#2808 November is over already?

Was it just me, or did November pass by in hurry? It seems like all the days were busy for me. Work was kind of slow at the start of the month as I was waiting for stuff to come in, and now I am just hoping I can get all of the work done for month-end close. I had a chance to do some art stuff, which is fun and makes me feel happy. I guess the desire to continue to draw and paint and doodle is what I brought back from Greece.

I had a couple of doctor appointments this month. I went to the eye doctor. My eyes got a little better this year! I didn't even know that was a thing that could happen, but I guess it does. I'm still severely sight-impaired, but the prescription for my left contact is slightly weaker than it was last year. I ordered new glasses, too. They haven't come in yet, though. 

The other doctor appointment I had was a colonoscopy. Everything was good, so I won't have to have another for 10 years!

For Thanksgiving, MT and I went to Pocatello to hang out with his mom, stepdad, and sister. T went to his girlfriend's house for the meal. Cute :)

I've been writing about the trip to Greece, so I haven't filled you in on the regular-life stuff that's been happening. Posting stories and photos about the vacation was really fun for me, especially the past nine days when I was really getting into it. I think I've mostly told you about everything. Maybe there will be random photo here and there, because, why not? Now that I have been home for awhile, I can start thinking about where I want to go next. 

What's coming up in December? There's Christmas, of course. I've asked MT to bring up the decorations this weekend. I didn't put much out the last couple of years because I wasn't sure how the dogs would handle it. I think they will be okay. I hope so, anyway. I haven't done any shopping; I don't even have any ideas yet. I'll probably take some time to ponder those mysteries this weekend. My mom's birthday is in December. She and Lizzie have fun plans for the birthday weekend. I wish I could go, but I have very little vacation time left - I went BIG on vacation hours used this year, so I'm not mad about not being able to take any time off in December. I get the 23rd and the 26th, the Friday and Monday around Christmas, and that will be nice. I don't know what we'll do about Christmas. For me, it depends on whether T has to work. I'm happy to stay home, but MT might want to hang out with his family. We'll figure all that out as it comes closer, I reckon. 

The Utes are playing in the PAC-12 Championship on Friday. GO UTES! I'm going to participate in a photo-a-day challenge on Instagram in December. Maybe some of the photos will end up here, too. Mom, Lizzie, and I did a drawing-a-day challenge in November that has been really fun. Some of my drawings are pretty wonky - I'm looking at you, favorite food drawing - and others have been quite satisfying. I'm constantly surprised about how much fun I'm having with the art stuff.

I plan to write on even-numbered days in December, so check back on Friday, if you want.

#2807 The Acropolis

The first morning Lizzie and I were in Athens, we went on a city tour featuring the Acropolis. How could it not? The Acropolis is the heart of Athens, in my opinion. It isn’t on the highest hill in the city, believe it or not, but it is so recognizable and iconic that it draws the eye from wherever you are. 

Like many European cities, Athens is very walkable. That said, I am glad I had the bus to take me at least mid-way up the hill of the Acropolis. It’s a long pull! Even from where we were, there was still some climbing to do. Have I mentioned that there is marble everywhere? The paths to the Acropolis are mainly marble that has been worn down by millions of feet over  thousands of years. It can be pretty slick in some places. Is it worth it? Hell yes.

To be clear, the Acropolis is the actual hilltop. There are ruins of several buildings at the top, most notably the Parthenon, which was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. There is also the Erectheion, which features the Caryatids, and the Temple of Athena Nike, among others. 

We had a tour guide and she used the whisper tour guide system in which we all had headphones and she spoke into a microphone and only the people in her group could hear her speak. I really like this system because we not only had a large group, but there were gobs of people with other guides up there. It would have been impossible to hear what our guide was saying without the earphones. I had experience with the whisper system in Rome on the Colosseum tour, as well. I liked it a lot on that tour, too.  

Even with the guide in my ear, there are just so many facts and so much history that it was all overwhelming. I don’t remember a lot of what she told me. I do remember feeling awe. The place is just, well, awesome. Here are some of my photos of the Parthenon:

This next photo I took as we were walking up the steps before we reached the top of the hill. I believe these columns are part of the Temple of Athena Nike.

One thing that was on my “must-see” list was the Caryatids. They are the six female statues that are holding up part of a roof with their heads. As I was reading and learning a bit about Athens, I was fascinated with these sculptures. I was looking up at the Parthenon, then I turned around, and there they were!

Heck yeah, I was stoked! You can’t get very close to them here. Those are not the originals, by the way. The originals are in the Acropolis museum across the street. There are only five of the Caryatids in the museum in Athens; the sixth is in the British Museum.

The empty space is for the one that is in London. Notice the poor one in the back has no head.

Each of them have different hair styles.

I totally love these statues. Maybe it is because they represent strong, beautiful women. I love the way they each have a knee forward as if they are about to walk toward you. I love the way the clothes seem to drape on their bodies. I think they are spectacular. I know I could have gone back and stared at them a whole lot longer. 

The Acropolis Museum is stunning. It is so beautiful, both inside and out. If you are ever in Athens, you will almost certainly go to the Acropolis, but please, please, do yourself a favor and go to the museum as well. The main gallery is so gorgeous with all of its natural light and the marble statues. (Photos are not allowed in this section.) Then you go around the corner and there are the Caryatids. You go up another escalator to the top floor which is a recreation of the Parthenon, which you can plainly see right across the way through the giant windows. The display is set up to mirror the Parthenon in every way. Basically, you walk through this museum and all the art and treasures that were up on the hilltop are on display, then the top floor recreates the Parthenon and shows you how all the art you have seen earlier was displayed in or on the Parthenon itself. 

The Acropolis Museum is the only museum we had time to go to in Athens. I have heard that the Archaeology Museum is also wonderful. Next time.

Here are a couple of other things I saw in the museum:

Bluebeard daemon

This three-headed snake monster is weirdly charming to me. Look at their smiles. Did you know there is a name for this smile? The same smile shows up on many sculptures of the time. It’s called the Archaic Smile. 

 You probably know that Athens is named for its patron goddess, Athena. She is the wise virgin warrior goddess, and the owl is associated with her. There are owl statues all over the place in Athens, including this cool carving in the Acropolis Museum. You can read more about Athena and the owl here. 

Read more about some of the amazing works in the Acropolis Museum here.

I could have spent way more time in the museum, but since we were with a tour, we had to go when they did. We took the bus back to the hotel where we started, (not our hotel)  then Lizzie and I went for a walk through the National Garden that was conveniently right across the street from where the bus dropped us off. I do love to wander through green space in the heart of a city. I didn’t take many photos, although the gardens featured very nice, wide trails. It was so wonderful that you couldn’t hear the sounds of the city when you were in the garden. Another great thing? Walking around the garden is free.

I would be happy to go back to Athens someday. It is a remarkable place, and there are more things I would like to see and do there, and even places that I would revisit. I did some research about the place before I went, but it is so epically Athenian that I don’t know if I could ever be really prepared for it. I mean, there are thousands of years of history there. The timeline of events that have happened there is mind-bending. I feel so fortunate that I got to see even just a little bit of it. It whetted my appetite for more!

#2806 streets of Chania

It is cold and snowy here in Salt Lake tonight. I have had a long work day, and I am in the mood to remember strolling through the streets of Chania, Crete. No words, just photos.

#2805 a day in Munich, Germany

Let's pause from talking about Greece and spend a day in Munich, Germany. Lizzie and I flew on Lufthansa, the German airline, from LA to Athens and back, and we had a layover in Munich on the way home. We figured since we had to spend one night in the city, why not add a day and see the city? I mean, when are we going to be back in Munich? We arrived there on a Saturday night and went to our hotel called Yours Truly. We went out exploring just a little after we settled into our room, but we were a little off our game and I, at least, felt a little overwhelmed by the Munich. After spending a week in the fairly small city of Chania, Crete, Munich was a lot. We wound up heading back to the hotel and getting to bed fairly early.

The next day, Sunday, we had scheduled a walking tour of the old city. Lizzie wasn't feeling great; she had a bit of a cold. Thankfully she had some cold meds with her because we learned that Munich is basically closed on Sunday. There were a kabillion pharmacies within walking distance of the hotel, but they were all closed, as were all the stores and shops. Basically, the only things that were open were cafes and restaurants. I'm not kidding. We did not get any souvenirs in Munich because there was no where to buy any on Sunday. 

I'm going to post a bunch of photos here from our walk around the old city with some info in the captions.

The Ring sculpture in the Old Botanical Gardens

Karlstor, the gate in the old city wall

Bavarian architecture

Frauenkirche, the cathedral of Munich

A couple of interesting things about Frauenkirche. It was built in just 20 years back in the 15th century, which is nothing short of remarkable. The big towers weren't added until later, in 1525. The towers were unharmed in WWII because the Allies used the towers as landmarks on their bombing runs.  Another fun story, it is said that the devil's footprint is inside the church. We didn't get to see it, though, because we didn't have time to go in the building.

The Glockenspiel at the New Town Hall in the Marienplatz

Watching the Glockenspiel was my favorite thing that happened in Munich. It just felt perfectly right.

Haufbrauhaus - this is as close as I got to it.

Bavarian architecture

Lizzie, capturing a bit of luck from rubbing the lion's nose at the Palace

Those architectural enhancements are painted on the building!

An Italian style church in the Odeonsplatz

In the courtyard of the New Town Hall, looking up at the Glockenspiel tower

"Artsy" shot of the Old Town Hall

Bavarian symbolism

Let me explain this little scenario: There is a castle with the Monk of Munich in the doorway, holding the Bible in one hand and waving with with other. You've got the lion on top of the castle, which is another symbol of Munich, then you have the Cooper's Dancers with the banners of Bavaria. There is a medieval history in this city.

 

View of the Frauenkirche towers from the top of the New Town Hall

View of the Olympic Tower from the top of the New Town Hall 

I did enjoy the walk around the old city. There are some wonderful buildings, and there is a lot of history here going back to medieval times. There is also a lot of more recent history from the 1940s which puts a shadow over the place, in a way. Nazi history is tucked into little corners all over the place, from not-quite-painted-over swastikas' in Hofbrauhaus (I'm told) to the bronze path in Shirker's Alley.   It's probably just me, but I got a weird vibe from Munich.

That night, we went on a Ghost and Spirits tour of the old city. We stopped by most of the same places we had seen during the day tour, but with some different stories about the locations. I love a good ghost tour, and I think this one was fun enough. I just couldn't shake the feelings I was having about the city. Plus, I was tired and ready to go home. I'm sure that's the bulk of my issues and feelings about the place. I wonder if I would have had warmer, fuzzier feelings if I had gone to see Neuschwanstein Castle instead of staying in the city?  Or maybe I would have been happier in Munich on a Tuesday rather than a Sunday when I could have gone to the Biergarten Viktualienmarkt. 

Maybe someday I'll find out.

PS: I did have a couple of beers with lunch while we were there, and the beer was very, very good. Bavaria is well-known for it's beer.

#2804 Botanical Park of Crete

You must know that I love a botanical garden. I spend dozens of hours in the summer volunteering at Red Butte Garden, which is technically an arboretum, but with definite garden qualities. I was excited to have the opportunity to go to the Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete. I was curious about what it would be like. Looking back, I am certain that the reality differed greatly from my expectations, and the reality was spectacular.

Our group took a bus from the hotel in Chania to the Botanical Park. The ride was somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. I lost track of time as we wound our way up the mountain road, leaving the sea far behind. The visitor center looked small from the outside, perched on the side of a mountain with steep hillsides all around us. 

Inside the visitor center, it was surprising large, with a nice gift shop area and a beautiful open-air restaurant looking out over the hills. We were greeted with a nice cup of herbal tea and a variety of honey to sweeten it, then we were ushered to the amphitheater so that the owner, Petros, could talk to us about the Park, what it represents, and his vision for the gardens. He talked about how there are young people who don’t know where food comes from, whether from a plant or a tree. He talked about the importance of “getting out of our boxes” - homes, cars, offices, to experience nature. He was passionate about the place, and so well-spoken. It was inspiring. 

He encouraged us to explore the park, which is very natural. The trails are packed dirt with rocks and meanders up and down the hillsides. There is an enormous variety of plants and trees growing there, some that are not native to Greece, but that come from South America, other parts of Europe, and Africa. There are several different micro-climates in the mountains of Crete, and that is what allows for so many varieties of plants. Fascinating. 

Lizzie and I borrowed walking sticks that were available from the visitor center, and we set off to explore. There is one trail through the park, but there are shortcuts where you can veer off to return to the visitor center if you don’t want to walk the whole trail. It’s not a very long walk, maybe a little more than two kilometers. We took our time, stopping often to take photos, to look at the plants, to listen to the sounds of the hillside, notice the scents all around us, and basically, just try to soak it all in. There is a lake on the property, maybe man-made and kind of a zoo by the lake. We chose not to go down there. I think we spent about an hour or so on the trail. 

The weather was warm that day, and we worked up a sweat on the walk. It did feel good to get out of the town and into nature. It was beautiful there.

Our group had a big table in the restaurant. Lunch was on our own, though we all sat together. Lizzie and I ordered a couple of appetizers: dakos, which is barley rusks that are topped with fresh tomato and herbed mizithra cheese. It is a typical Cretan appetizer. We also had some fava dip, which is a split-pea dip topped with onions and olive oil. Delicious. 

While we were there, we did art, of course. It was challenging for me, as I mentioned in a previous post, but the place was just so incredible, that I kept trying. 

Here are some photos I took that day:

The patio of the restaurant

Our group sat at the table where the guy is standing

This is a type of milkweed called balloon plant, or hairy balls

Just as we were leaving the trail, there is a sign with a quote from the Canadian astrophysicist Hubert Reeves.

As a person who finds “God” in nature, this quote struck a chord with me. Let’s take care of our planet. It’s the only one we have, and it is full of amazing things.