Saturday, January 27, 2007

Athens DP is temporarily offline

Technical reasons, no DSL at home, force me to delay or stop the update of this blog for two to three weeks. (Dial up and photoblogging are a pain in the...line :-) ).

I plan to update from time to time (from wi-fi spots or Internet cafes), I 'll do my best. In two to three weeks time I expect to be fully online again and fully honor the word "daily" on the title.

See you around...

Ovelikios

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Buy her a perfume

This is "Attica" the largest department store in central Athens. It's an old office building of the '30s covering an entire block, completely renovated and now dedicated exclusively to the gods of shopping.

This photo is from the late stages of the overhaul, hence the crane.

It's amazing how similar it looks with another department store in Tokyo. (See it here)

Friday, January 19, 2007

Cheer me up

Just a remnant from the holiday season, this clown is a much better version of the old circus clown.

Better or worse, most small kids that saw him were scared. That's how Stephen King finds his ideas. :-)

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Meet Gwyneth

She was incognito but I found her :-)

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Flower street

Early in the afternoon, minutes away from the city center. Beautiful flowers give a colorful tone in a winter day.

Monday, January 15, 2007

No respect

A more than common picture in Athens. It seems that there isn't a single one access ramp which is not blocked by a driving idiot.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Sailing the sun

From time to time I like to look at older photos just to be reminded of the summer. Here is an Aegean sunrise on the boat to Andros island.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

When you have to go...

Just in case you need one when in Athens, here is what a public toilet looks like.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Acropolis...island

This beautiful neighborhood is Anafiotika, one of the first settlements in Athens just after the Greek Revolution of 1821. The first inhabitants were from the island of Anafi and, as they did in their own land, they settled just under the Acropolis. They brought their island architecture too so the result is something you could see in Aegean.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Tower of the Winds

It was built in the 2dn Century BC as a weather vane and water clock, and stands inside the Roman Agora. Its external frieze depicts faces of the eight winds. It seems that Athens back then was as hot as today and needed the winds to cool it down. Today we don't erect such monuments, we just turn on the AC. :-)

Monday, January 08, 2007

Dandy Cool

An unexpected meeting with a foppish salon. Extremely out of fashion but still respected style by some old fellas who were still young dudes when the coolest ride was the horse cart.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Bird on a stone

..it would had rest on a wire but everybody knows that ancient Athenians had gone wireless long ago :-)

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Art...or something like it.

In Athens, many stores sell statuettes and souvenirs of ancient themes. Every Athenian finds them to be of bad taste but these stores are there for decades so they make money.

Would you buy something like this? What does your own city sell that you find ridiculous but tourists love it?

Friday, January 05, 2007

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Hill of Ares

As the unsuspecting visitor approaches this place just below Acropolis, he sees what seems to be just a large rock. It is Areios Pagos, the oldest high degree court for homicides in Athens. Here used to be, also, an altar dedicated to goddess Athena.

It is also the place where, according to the Bible, apostle Paul did his preaching in 54 A.D. In Greece, the Christian religion had to step, literally, upon the ancient religion in order to expand.

Many people like to sit on the rock and enjoy the sunset. Every major Athens landmark is visible from here and Acropolis is just behind your shoulder.
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...and some more

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Happy New Year

Let's start the 2007 posting with a smile. Not from a child or a cute person but from a school gate. Which, apparently, also blinks an eye to us.

Greetings from Athens, the city where even doors are smiling.