I am approaching the end of my Greece travel. I have 4 days left here in Athens . This morning I walked down to the square with my friend and said goodbye at the station. She is returning home. It feels like a looping of two ends: Syntagma Square is the first Athens landmark we both encountered as we moved down the steps from the metro after the long flight from Australia.

Leading to Syntagma

My first stop when I got off the train was the Infopoint. I didn’t really take in the square as I found my way to accomodation nearby. My head was full of directions and key codes, fighting that sense of unreality of stepping into an unknown space.

So here I am again after 3 weeks in this country which is still a bit of an enigma to me. Laureen and I have ferried to 4 islands, to Rhodes and then back to Athens. Maybe this pause is a chance to gather impressions together and chip away at that enigma?

I’ll start towards the end. This morning I looked around Syntagma Square.

Parliament in background . The Changing of the Guards is every hour
And here is Hermes , the messenger god ?
And I was carried away by the cheese , and bought too much

So I’m starting at the end of my trip: 3 days to go now, and it is a bit of a countdown. Here I am later today, at 6..30 pm on a Friday night in central Athens .

Not a very flattering photo but it’s hard to take a good selfie when your arms are short

The streets are filling up. While I am having a wine and heading back to my accommodation for the night, most of these guys are taking a break. There is lots of conversation over cups of tea or coffee before the serious dining. The night is just beginning .

So what have I done today since my wander around Syntagma Square and the Supermarket? Well, much as I do at home ; breakfast, a read, a walk and some food shopping. Then I visited one of the markets in Monastiraki. It is just like a market anywhere. Only the jewellery is very beautiful and seems to be made here with lots of different stones. But there are lots of cheap clothing stalls, numerous Greece momento shops selling evil eyes and pictures of Saints, crucifixes .

The religious momentos were gathered around a church, The door was open so I slippped inside.

Don’t remember the name

Inside was a mass of shining gold and glittering hangings, numerous saints and martyrs , paintings and icons . No lights except the candles. Photos not allowed. But no photo could capture all that gold and light.So I just sat and prayed. I could not read the sign outside as the old woman sitting on a bench right underneath yelled and swore at anyone who approached.

I walked back through Monastiraki to Amerikis Street as the streets filled up. The musician I passed yesterday was at his same place, in front of the fountain. His skinny dog lay fast asleep, curled up in a basket .

The skinny dog. has a warm bed

So that’s my day and still haven’t got to my 3 weeks. I’m heading back now. Tomorrow maybe I’ll write some more, before I visit the Archeological museum .