Athenian Dream

I have just spent a lovely Bank Holiday weekend in hot sunny Athens for some historical sight-seeing and nice food (that was improved by a side plate of chips at every lunch and dinner). Me and my friend Emma went to the Acropolis of course which includes the Parthenon, the Houses of Parliament for the changing of the guard, the National Gardens, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hardian's Arch, Hadrian's Library, the Flea Market and Monastriaki Square and one other very special place but more about that later. We arrived on Friday night and spent the Saturday souvenir shopping and walking round the shops and eating nice food as it was a Greek Bank Holiday and the monuments were shut. Saturday was also the day of the protests which happen every year on the May Day Bank Hols but were more of a big deal this year because they were also protesting against the austerity measures. We saw the protestors marching and riot police but didn't see any rioting or fighting as was reported.

We also had time for a bit of star spotting. Emma recognised the lady in photo (right hand corner - like my sneaky photo taking) from the TV but couldn't place her. When we left the cafe we bumped into again so Emma asked. She was in Bad Girls (which I never watched), is called Helen Fraser and she played the warden called Sylvia Hollamby or Bodybag. Wikipedia tells me she has also been in Casualty, One Foot in the Grave and Corrie.

We all have a list in our heads I'm sure of places you really, really want to go or things you want to see, for me they are the Eiffel Tower and Berlin Wall which I have done, Vatican City and the Pyramids which I have yet to do. And one other. I have always wanted to go to wear the very first Olympics were held, before they were official worldwide Olympics were arround and the Greeks were inventing it. I didn't realise until looking in the guide book that it was the same stadium that hosted the first official Olympics in 1896, and neing an olympics fan that made it doubly exciting. The stadium was renovated for the 1896 and 2004 games so is in good condition and probably little of the orginal BC stadium remains but I don't care, that's where it was, were the first Olympians invented the games and competed naked. A dream come true, a big thing off my TO DO LIST.

Apart from that my favourite sight was predictably Acropolis, in particular the statues/columns of the ladies blew me away, they were beautiful.

It was great to get away form Cyprus for a few days even if it was still greek food and language, although I actually didn't have any homous or pitta bread while I was there. Amazing.