Athens

The Acropolis…. Time travel. If it weren’t for the June crowds of Europe, I would have stepped into a history completely foreign to the youth of American citizenship. Additionally, we 21^st century technology addicts often don’t know what to do with this kind of antiquity. Too surreal and ethereal, we remain unfocused on the immensity of such a sight. I had to concentrate on reminding myself that I was traversing grounds and structures ventured upon hundreds of years before Christ ever walked the earth. For a split second, one finds themselves in Disneyland. The sight before me was just too unreal. My brain shifts to the shiny sets of Epcot and the replica backdrops of Main Street USA. I’m proud of my American lineage and our young history as a country, yet I’m humbled each time I visit something that causes me to ponder TIME. I think of the new thoughts and concepts pondered at this place, that of law and ethics, of religion and philosophy, of medicine and science. I can imagine the conversations that took place here. In these settings, I long for time travel, to see this place alive and thriving during its prime… To see this architecture in its highest function…that of inspiration.

As Athens resided below, I wandered the hilltop, catching aerial views of the Amphitheater of Delphi, 360 degree walks of the Parthenon , the picturesque photo opportunities from the Temple of Nike, and endless shots of the columns of the Erechtheum. I imagined the structures in their finery of the 4^th and 5^th centuries B.C., perfect and unblemished by weather and wear. If it weren’t for the 110 degree heat, I would have stayed all day. That, and having to reboard a ship at 6.00. We ventured down from the Acropolis and wandered into the “Plaka,” a section of the city, referred to as old Athens. Having worn ourselves out from the both the hill and the heat, we sought shelter in Greek cuisine. Of course, a city would never be complete in Jessica’s world without a quick visit to the local market. And a quick visit it was. I fell in love with the beautiful Greek Orthodox gold crosses. They were inlaid with gemstones and perfectly etched designs and enscriptions. Inspired by the many shapes and sizes, I spent more time in my sketchbook than checking out Athens itself on the train ride back to port.

It was one of the most fast paced days I’ve experienced of late, but worth every minute. I didn’t know if I would ever make it to Athens, although always at the top of a long list of destinations. I saw it in a blur as do most people when they experience it as a port destination, yet I feel very blessed to have finally made it. The architect in me is inspired and enriched in such settings, The facet of my artistic drive that is inspired by great architecture is touched and re-kindled, thus, re-affirming my love to experience a historical place like this once and a while. Luckily for me, “once and a while,” is fairly often.