Sunday 8 May 2011

Athens Day 2

This morning we went to mass as St. Paul's, followed by a pick nick at the national gardens. The Greeks seem to have refined the oil curing of cheeses to a fine art, and we had a grilled cream cheese cured with lemon and oregano and a cured goat cheese with basil and small red chilies; we also found a great $3 dry Greek rose.

St. Paul's is a diverse congregation of Anglicans from across the communion, and the New English Hymnal tunes take on a wonderful quality from the differently pitched African harmonies. The priest told us about his days in the 60's at a now defunct theological college for working class young men: they refused to have any truck with secular universities, and after 6 years of rigorous education, they left with no degree, and no hood to wear with choir dress.

The park was full of children... and balloons. Greek children are crazy about balloons.

After picnicking we headed for the massive, sprawling flea market. Rahel got a hat pin and I got a crucifix!

We spent the rest of the day walking around the Palaka and came to a trail up the Hill of the Muses. We walked past a metal grate over the opening of a cave and stopped to read the historical marker. Apparently this is the cave in which Thucydides may or may not have been buried! Wow!!

1 comment:

jenny said...

Wowza! Really, really, really great pics. I feel like I'm on vacation too. If only....................