In addition to writing this blog, I'm keeping a journal of my observations of the people I encounter during my stay in Athens. For instance, walking home from the market one afternoon last week, an older gentleman was crouched in the middle of the virtually vacant street that runs behind my apartment. Even on the narrowest streets here, people walk alongside the cars out in the road simply because there's not an abundance of sidewalk space. As I approached and glimpsed a closer look, I realized he was bending down to share an orange with whom I presumed to be his grandson, around three years old. What a tender moment. I found myself paused with my key in the door gazing at their palpable connectedness. Watching a scene like that certainly gave me the extra bounce I needed to clean up around the apartment and make dinner (yes, unfortunately living in Athens, Greece with a view of the Parthenon brings the responsibilities of independent living as well).
By far, the National Gardens has become my favorite spot in the city. When I'm walking back from Syntagma Square along the main street in downtown Athens, just past the Parliament building, I dart off to the left through intricately designed iron gates into an entirely different world. Paths veer off in the gardens in every direction, with benches far and wide. I found one spot where you can lay on a blanket under the shade of deep-rooted trees and alongside four or five ancient marble columns about three feet high, a little broken down but emitting all the more beauty because of their aged state. Chamomile flowers are beginning to bloom all over the city, especially in the gardens, and the smell is sweetly calming. Inside the National Gardens is a playground, so especially when I go during the late morning hours, a number of parents are walking their children and bringing them to play. During one visit, an elderly woman was strolling with her three young grandsons, all holding hands.
During another walk home, a gentleman was helping his young daughter, around five years old, into the car. Where we crossed paths, the sidewalk is a rather steep incline; as I walked up and towards them, the little girl stared at me for the longest time with this perplexed look, as if she were asking with her brown eyes "Who in the world is this girl in jeans, tennis shoes (all of the women wear boots here) and a bright-colored shirt with arms full of freckles?" As I got closer, I smiled, gave her a little wave and said "Yassou." She then gave me the biggest grin that is ingrained in my memory forever. I asked "Pos so lene," (What is your name?), and I think she said, ever so sweetly, Eleni. I then pointed to myself and said "Amerikanitha." That's when her shy side kicked in, as she continued to smile but wrapped her arms around her father's leg. It's definitely moments like that when I question why cultural divides exist in the first place, because when it comes to raw human emotion, our experiences are universal. I wouldn't doubt that I was the first American Eleni met in person, and I hope years from now she remembers our gentle interaction and realizes, although we live in different societies with different traditions continents apart, we're not so different as human beings in this big world.
Anyway, this evening we embark as a class on an overnight ferry to Crete! We'll arrive at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, and we'll visit the site of the ancient Minoan palace at Knossos. We'll visit some other areas of the island and a number of museums, with a great deal of free time to explore, wander and relax on the beaches. I can't wait to place my toes in the water of the Mediterranean Sea! We're hoping to have warmer weather than it's been here in Athens the last couple of days. I'm not taking my computer along to Crete, although the island should have a number of Internet cafes I can access to post a blog or two. However, I don't want to get your hopes up, so be prepared to not hear from me over the next few days. We arrive back in Athens on Monday morning, and I will reveal all of my Crete experiences with you then!