Athens

Athens is a strange, strange city.  It feels quite disgruntled at the moment.  Whether that is part of the economic uncertainty, austerity measures, illegal immigration, or other elements - I am not qualified to judge.  But while one or two of the neighborhoods I have visited maintained their yuppie or tourist facades, the rest are awash in graffiti and worse.  I spent the day in the National Archaeological Museum, and walking barely seven blocks I was faced with slummier activities and appearances than I have seen in a long, long time.

Perhaps it is having spent a whole day with funeral sculpture and stelae that has made me melancholic.  There is certainly charm here.  But all told, I think I prefer countryside to the city.  So I had planned on spending a few more days here then heading north to Delphi and so on....  But no, the calls of family and friends are too strong.  I'm off to Istanbul instead!  I'll keep you posted.

While this is Early Cycladic, my brother will have very little trouble identifying the similarities to 'Tintin and The Broken Ear'.  Yes, still on a Herge kick.

The Acropolis from the top of Lycabetous Hill, sunset.

I now believe every archaeological site should have a turtle.  I plan to lobby the appropriate bodies.