…..and more
So this was a present from my husband. Fly to Athens have a cool week there, and fight anomaly. The anomaly – this time me without bike – went fine – lots of activity, lots of fighting, shard scoring.
Just…unfortunately we lost anyways.
It rained. Several of us slipped on the wet marble. No major accidents, gratefully, just one agent banging her head when slipping/hitting uneven pavement.
And meeting people at the after party, meeting more people, having beer together, starting Mission day. Eventually I even found my way to my apartment, just to be awake a few hours later, to enter OCF. Our Stealth Team also was our OCF team, at least partially. So we roamed Athens, found the market, saw new corners, figured out tasks, took lots of pictures, …and made third price patch.
Athens is home to many many street cats. No single day I couldn’t see one or two sitting somewhere, leasurely, enjoying the warmth.
The rest of the team eventually had to leave next day, and I started exploring more of the city. For Stealth still had me all sore, I went on a double decker Grayline, did lots of unique captures. I did the Biocard mosaic. some other mosaic. Tried to find one portal and did not.
Nominated a new portal. Had some evenings with our Greek hosts.
I had totally forgotten how much I loved that city when I was there as a youth. And remembered. Athens is very alive, clean enough. Traffic is crazy but if one watches where one’s going it’s fine.
I am still glad I did not touch a bike.
There is a hill – lycabettos, which seems the highest place in Athens – at 32 Centigrade I climbed it.
After that tour I ended up in an area of loose forest, smelling like dry pine trees, sporting a few wells. Alone, having this kind of landscape inmidst town…wow!
Of course I looked at the Acropolis, and visited two museums, one for antique technics and one for illusions. Amazing place.
Friday I jumped onto another double decker bus, full of German cruiseship tourists with exceptional perceptions about the local population. We had some discussions because as always this dinosaur cannot keep quiet. I was glad when they left to their huge ship, got out the next stop and found some calm place at the beach in Pireus. I even got myself into the water. No swimwear but hot as it was I was dried up in a whiff.
Saturday I had to say goodbye. To my apartment, to the city. I went to visit a very pink dessert restaurant for a crepe, passed another few of those little churches which are everywhere in the city.
Eventually I found my plane and flew home. But the memory stays,
Athens, original place of the concept of democracy. A colorful city, kind of also a symbol. A city of blooming bushes. Little churches.Cats. Ruins but restored ruins. Resin-y smells. Markets. Hospitable people. Sporting a functioning Subway system where I pay only 9 Euro for several days.
I am glad I could go. And I hope I’ll be back some day.