From the blog of my good friend Nikos
Five days now, Greece is being burnt by huge wildfires. In Ancient Olympia the flames reached the first ever Olympic Stadium.
Fighting the flames..
Western Peloponnese, most of the victims were caught here by the fire.
It's a moment of great grief, with hundreds of wildfires raging all over southern Greece. In some years from now, it will be impossible to find places like this.
Every day, during the sunset, thousands of tourists take position to view and take photos.
More info and photos
Ovelikios is vacationing but the blogger inside him does not. Greetings to all from the most beautiful sunset in Greece.
Athens DP is "moving" to Aegean sea for three weeks. I may post something from there, so please check back regularly .
In Athens, cyclists can enter with their bikes on the metro Green Line ONLY on the last wagon through the last door. And I thought apartheid was dead long ago.
Outside Athens National Gallery, the sculpture of ancient lyric poet Sappho, by Antoine Bourdelle.
The houses on the hill seem to blend beautifully with the ship's white deck. Scenes like this make me love the greek summer.
Last Thursday, George Michael gave a big concert in Athens Olympic Stadium in front of 40.000 spectators. It was the last concert of his european tour and one of the best events of the summer for Athens.
Many thanks to Annika for the photos.
These are death notices on a telephone company´s switchbox. In Athens there are no designated areas for such announcements so everyone uses walls, poles and any suitable surface.
This area is supposed to be pedestrians only. As you can see, cars are parking even in front of the entrances.
The municipality police is nowhere to be seen. So, the pedestrian's area is turned into a parking lot. Of course, none complains. Everybody wants to park his car right on the front of his store. 
So, everyone passes freely from there. They even horn at you when you dare to walk. No surprise none wants to shop at this particular area and the shop owners are complaining. Well, you do can shop there. As long as you are Indiana Jones.
This is where the Greek Parliament was from 1875 to 1935. The equestrian statue on the front is Theodoros Kolokotronis, the most prominent figure of the Greek Revolution of 1821. 
...well, not exactly. A fully functional piece (although with no SIM card and no EDGE network) is displayed at "Plaisio" computer shops since last Friday and many people have been waiting in line to hold it and play with it. I was out of town for the weekend so I couldn't take photos of people posing with it for their friends. 
Today, the first ever large environmental protest took place in Athens. People are so fed up with the ineptitude of the state to protect the forests and the environment that they gathered outside the Parliament to protest.
On the very tomb of the Unknown Soldier, protesters left ashes and burnt branches from Parnitha, cigarette lighters and some bricks (symbolizing arson and the subsequent building of the burnt places).
Sadness, anger and huge disappointment. These are my feelings as the one and only national park near Athens is no more. The whole forest in Parnitha mountain is gone as a result of a huge wildfire.
What is most painful is that the fire was not an arson. It was just the absolute stupidity of the authorities. They did not manage to contain a relatively small fire on the foothills and the fire went up at 1100m altitude, just because of their complete impotence.
I spent the weekend at this beautiful island (about 2 hours from Athens by hydrofoil). Spetses is mostly known for its great contribution (with warriors, money and ships) to the Greek war of Independence in 1821.
Private cars are totally forbidden so people use horse and carriages, motorbikes or these red sea-taxis to get around the island or to the nearby mainland shores. The little port's entrance gets very busy sometimes...
During a visit at old Athens Intl airport (Hellenikon), I stumbled upon this old private airplane.
The sign on its side reminded me that no promise lasts for ever...
...no matter how high it flies.
Diana, a friend of ADP, sent me this breath-taking photo.
"Running" just beside the Hilton hotel, this (not so beautiful from up close) statue is "Dromeas" (The Runner). Built from stacked plates of glass by Kostas Varotsos.
ADP proudly presents the Greek plane spotters. Here, outside Athens airport, spotting the unusual heavy traffic the day of the Champions League final. More than 40 people, along with some German and Austrian spotters, were there to welcome the iron birds.
My dearest friend Annika sent me this photo of Constitution Square where Liverpool fans are having fun hours before they hit the road to the Olympic Stadium.
