GREECE: ATHENS THE CENTER OF THE CULTURAL WORLD
After nearly two weeks in Greece, touring Athens, Corinth, and a week cruising the Aegean Sea seeing some of the most unique islands in Greece.
When we returned to Athens before we were to fly to London, England, we decided we should get something to remember this great land.
Our wives had an interest in different things so we split up and set a time to meet near our vehicle.
Richard and I departed toward the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and to view Athens from the highest point in the area. From the top you can see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, also known as the Herodeion. It was built in about AD 160. Today it functions as a theater and in the summer months host concerts and performances of ancient drama, lyric theater and dance as part of the Athens Festival.
One can have a panorama view of all of Athens from this height.
As we started back to the entrance we walked by the Mars Hill section that Paul recorded in the Bible.
The next thing I knew was Richard was preaching out loud. I asked him, “What are you doing?”
He said, “Now I can say I have preached on Mars Hill.”
We both laugh and start down the long walk back to the village stores. I told him I wanted to see if I could find something for the house as a souvenir and made my way down a side street off the main center of shops, which experience had taught me were usually tourist traps. He darted into a store which didn’t look inviting to me so I told him I was going farther down the street.
A sign in the window of a small extremely nice shop said, “Clearance Sale” caught my attention. I walked in and was greeted in English. After some small talk, I found out he was from Chicago and had come to Athens to liquidate this store left him by his recently deceased father.
Already, I saw his goods were much cheaper than the same items in some of the previous shops my wife and I had been in.
He said, “I have reduced most of the inventory by 75%, but I will give you a good deal if you buy a lot of stuff. I just want to get back home as soon as possible.”
After browsing about, I picked up a number of things I liked and believed my wife would enjoy also. The first was a large black urn made out of terracotta that was handmade and painted with 24K gold of various Greek people of mythology.
The second item was a plate made by Dakas Keramik that was also black with 24K gold painting of the Parthenon made on the island of Rhodos (Rhodes).
As I laid the two items on the cash counter he said, “Since you like these, I have a set of six full size cups and saucers also black that match them which are also of 24K gold of Greek Gods, etc.”
Unlike many places I have been he kept his word and I was very satisfied with the price he charged me.
My friend came into the store and said, “Alton we are late to meet our wives.”
When we saw them we were expecting them to have an arm full of bags, but not a one was seen.
Then my wife saw I had some things and her first words were, “Let me see what you bought.”
Putting the sacks on a flat area I began to open to let her see them.
“O, I like that! What else did you buy?”
With each opening she agreed I had made a good choice.
Then the final words, “How much did these cost?”
She didn’t believe until weeks later when she saw my credit card bill.
At the hotel where we were staying we walked into the gift shop and she found what she always liked to bring home--a doll made in the native country.
“I need that to put with my other collection of dolls,” she pleaded.
Today all these beautiful items are decorated around the doll reminding us of the beauty of this part of the world.
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.”-- Acts 17:22
After nearly two weeks in Greece, touring Athens, Corinth, and a week cruising the Aegean Sea seeing some of the most unique islands in Greece.
When we returned to Athens before we were to fly to London, England, we decided we should get something to remember this great land.
Our wives had an interest in different things so we split up and set a time to meet near our vehicle.
Richard and I departed toward the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and to view Athens from the highest point in the area. From the top you can see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, also known as the Herodeion. It was built in about AD 160. Today it functions as a theater and in the summer months host concerts and performances of ancient drama, lyric theater and dance as part of the Athens Festival.
One can have a panorama view of all of Athens from this height.
As we started back to the entrance we walked by the Mars Hill section that Paul recorded in the Bible.
The next thing I knew was Richard was preaching out loud. I asked him, “What are you doing?”
He said, “Now I can say I have preached on Mars Hill.”
We both laugh and start down the long walk back to the village stores. I told him I wanted to see if I could find something for the house as a souvenir and made my way down a side street off the main center of shops, which experience had taught me were usually tourist traps. He darted into a store which didn’t look inviting to me so I told him I was going farther down the street.
A sign in the window of a small extremely nice shop said, “Clearance Sale” caught my attention. I walked in and was greeted in English. After some small talk, I found out he was from Chicago and had come to Athens to liquidate this store left him by his recently deceased father.
Already, I saw his goods were much cheaper than the same items in some of the previous shops my wife and I had been in.
He said, “I have reduced most of the inventory by 75%, but I will give you a good deal if you buy a lot of stuff. I just want to get back home as soon as possible.”
After browsing about, I picked up a number of things I liked and believed my wife would enjoy also. The first was a large black urn made out of terracotta that was handmade and painted with 24K gold of various Greek people of mythology.
The second item was a plate made by Dakas Keramik that was also black with 24K gold painting of the Parthenon made on the island of Rhodos (Rhodes).
As I laid the two items on the cash counter he said, “Since you like these, I have a set of six full size cups and saucers also black that match them which are also of 24K gold of Greek Gods, etc.”
Unlike many places I have been he kept his word and I was very satisfied with the price he charged me.
My friend came into the store and said, “Alton we are late to meet our wives.”
When we saw them we were expecting them to have an arm full of bags, but not a one was seen.
Then my wife saw I had some things and her first words were, “Let me see what you bought.”
Putting the sacks on a flat area I began to open to let her see them.
“O, I like that! What else did you buy?”
With each opening she agreed I had made a good choice.
Then the final words, “How much did these cost?”
She didn’t believe until weeks later when she saw my credit card bill.
At the hotel where we were staying we walked into the gift shop and she found what she always liked to bring home--a doll made in the native country.
“I need that to put with my other collection of dolls,” she pleaded.
Today all these beautiful items are decorated around the doll reminding us of the beauty of this part of the world.
“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.”-- Acts 17:22
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