, though instead retreated across the street to what amounted to something of a botanical park. I may have been sunburnt, but did it ever feel good.
Tomorrow the day begins early with 7 hours of bus travel to a new destination - Kalikalos community in the village of Kissos.
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