If walls could talk....you wouldn't hear much up here since there are no walls, just columns.

 

Only happens to be the one of the most historic places in the world.  But I am glad that it is so clearly marked. 

I think this sign was placed her by Elgin about two hundred years ago to show his crew where to pick up the friezes and statues and load 'em on the boat.  

I guess they missed this one.  As I alluded to earlier, it is intriguing to me that so much of Greece and the rest of the ancient areas have been brought into the light mostly by the British and a few other countries.  But not Greece itself.  There are so many ruins in the world that are now being preserved.  But why were they ruined in the first place?  I haven't really taken an archaeology courses, so I can't claim expertise on this.  But I do consider Henry (Indiana) Jones, Jr. a personal hero.  And I feel, even if the depiction of archaeology is very over dramatized, he speaks the mind of turn of the century artifact seekers, "It belongs in a museum!"
Back in the day, it was easier to bring culture to the people.  Now seemingly, anyone can make a last minute decision and jump on the next plane across the world to see the cultural centers themselves.  Ergo, we want them to be where they should be.  However, a journey around the world is no longer good enough either.  It's not enough to see things as they are, we want them as they were despite thousands of years of weather, wars, governmental and religious shifts, and, of course, thieving..  We want to experience these people's lives ourselves (minus the short life expectancy and horrible B.O.).  When will that time machine ever get here.  Ironically, it seems to be late.
The preservation efforts of current Greece brings me to another question.  Why now?  Why not, oh, the last 2000 years when people were busy stock piling ammunition in the Parthenon and literally blew the roof off?  Why not 200 years ago when the Brits said, "Hey, mate.  Can I have this?"  And they replied, "How much?"
Because now, it makes money.  We fly there, pay entrance fees and bring home souvenirs.  History is a cash crop, and Greece knows it's got plenty of fruit to bear.
Ok, one last tought this raises.  With all the tourism, most of it being from people with means and those people with means speaking English, all the more modern stuff is in Greek and English.  In Athens a least.  I have heard of so many people in the U.S. so upset that we have stuff printed in Spanish along side English.  Take Alabama Governor hopeful Tim James for example.  This is America-the Melting Pot.  We have welcomed immigrants from dozens of cultural backgrounds over our brief stewardship. And still, we are too proud of our English to try to help anyone else out?  These people are Greek.  They have populated and protected this peninsula for thousands of years preserving their language.  And suddenly, within the last 30 years, I would guess, their lives are noted with English subtitles?  Who authorized that?  The classical education used to be largely focused on learning Greek and Latin.  Since Latin took a dive, seems like Greek is just taken a back seat.  Since they have discovered English is the language of business, and Business is good, they do it up.  They still do haggle here, and I LOVE that.  Old school.

Now there are a ton of photographer walking around this weekend.  I don't really don't even their fancy-shmancy cameras with all their neato features and lenses.  This photo might not have the actual color fill and deep contrasts of real life.  But this picture still says 1,000 words, and it might just repeat "Athens, baby!" 500 times.  

    Greeks love the theatre.  Hense, they have build two right next to each other.  Likewise, they have two main focuses (foci) in there dramas: Comedy and Tragedy.  Laughter vs. tears.  Ups and downs.  Peaks and valleys.  Smile and frown.








Now, I want you to follow along with me and my practice for this weekend, and find out what your life play is.  Like Harold Crick, keep a tally of the little events of your life and place them in one of these columns.

Speaking of Columns: Baboom!

Temple of Athena.  The virgin one.  Greeks love to double up.  Someone looked at the rink dink temple to their patron saint and said, "Dude. If we want her to bless us.  We have got to step it up a notch."  So, they erected one twice as big just a stones throw away.  Seems they saw victory in bloody confrontations about preserving their culture and way of life like Denver does in wanting the Broncos to get a lemon shaped balloon passed a chalk line a little more often..  Build it, and they will come-victories and ticket buyers.  Go, Broncos.

Temple of Zeus.  Sadly, this isn't the one that once housed the 43 foot statue that was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  But at this point, it could have, and it wouldn't be there anyway.  But think, still.  Each of those columns was not only quarried, not only sculpted by hand, but stacked one on top of the other by ropes, pulleys, counterweights and brute strength.  That and a lot of ingenuity. 

And you know how much I love columns.*†

*If you don't, please scan through Transcontinentally Yours.  I don't expect you to read it all.
† I wasn't supposed to touch them.‡
‡But I did.  Experience it.