Athens, Greece

I have decided that I will never take a two hour long 3 am flight again. Wisdom comes from experience and being cracked out comes from no sleeping. Athens feels familiar. My traveling buddy says that it is a mixture of San Francisco, New York and the third world. I don't agree with the latter nor do I have my mind wrapped around what that exactly means. But the rest... example: on the path between the Acropolis and the Parthenon we were asked by a couple of kids if we wanted a smoke. It was like talking a Golden Gate park after some light record digging at Amoeba.

Graffiti, with the exception of the ancient monuments, is everywhere here. It is mostly eye level spray planted tags with a few good burners, artsy pieces and the occasional bit of stencil work. Being back in a Western country, I can smell the records and I am doing my best to avoid the expense and the weight that comes with it. It doesn't help that my ipod died on me and I am traveling without my 4 gigs of jammy jams. I think I will try and emulate John Cage and just listen to the ambient sounds and music played by others to come with a freash attitude toward sounds. Or maybe I will just go nuts. I'd be love to just to listen to stuff just to get snippets of songs and beats that are on continuous loop continuous loop continuous loop out of my head. Good thing I like repetitive music.

This European Union and their fiscal policies are going to wreck my check book. Coming from places where the dollar is strong, paying for stuff in Euro is a bit painful. Still, I can understand why folks like it here. We had tasty Greek dinner last night in a public mall with wine, musicians and the night sky. Not cheap, but very pleasant.

There is a haze around Athens. It might be from all the cars here in this valley, but will all these sidewalks and public transport it somehow seems like there is more to that story... then perhaps not; this is a city ater all. Things I once took for granted (ie. being able to drink tap water, spinach, looking a woman in the eye) have new found appreciation. Things here are paced different as well and I don't think there is the regimented schedule that is found in the US. My favorite is lingering after a dinner is over and just chilling. Shoveling food in my face and then leaving is great and all, but having it be the prelude to a converstaion is where it is at.