Acropolis Now

You probably need to have been raised in Australia to understand what I mean by "Acropolis Now." Acropolis Now was the name of a sitcome set in Melbourne, Australia about a group of second-generation Greek Australians that ran a take-away shop. It ran on TV in the late 80s/ early 90s and was very funny. It featured memorable characters like "Effie" with her big hair and "Nick" with the mono-brow. It was a cool show, because it brought to life certain issues of the day, like what is was like to be a "wog" (immigrant or child of an immigrant to Australia) and growing up with traditions like having a salami sandwich for lunch instead of a peanut butter and jam sandwich for example, or having to go to Greek language school on weekends and play soccer rather than go surfing at the beach or something like that. (Think "My Big Fat Greek Wedding.") It also showed how silly stereotypes are and how really, although cultures may seem very different on the outside, because of language, dress etc, that really, we are all very similar. The beauty is that I really think this show helped traditional "white" Australians understand and embrace the newer Meditteranean immigrants and vice versa. If my brother is reading this, I know that he will remember the show and even laugh because he remembers that our mum used to pack us salami sandwiches and make us go to Spanish school during the week. My brother is hairy too, just like Nick. ;-)) Ha. I guess being here in Athens made me reflect back on this little known Australian show from the 80s.

Today we started off the day with a "typical" Greek breakfast. I say "typical" because I have seen the locals drink these cold "Nescafe Frappes" and eat these round sesame style bagels everywhere. We are staying in the beautiful and historic "Plaka" district, and walked down to the square at Monastiraki to have our breakfast.

We then headed up the hill towards the Acropolis. The Plaka neighborhood is in an excellent location, because the Acropolis and all the beautiful, ancient monuments, including the Parthenon, is only a 10 to 15 minute leisurely stroll up the hill.

The weather is still gorgeous; about 21 degrees celcius or 75 degrees fahrenheit. We reached the Acropolis and were pleased to learn that entry to the historic park was free for EU students. So we only had to pay an entry fee for Zev. Entry was also free for me to enter the new Acropolis Museum (which was a really well designed museum).

The Theatre of Dionysos:

Walking up towards the Parthenon.

The Parthenon: (still being renovated in some parts but in amazing condition and well restored).

Can you believe that this temple was built about 500 years BC!? It is said that the apostle Paul also preached to new Athenian Christians from the steps of the Parthenon. Incredible. You can see the rooftops of the historic Plaka neighborhood below...

The other side of the Parthenon.

We are resting up in the small apartment we have rented before heading out later to explore some other historical sights. Hope you are enjoying our updates so far!

Zev and Fi xo

Athens

Athens is amazing.

I had heard some reviews about Athens being dirty and full of cats (I can´t remember who told me this, but this is what I remember) and it simply isn´t true. Perhaps we have just been really lucky in where we found a place to stay but we got out and about today and saw some incredible, beautiful, clean sights. We really like Athens.

We flew in to Athens from Thessaloniki today. It was only a 50 minute flight and the train from Athens airport to the downtown area where we are staying (in the Plaka district) was easy and very comfortable. The train was in top condition and clean and the train stations all looked sparkling new. Perhaps the 2004 Athens Olympics had something to do with that!?

The weather is simply perfect. Warm and sunny but not too humid. Cardigan or light sweater in the evenings. Very safe and well lit at night, great prices for food and drinks and beautiful views, surrounded by amazing historical sights. We had dinner tonight at a lovely little restaurant underneath the Akropolis. It was an incredible sight to see the hill all lit up and to have a typical Greek dinner in such ancient and beautiful surroundings.

Time for bed now. Till tomorrow!

xoxo

Greek frappes

Today was a very "chilled out" sort of day, a bit like the Greek "frappe" drinks we keep seeing people drink. Apparently these cold, frothy drinks were invented in 1953 during a fair in Thessaloniki and the young people really seem to enjoy them. They are made up of Nescafe instant coffee, mixed with water and ice and sugar and frothed milk. Quite refreshing, actually. This is a picture of the frappe with ice-cream that Zev had at the top of the communications tower that we visited this afternoon. The restaurant inside was a revolving restaurant, which gave us a cool view of the city.

We visited the Byzantine Museum today, and although it was interesting, it was a bit of a strange experience. The building was very nice and large and modern and the displays were neatly presented but we were only allowed to visit three rooms and were kind of rushed out of there because they were apparently closing in 10 minutes. Mind you, we arrived at 2.30pm and were the only people in this museum. There were four employees that we counted inside, and they took turns following us through the rooms.

There were some quirky facts about the Byzantine era....I will let the following pictures explain...

This fact below made me smile..."despite the polemics...women continued to make themselves pretty."

They made pretty good jewelry for the 4th Century!

If you look carefully, you can see a pair of tweezers next to what looks like a pin, in the center of the picture below.

There were some beautiful mosaic displays, which showed the color and detail used to depict different images, as early as the 4th Century!

Tomorrow we head to Athens. I am excited to see the Akropolis and Parthenon and other historical sights. Till then, Kalispera!

Fresh food markets

Markets in different towns are so much fun to walk through. This activity is a recurring "must-do" for Zev and I; I think that between the two of us, we have walked through markets in every continent (except Antarctica of course!) The markets in the middle Eastern/ African countries and meditteranean countries are the most interesting and colorful in my opinion. Below are some pictures to give you an idea of what I mean...

Greek cheeses like Feta are the best. And so cheap here!!

We bought some Halva here...

The outdoor markets were funny. I don´t think these shoes were "originals"....

We are going to explore the Byzantine Museum today. Hope you have a nice day too!

How to help Japan

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/14/iyw.howtohelp.japan/index.html

Some suggestions if you would like to donate from the US:

The humanitarian group World Vision has personnel on the ground distributing first relief supplies like water, diapers, blankets and powdered milk to victims and their children in affected areas.

It also plans to establish one or more "child-friendly spaces" for kids "affected by disasters to resume normal childhood activities and experience structure and security that are often lost following emergency situations."

Follow World Vision's blog for updates, and visit its website or text "4JAPAN" to 20222 to send a $10 donation to the group. It will show up on your next mobile phone bill.

The Salvation Army in Japan has three emergency service relief teams in affected areas. A team in Sendai handed out 1,000 hot meals, drinks and handi-towels to survivors. Another team in the Mito area unloaded water bottles, biscuits, blankets, diapers and tissue boxes for distribution to evacuees.

The aid organization is issuing updates via its blog, its Twitter feed and Facebook page. It also is accepting donations via text message. Those interested in contributing $10 to the group can text "JAPAN" or "QUAKE" to 80888.

ShelterBox was on the ground in Japan less than 24 hours after the earthquake struck. The first ShelterBoxes (emergency shelters) will be taken to the hardest hit areas in Japan's north on Thursday.

"In light of how many people are now displaced from their homes, our primary concern is making sure that our aid is available to those who need it most," Tom Henderson, ShelterBox founder and CEO, said in a statement. http://www.shelterboxusa.org/

 

Efcharisto

Means "thank you" in Greek.

Tonight we went out to dinner at a little "hole-in-the-wall" that we came across in the fresh food markets that we walked through this afternoon.

We were off the beaten path, in a little "blink and you´ll miss it" alley-way between alley-ways and although we couldn´t read the menu (cue "it´s all greek to me"), the owner/waiter/cook was outstanding and so friendly and accomodating and vividly translated the menu for us and gave us a true taste of awesome Greek cuisine. It was  a WORLD apart from the sub-standard dinner we had last night. (Long story short, last night we walked around for about 45 minutes trying to find a place to eat and finally settled for the only place that seemed to serve dinner and had to settle for "what was left" which included soggy french fries with kebabs which they said was chicken souvlaki. But I digress.)

So I can´t remember the names of the dishes, but I know that they included Tatziki dip; this awesome tomato and pepper dip with cheese, that was all hot; these yummy spicy meatballs (that dish with four meatballs on the left) that has this cool berry sauce; a lamb and sweet onion dish with peppers and Greek yoghurt, topped with some sweet red Greek wine and accompanied by bread and water. It was just so yummy. And we paid the grand total of 28 euros for everything including drinks, which was excellent value.

Today was such an awesome day! I even worked on my thesis for 2 hours this afternoon while Zev took a nap! How´s that for making the most of time!? I must say that I don´t think I have ever posted as many blog entries as I have today! Until our next update, Kalispera!

PS: We are watching CNN International in our hotel room as I type this entry and our hearts go out to the victims of the Japan earthquake/ tsunami/nuclear plant concerns. I have family in Tokyo and I believe that they are ok. We believe in the power of prayer, and encourage you to pray for the survivors and recovery efforts in Japan. Love, Fi xo

Kalimera

Greetings from Greece dear family and friends! Today was a sight-seeing day in Thessaloniki. We started the day off with a run along the Thermaic Gulf and up to the famous "White Tower" which appears to be the main tourist attraction here. After breakfast in the hotel, we asked the hotel concierge about how to get on the Bus 50 "cultural tour" which I had read about on wikipedia and he couldn´t really explain it to me because his English was not so strong. Nonetheless, we headed to a local bus stop and just hopped on a bus and asked the bus driver and figured it out.

The coast line of Thessaloniki is nice and the different Byzantine, Christian, Roman, Turkish and Muslim monuments and historic buildings are cool, but I am glad that we are heading down south to Athens in a few days because there is not a whole lot to do here once you have taken the tourist bus. There are a lot of apartments and cafes along the coast and along the streets and everyone seems to like to hang out and "be seen" drinking these really cool looking coffees, called frappes or freddos (both cold). As you can see, we had to partake in this activity too, you know, to blend in with the locals.

We took a tour of the White Tower and learned a little about the significance of this region. Most of you probably already know that the books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians in the Bible´s New Testament was written by Paul, to the church in Thessalonica. I really like the books of Thessalonians because they are both "encouragement" books and I like the whole concept of encouraging others and being encouraged.... Don´t you!?

Being in Thessaloniki has really made me look at these two books in the Bible with a fresh persective. Growing up in Australia, although there are lots of historically significant sites, especially Aboriginal sites, one must not forget that Australia is still a really young country, which was discovered by Captain Cook in 1788. (I think most of the houses in our German village were built by then!! Ha.) Paul wrote the letter to the Thessalonians over almost 2000 years ago.

Paul established the church in Thessalonica during his second missionary trip (about A.D. 51). According to the New Living Translation, Paul visited Thessalonica on his second and third missionary journeys. According to Wikipedia: "Thessalonica was located along the "Egnatian Way", which was a Roman road going from Rome to the Orient. This road was 19 feet wide and paved with stone slabs or packed sand. Paul and his companions travelled along this road from Neapolis to Thessalonica. Thessalonica is about 100 miles from Philippi and 500 miles from Athens." 

 We are staying on one of the main streets in downtown Thessaloniki. Guess what it´s called?! Egnatian Street! I thought that was cool.....

I wonder if Paul knew how good the sweets were in Thessaloniki? Oh yes. After our tour of the old and new parts of town, we walked down to the markets to have a look around and sample some things. Have you ever tried Lebanese or Turkish sweets? They usually have lots of sugar, nuts etc. Yes, I am weak when it comes to sweets. Well, we bought some to sample. Here is Zev practicing his best Greek (remember: "It´s all Greek to him"....heard that once or twice today ;-))

Look at how happy he is with his sweets....

Needless to say, it is 5pm and guess who is taking a nap on the bed next to me?

Signing off for now! Hope you are having a lovely week so far,

Fi xo

 

Full Bird!

Dearest family and friends,

I am so honored to announce that my sweet husband has been selected for promotion to Colonel! The "list" officially came out yesterday, so I had to wait until that was published before making this announcement. I am proud as punch for my guy, but more importantly, we give thanks first and foremost to the LORD. 

We are excited to see where the Air Force takes us next! 

Love, Zev and Fi xo 

PS: "Full Bird" is the informal way of referring to the rank of Colonel, because it is signified by an eagle.