Happy Belated Birthday Nanny!

For Everyone reading this who sees my Nan, please give her a big hug a kiss from me for her birthday. Tell her I thought about her all day, however, seeing as there is seven hours difference and my access to phone are limited, I wasn't able to call :(

Yesterday was really interesting! I went to the Archeaology Museum. I saw the Big bronze statue of Zeus that's everywhere. WoW. It was incredible! Every little detail you can think of is there. Even the nipples. Hopefully my pics will turn out. The musculature the hands, feet.... all of this was done in bronze thousands of years ago and then lost to the Ocean. I also saw the mask of Aggamemnon. They had a special exhibit dealing with "AGON" the spirit of fair play. It was pretty incredible. Lots and lots of funerary and headstones... Pottery bronze and marble workings... www.culture.gr is a website to see what I saw.

Funny thing happened to me at the museum, I had my journal with me and was writing down my thoughts, info I wanted to remember (I don't have the memory of my younger years) and drawing designs that I thought were interesting in the evolution of greek potterry art. Well I'm in the AGON display rooms, crouched down drawing a really interesting pattern I hadden't seen yet when I hear this binging, like an alarm. I continue what I'm doing and it goes off again. This happens repeatedly until finally a young women from the museum comes over and tells me not to put my book on the glass (I had been using the base and case as support) "because alarms". I looked at her, my eyes went wide and I said "oohhh that was me?" she again told me to move away because alarms. She did kindly offer me a chair though. I smiled and did my best greek thank you. That would have been great! Arrested in Greece. It might have led to another one of my life list of things to do... Get deported from a foreign country. And here I always thought that it would be from Australia for stalking Russell.

I also found out yesterday that I had been using the Metro/bus system all wrong. I always wondered why it cost 5 cents more when I bought a ticket from a stand and not from the automated machines in the Metro station. THe answer is not that the consessioneurs are making a profit, it's because I'm supposed to be using two different tickets, one for the bus and another for the metro. OOoops, I thought Athenians had a really sweet deal travelling around for under 50 cents. Luckly, noone has checked my tickets yet!

I got lost in Athens on my way to Syntagma Square... I'm as bad as a guy when it comes to asking directions. I did eventually find my way out all by myself, without having to ask anyone for directions. A man can't say that. Boys, my trick is to remain calm, don't worry about looking like a silly lost tourist, pull out that map and study it, figure out alternate routes and if worst comes to worst, backtrack. I finally got to Syntagma 45 minutes late. Iro got there at about the same time. Both of us saying I'm sorry to keep you waiting. She asked me to stay in Athens for a bit longer and I agreed.

Today, I'm going to the Temple of Zeus to offer up my petty sacrifices. I haven't quite figured what that will be yet but I'll let you know next time