Walk Like an Athenian

After a 12 day break, it was time to return to my routine. It had been two weeks since I went through the motions of a Wednesday morning, which usually pass by unremembered. Today I slowed down a little to take note of and enjoy things...

My open balcony door is like a built in alarm clock. The usual chorus of stray cats, motor bikes, and church bells woke me up around 7. I stayed in bed until 7:30.

I walked down the slippery marble sidewalk of my apartment's sidestreet to the bus stop and crammed into Trolley #4. At this time of day, public transportation is free... not officially, but crowds make it impossible to reach the ticket validation machine. I stepped onto the metro for free as well, sure that only the preserved skeleton at Syntagma Station may have noticed.

Past a few street vendors, I reached my destination: class. We the students met Professor Diamant at an outdoor cafe table diagonal from the entrance to the Ancient Agora. The morning sun, getting warmer each day now, shone on our faces while we sat on the remains of an old stoa wall.

The Parthenon temple built for Athena in 480 B.C. in view... listening to a lecture about Roman occupation in 150 B.C... sitting in the middle of the birthplace of democracy, circa 500 B.C...

all before 10 am.