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 :-) ).
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.
Just a remnant from the holiday season, this clown is a much better version of the old circus clown.
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.
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. :-)
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.
..it would had rest on a wire but everybody knows that ancient Athenians had gone wireless long ago :-)
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.
Let's bid a farewell to 2006 with this wonderful painting which is titled "Santorini". It's dedicated to all of you who stopped by Athens photoblog, to you who left a comment and to everyone who just passed by and took a glimpse of the athenian and greek sun.
In Greece, we call "monkeys" all the products that are imitations. For example, a LV bag which is sold out in the street we call it "monkey" and we pronounce it "mymoo".
Happy penguins in Attica Zoological Park. During my visit there the penguins did not sing neither danced. It must have been Athens heat, I hear that in Antarctic every penguin sings or dances.
Today, we celebrate Christmas and we remember that Athens had some Gods of her own, one who came along the way and stayed and another who came and left. 
This building used to be a mosque. It was the "Fethiye Mosque", built around 1458 by Mehmet the Conqueror inside the area of the Roman agora (yes, Romans had conquered Athens too). It hasn't been used as a mosque for about 180 years.
These kids are singing the "kalanta", a carol which brings in every home the message of Jesus' birth and says wishes. The "singers" ring triangles.
Most Greeks never eat at restaurants like this but, truth is, they have funny signs.
In Eleftheroudakis bookstore (free wi-fi in the coffee shop at 6th floor BTW), I met with Byron, the great poet. Although he was British, Greece considers him its own national hero. He died in Greece during the war of independence and his heart is buried in Messolongi.
Every year Athens city celebrates Christmas "building" the sugar city at Syntagma square.15 colourful houses host candy stores offering visitors candies from Greece and abroad (sometimes though, not at reasonable enough prices).
Apart from the candy stores, Santa Claus has his own house where he is waiting for children to come and visit him and his elves.
Today, get rid of anything that bores you and go playing. Play videogames, board games, even with those old fashioned dolls that reminds us of our childhood. Mr Statler here, Waldorf is behind Zoot (if I am not mistaken), is smiling. Well, when even this grumpy old man is smiling what keeps you from being happy??
My very good friend Apostolos has just set up the daily photoblog of Delphi. In ancient times it was the site of the most important Oracle of the god Apollo. Delphi was revered throughout the Greek world as the centre of the universe.
