First Impressions

Our adventure to Greece has begun and so far it's gone without a hitch. After being here for a couple of days, here's a few things that have gotten our attention.

At Customs in Athens

Our flight arriving in Athens had about 350 people on board. All were funnelled to a half a dozen customs agents. They appeared to be processing quickly and efficiently as the line moved with almost continuous motion. When we presented our passports, the agent scanned them and then he did the customary picture ID comparison. He opened my passport to the picture and looked directly at Marlene, and when he was satisfied that my picture looked like her, he closed it. Then he went on and opened her passport and did a similar comparison of her picture to me. Fortunately for Greece, we aren't terrorist.

State of the Economy

The banks have been closed and all Greek credit cards turned OFF for the past three weeks. Now, it appears even though the banks are still closed, the cards had been turned back ON following the successful negotiations for more EU bailout money. On a nearby pedestrian mall with mainly high-end stores, there was a shopping frenzy similar to what we see at Christmas. We think it was a combination of pent-up consumer demand and sales to get things rolling again after the partial economic shutdown.

Being Greek for a Day

Wherever we go, we always like to live as the local people live. So yesterday, we were having wine at a sidewalk cafe and kibitzing with the waiter; I told him I wanted to be Greek for a day. He said "a good start would be to spend more money that we had". And, we all laughed at the truth.

Rioting and Security

Prior to coming here, we were apprehensive in regards to our safety. There had been news reports of rioting as a result of the economic bail out resolution. These in fact happened just outside our hotel. Apparently, the scale was smaller than the TV coverage led us to believe. However, even today, as we make our way around the city, there are armoured buses with guards stationed in key locations to respond if necessary.

Historical Architecture and Restoration

We toured the Acropolis and other historic sites this morning, most of which are in the order of 2000 years old. It shows the depth of the city's history, and the extensive restoration work shows their commitment to keeping it alive.

Under the Grecian Sky

It's hot and dry under the Grecian sky.

Click here for the next story in this series:
http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2015/07/cycling-old-athens.html