Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Athens, Greece

We arrived in Athens Sunday, May 13, and we found our apartment so lovely that we just stayed here and enjoyed it. It is the third, and the nicest one we’ve stayed in so far. It was purchased by a young female doctor who intended it for her own home, but then she met someone and married, so now she is renting it out.

Pat gave her presentation at the Communications Conference Monday, May 14th. While she was gone, I walked up to the Hadrian’s Gate and Temple of Zeus—about a mile from the apartment-- where I met two American couples—probably in their 70s. After some conversation about where we were from, one of the men offered to take my photo with the Temple of Zeus in the background. He was a real tease, and when I was several feet away, he grinned and said, “The last time I did this, I ran off with the camera.” I told him that I wasn’t very scared, and he asked why. “Because I think I might be able to catch up with you,” I said. The two wives and the other husband had a good laugh.

It was a hot day, and I came home and lounged around in our pretty apartment, quiet time which I needed because I have been keeping a pretty busy schedule for the past two weeks. Tuesday morning Pat’s daughter and her friend arrived and we walked down to the Plaka, the historical neighborhood of Athens, which is about .8 of a mile from our apartment. Most automobile traffic has been outlawed by the government, so except for occasional motorcycles or delivery trucks, there is pedestrian traffic only. The streets are narrow and winding, and there are lots of restaurants and jewelry shops, as well as plain old tourist gimcrack shops. There are lots of imitation Classical Greek clothing, and lots of Greek god statues in several sizes. I bought a Venus in the style of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, although I have no idea what I’ll do with it. We had a nice lunch at an outdoor restaurant. I had mousaka, and it was very good. I also had a small glass of Mythos beer—very good beer.

Wednesday, May 16^th, we walked to the Acropolis (referred to in my brochure as “the sacred rock,” which was for many centuries the most important religious center of the city of Athens. The brochure goes on to say that “the first traces of occupation go back to the Neolithic period.” It is located just beyond the Plaka. The walk up the Acropolis is, however, very steep. We were fortunate that we arrived by 10:30 a.m. and that they day was not hot. Both Pat and I got a little sunburn, but not a painful one.

On the way up to the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, we saw a couple of Greek theatres, the Theatre of Dionysus, the oldest one, which is only partly intact, The other one was built later and is more intact: Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The Parthenon, of course, is located on top of the Acropolis, and it is certainly worth the energy expended to get there. Probably the funniest thing on my whole trip, I overheard a young Greek guy telling his Japanese girlfriend about the 7^th Earl of Elgin, who came to liberate Greece from the Ottomans “and the m_____f_____ stole our marbles.” He pointed up at the long side of the Parthenon to show her where they were, and informed her that they are now in the British Museum. The guy he was talking about was Thomas Bruce, who removed the Elgin Marbles in 1806 after bribing an Ottoman official, and he used some of the artifacts to decorate his castle.  He had accumulated a lot of debt and he tried to sell the bulk of the artifacts—the Elgin Marbles—to the British Museum, although they at first refused to pay the price he was asking. The Museum finally bought them in 1816 The Greek government has been trying to get them returned since 1983, but with no luck yet.

As we came down from the Parthenon, we entered the Agora, also known as The Forum. At one time, people lived in the area, but eventually the houses were removed, and it was simply the center of government. We eventually entered the Plaka again and found a restaurant where we all had lamb souvlaka, kabobs with fries and other veggies. It was fairly good, but probably not worth the price we paid for it.

Today, May 17^th, I visited the National Archaeological Museum. I took a cab over and spent about 3 hours looking at amazing artifacts from as early as 3200 B.C. Among the most fascinating exhibits were the treasures found in the Thalos tombs of Mycenae, which were constructed in the 16^th and 15^th centuries B.C. One of the tombs is believed to be that of Clytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae and wife of Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks against the Trojans. Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia before sailing to Troy. While he was gone Clytemnestra had an affair with Agisthus. Agamemnon returned home with his concubine Cassandra, further angering Clytemnestra, and  Agisthus and/or Clytemnestra had Agamemnon murdered. Agamemnon’s son Orestes eventually killed his mother to avenge his father’s murder, and that storyline makes up a good part of the trilogy of the Orestia by Aeschylus. I was wishing I had reviewed my notes from my Mythology class with Dr. Gythiel at WSU almost 40 years ago.

With my map of Athens and my compass I walked home—a little over 3 miles. I got in more than my 10,000 steps today, and I’m a little tired. As soon as I post this entry, I will go pack to go to Mykonos tomorrow. We’re told

May 12, a.m.
Today is my last day in Istanbul. I meant to post yesterday evening, but I was exhausted. Barbara and I visited the Dolmabhce Palace yesterday. When the sultans began visiting western Europe in the 19th century, they fell in love with the architecture and all the sumptuous living that they found there. So, they built the Dolmabhce (Dol-mah-bah-chay) Palace. It took 30 years, and, among other things, 50 kilos of gold. The palace is huge, and the furnishings a good deal like what one sees at Versailles, including the ceilings, which are very ornate and often coated with gold leaf. There are also lots of very ornate chandeliers, which range anywhere from 1 ton to the largest one, which weighs in at 4.5 tons and takes 700 light bulbs. The palace is now a museum for the most part, but is still used for visiting dignitaries. The largest reception room is 2,000 square meters and the ceiling is 36 meters high. An extra ticket got us into the Harem, which includes Attaturk's bedroom and bathroom, as well as the wheelchair that he used in his last days. After the tour, I asked the guide if Attaturk had many wives. She replied, "No, he was a humble man," She went on to say that he had only one wife, but he was so busy that she divorced him. He eventually adopted 4 or 5 girls and only one son, who was a little shepard boy. The daughters were well-educated and went on to lead very useful lives. My curiosity is peaked now. I plan to read a biography of Attaturk.

After the Dolmabache Palace, we took a two hour cruise up the Bosphorus. We were again reminded that Istanbul has microclimates. The weather was warm when we began, but all of a sudden, we were aware of a drop in the temperature. I forgot to check my little thermometer, but it was several degrees. We saw some really expensive real estate along the way, and many mosques.

Several times while I've been here, strangers have asked me where I'm from. Obviously, I do not fit in with the locals. I read in a book in the apartment on Turkish Culture that blue eyes are believed to be a natural protection against the evil eye, and that people may stare at them because they are so uncommon. A couple days ago on the way to the Topkapki Palace, a Moslem woman, who was sitting beside me, struck up a conversation. She wanted to know where I was from and what I thought of Turkey. Later, I saw her again at the Topkapki Palace. Our eyes met, and we both recognized each other. She introduced Barbara, Pat, and me to her two sisters. They are from Iraq, and they had quite a lot to say about their government as well as ours. They are unhappy with their government, but they liked Sadam Hussein.

This morning, Barbara left to go explore other places in Turkey. Pat and I helped her down the 4 flights of stairs with her luggage and walked with her to the hotel where she was to be picked up by the tour bus. Our apartment is on a very narrow street, and the man at the tourist agency asked her to go to a hotel. She was due to be picked up at 6 a,m,, but we arrived at 5:30. Fornunately, the tour mini-bus came by 5:45.

Today, Pat and I plan to go to the Prince's Island. More about that later.                                                 

May 10, p.m.
Today is the first time that Pat has been able to go with Barbara and me. She gave her presentation on Instantgram at the conference yesterday, so some of the pressure is off. She still has one to give in Athens--not to mention the finals that she has been grading.

Barbara and I cooked breakfast--omelets with ratatouille left over from last night and toast, so we started out with a full stomach. We took the Metro down the hill to Taksim Square, then the funicular down the hill to the Tramway, which took us to Sultanamet stop from where we walked a ways to the Topkapi Palace. Between the Palace and the Harem we spent the entire afternoon. The walls in the entire palace are decorated with beautiful blue tiles. (Too bad I haven't figured out how to insert photos yet. I downloaded 232 this evening.) The palace is enormous, of course. Barbara read that there were some 10,000 people living there, counting the sultan, his mother, his favorites, the harem, the eunuchs, the servants, etc. I was fascinated by the architecture, many, many domes, some of which had openings fronm which one could see the sky. I think these night be a device used by middle-eastern architects to keep buildings cool. The stone, of course, is thick and the ceilings are high, which would help, but I think these high openings create up-drafts.

We had a late lunch on the terrace overlooking the Bosphorus, and ended our visit to the Topkapi Palace with a visit to the crown jewels, among which is a dagger whit a very large diamond and a very large emerald. Then there was a brass box--probably 8"X10" half full of very large emeralds. Finally, there was the Spoonmaker diamond, which is 80 some carats--half as big as my fist.

We left the Palace about 6:30 and headed for the Whirling Dervish show, which didn't start until 7:30. Fortunately, it was located next to the railway station where the Orient Express ended--or began, depending on where one lived, I suppose. There was an Orient Express Restaurant there, established in 1895 according to the sign. We ordered a 1/2 carafe of red wine to pass the time until the Whirling Dervish show.

The show began with a lone flute player; then five more musicians came out: one with an instrument that looked like a long-necked banjo, played with a bow; a zither-like instrument; a large tamborine; a ude, and a singer, whose only instrument was his voice. They played for a while, then left for a few minutes, then returned with long black robes and tall hats, and resumed playing their instruments. Then a single blacked robed man in the same kind of tall brown hat entered with something red on one shoulder. The red something turned out to be a prayer rug, which he laid down and then knelt, hands and head down on the rug. Then three more guys, similarly dressed except that one wore green under the black instead of the white worn by the other three. They did a lot of bowing and walking around the area in front of the audience. We were all seated in white plastic lawn chairs in a large circle. Then they removed their black robes, and slowly began whirling. occasionally stopping and bowing, but they mostly whirled for the next 15 minutes. The show was very interesting, but it was a show. My understanding is that the original whirling dervishes achieved a trance-like state and was/is a kind of religious ritual.

We took a taxi home--15 Turkish lira, probably cheaper than we would have spent taking the tram, the funicular, and the Metro home. I think I have been getting 1.65 Turkish lira for a dollar.

Tomorrow the Dolmanche Palace and a cruise up the Bosphorus.

May 10 a.m. Istanbul, Day 3
Barbara and I have navigated all sorts of public transportation during the two days that we've been here. We've also walked a lot of miles (according to my pedometer)--10 miles the first day and 6 yesterday. We have seen the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmet's Tomb, the Grand Bazaar, and the Spice Bazzar. Yesterday at the Grand Bazaar I bought some lapis lazuli beeds, which I will ask my daughter to string properly and attach a catch. Barbara thinks that I got a bargain. I also bought a little brass whirling dervish that really whirls. And then there are the evil eyes that I bought as gifts. They're everywhere and in all sizes--a very pretty blue with an eye in the middle. I'm sure that they're a good luck charm, but I haven't read anything about them.

The driver who brought Pat and mne to the apartment from the airport (located on the Asian side) said that Istanbul's population is 20 million. Pat read this morning that Istanbul also has micro climates. It's very hilly, which I suppose has something to do with these micro climates. The traffic here is incredible. There are still lots of old narrow streets, and traffic jams are happening constantly, with horns blaring. From our apartment on the 4th floor (that's why it's called the Sultan's Nest), we can hear a constant din of blasting horns. When we go out to shop for groceries, we sometimes have to walk between the traffic jams, but we are very careful.

Today we poan to see the Topkapi Palace and attend a whirling dervish exhibition this evening.

May 9 - Istanbul, Turkey
Well, I'm going to try this one more time. I failed to post after two times in Paris. What I wrote just disappeared, and I became really frustrated.

I had a great time in Paris. Among other things, Pat and I toured the Opera Garnier, a Belle Epoque opera house. It's grand staircase has probably been in the movies lots of times. In 1984, I attended the opera Werthier and a ballet. For the opera, I had a loge seat, but for the ballet, I sat in the 6th balcony. It was July, and there was no AC. I almost passed out. At any rate, on the tour of the Opera last week, I got to see a lot of parts of the building that I had not seen before, and I was especially pleased to see the mural on the ceiling by Chagal.

Another highlight of the time in Paris was the dinner at Le Procope, the oldest restaurant in Paris, which they claim has been open since the 17th century. If you Google it, you can get an idea of what it's like. I had my escargot fix, and Pat settled for French Oinion soup as a first course. My main course was trout amandine, and Pat's was halibut. My dessert was isle flottant and Pat's was creme brulee.

Pat had an agenda, which we were able to fulfill. We had a drink at the Cafe de la Paix. I just had a glass of wine, but Pat had a kir royale--beaucoup d'Euros. And that was just one item on her agenda. The same afternoon, we stopped by the Hotel Meurice, located on the Rue de Rivoli. She had read that the German General surrendered there.  That bill was even more shocking than the one from the Cafe de la Paix.

Perhaps my favorite activity was our night at the Caveau de la Huchette, a jazz cellar. The group playing there is called The Swing Society (Google them if you'd like a sample). The music was excellent, and the dancers were incredible. We stayed until a little after midnight, then took the Metro back to our apartment. Afterall, we had to check out of our apartment at 10 the next morning.

My next blog will be about Istanbul.           

On this trip, I'm traveling with my friend Pat, who will present one paper at a Communications Conference in Istanbul and another in Athens. Pat has never spent time in Paris; she has only changed trains in Paris--not the best view of Paris. So, we will begin and end our trip in Paris where we have rented an apartment  in the 6th arrondisement.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondisements, beginning in the center with the 1st at the Louvre Museum, and continuing clockwise in a spiral, ending at the peripherique--the thoroughfare that surrounds Paris . (You can view our apartment by inserting "Cherche Midi 1" into Google. That site also features a video with a tour of the apartment.) My favorite areas in Paris are the 5th and 6th arrondisements, both of which are on the left bank. To understand the difference between left and right banks (rive gauche and rive droite), think of the map of Paris as being split roughly in half by the river Seine. If you place your right hand above the river and your left hand below the river, your right hand is on the right bank and your left is on the left bank. The 5th and 6th arrondisements make up the Latin Quarter, which is directly across the Seine from the Notre Dame Cathedral. Back in the 12 century, students studied Latin with the monks there. At some point the monks became disgruntled for some reason and moved across the river to teach Latin, and that area has been known as the Quartier Latin ever since. The Sorbonne (University of Paris) is also located in this area, so it is still an area where one finds lots of students.

We leave Wichita May 1st, connecting through Chicago and London Heathrow, and finally arriving at Paris Charles DeGaulle airport at 11:35 a.m. on May 2.