Kasblah

When in Athens

So I was the fortunate winner of an office draw for a free trip to Athens, to see of all things the Champions League soccer finals! And I’m such a huge soccer fan . It was a fun trip though, but seriously brief (only 2 days!). With one day practically dedicated to soccer there wasn’t much time to do other things. But I got a chance to visit that most famous of famousesses: Acropolis and the Parthenon.

It was raining when we arrived, and the Acropolis tour seemed in doubt. But Zeus smiled on us and the downpour ended promptly as we got off the bus. Guided by an expatriate Swede full of witty anecdotes we ascended the hill. Restorations are ongoing and the whole Acropolis has the feel of a building site, but it’s still impressive. The restorations are done with marble from the original quarry, but the new pieces look quite different in color. Fear not says our guide, a few years of Athens smog and they will be indistinguishable from the rest.

The view from the hill of the city is spectacular, a mixture of ancient ruins and dense urban growth stretches out in all directions. Our guide tells us that Athens has seen a lot of changes as a result of the massive efforts surrounding the 2004 Olympics:improvements in infrastructure and an overall clean-up of downtown areas has modernized the city, leaving some of its grimy charm behind. My limited impression is that it still feels different than the other European cities I have been to, a bit chaotic (traffic is pretty insane), more exotic perhaps.

Soccah

Must not forget some words about the real purpose of my trip: to watch a soccer game! The teams competing for the cup this year were Liverpool and Milan, and both teams played well but Milan dominated much of the second half and the game ended in their favor without the need for extra time or shootouts.

Thousands of hardcore fans were conveniently seated on each end of the stadium, we had seats in the middle, and the sheer volume of the crowds was amazing. We had the obligatory streaker that ran out on the field during the game, having a blast for about 30 seconds before he was pummeled by security and booted from the stadium.

Nifty Tech:

Practically every rooftop in Athens had one or more of these solar water heaters. Two panels, a tank of water, and lots of sunny weather probably saves Athenians a bundle on heating their hot water.

Photo for illustrative purposes only

I spent some time on a sailboat last night and was reminded how much fun it is to sit at a 45 degree angle waiting for the whole thing to tip over. You probably think I am kidding but it is fun in a rollercoaster kind-of way. Besides it would take a lot to tip over a 13 ton sailboat, right?

Our first touristy stop is going to be the British Museum. Standing on the doorstep our bellies growl and our plans change slightly. It’s lunch time and we want to sample British cuisine, so we look for a pub. The appropriately named Museum Pub beckons, and we order some traditional fare: Shepherds Pie and Fish & Chips! Plus some tasty brew. Verdict? The pie filling tastes like it came from an old tin, and the peas have a neon-green sheen to them, pretty basic stuff. Fish & Chips pass the test (plate empty). Next time we need to go to a Gastro-Pub, a new trend in British cooking apparently.

The British Museum is pretty amazing. I saw the Rosetta Stone and most of the Partenon friezes, highlights from the hoards of loot collected by colonial administrators in the heydays of the British empire. The museum, in an attempt to ward off criticism, has a glossy “why they should stay at the British Museum” handout ready. But its not very convincing, and the Greeks are building a huge new museum next to the Partenon specifically to house these big marble blocks so you have to wonder how much longer they’ll be in London.

On to the Eqyptian section I spot this charming kitty-mummy! Some ancient Egyptian animal cults worshipped various animals, and placing these mummies into the tombs was supposed to be a good thing. A related exhibition looked at afterlife traditions in various cultures and I really liked these wooden hentakoi figures from the Nicobar Islands. They help ward off the spirits that keep returning to pester the living. (with their annoying thumbs-up positivism )

We continue the obligatory tour of the touristy things down by Big Ben (doesn’t look much different than the pictures). We check out Carnaby Street (too Gap-py), eat some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (do they fly it in from Vermont?), and finally eat a tasty Indian dinner.

Next day its Millenium Wheel (line too long, expensive), Tate Modern (powerful art…get it?), and shopping. Check out the funky soap store. And where else a store dedicated to tea?

We’re tired of the London bustle and get a trip into the countryside on our last day. Destination Bath, ancient Roman city a few hours sw. The first thing you notice is they built everything with local sandstone, quite a contrast from the brownstone. Bath has a lot of neo-classical architecture and ofcourse the famous Roman bath. Nobody bathes there anymore but you can get a taste of the water in the pump room.