We had an early morning start to the Athens Sunday fleamarket. The market is there every day but it is reportedly at its largest on Sunday.
Our first stop before the market was an ATM machine and as we turned toward the square we got our first glimpse of the Acropolis. Unfortunately it is partially under scaffolding which distracts from the view, however it still commands attention from the top of the hill.
The day warmed up fast as we strolled the booths, umbrella covered tables and "sheet on the ground" vendors. It was another day of supporting the local economy and we each did our part. Small backpack worthy items were the order of the day.
We enjoyed a roasted corn fresh off the grill from a street cart and we made the obligatory "Starbucks in a foreign country" stop. Both the food and the iced frappacino really hit the spot.
We wandered up and down the streets for awhile, enjoying being lost and enjoying the ancient buildings, squares, and other things that crossed our paths.
In the late afternoon Carrie and Annelle were still looking around when I cried UNCLE. I went to the top of the main street where we had made friends with a coin dealer first thing in the morning. Sliman and I chatted while the other ladies shopped. He is a very nice man and something of a philosopher. He explained his life views to me told me some of his life story. When he found out we had been driving a rental car around Greece and that we had just turned it back last night, he offered to let us borrow his to drive around while he was at work. We would never take him up on the offer however it is sort of refreshing to meet someone so generous and unattached to material things. I suspect from some things that he said that he must be a Muslim and I am reminded of my trip with Tom to Turkey where we met many such generous and kind people.
We had a great night's sleep at the loft we rented for three nights. It's an artist's loft and it's very bright and lively with many of the owners works decorating the walls. It is about eight times times the size of almost anyplace we have stayed prior to this and Annelle joked that she had separation anxiety last night because she has slept inches from Carrie and I each night.
It was really nice to come back to the sunny loft this afternoon and flop down on an actual couch for awhile before a much needed shower.
Annelle was so anxious to wash off the day that she mistakenly took her "after sun aloe with lidocaine " into the shower instead of her same colored shower gel. After her shower she informed us that she discovered her mistake as the lidocaine took effect on her private parts!! Up until that point she was simply confused as to why her shower gel wasn't foaming.... She was a good sport as Carrie and I fell off the couch laughing!!!
Tonight will be a somewhat early to bed night because we want to be at the Acropolis when it opens at 8 am to beat the heat as much as possible. It's quite a climb to the top and the days have been extremely warm.
No comments:
Post a Comment