and embassies.
At the top part of the square the building
of Parliament lays, former Royal Palace.
Here, on the platform in front of it,
tourists may watch the famous exchange of
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guard with soldiers (evzone), dressed in
traditional costumes. More amusing than
their uniforms are their movements. Behind
the Parliament, toward the East, Central
Park is, very large and beautiful, and in
front of it there are the buildings of some
embassies. This is the street what gives to
Athens the appearance of a large capital.
The first the street on the right, after the
park, pass through the front of the current
Presidential Palace, the former Royal
Palace. In the face of it, the changes of
the guard occur, in the same manner as at
the Parliament.
Our walk goes on around the Park, which
al ows us to admire the new Olympic
Stadium, Zeus’ Temple and Hadrian's Arch.
Athens has around the Central Park the
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most beautiful urban landscape that I've
ever seen. The vegetation of the Park is a
masterpiece of landscape architecture and
the perspective the surrounding heights –
Acropolis, Likavetus and others - or even
on some elegant buildings, are a delight to
the eyes. The New Olympic Stadium is not
only beautiful, but fits perfectly in the
landscape. There, the first modern Olympics
games were held in 1896. For those in
2004, it was rebuilt and looks very nice.
It is narrower than today's stadiums, so
that it is not suitable for playing footbal ,
for example. Instead, various celebrations
occur there, such as the opening of the
Olympic games in 2004. Among the
sporting competitions, archery and arrival at
Marathon took place there.
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By the way, when one talks about the first
Olympic competitions, only those of men
are took into consideration. Few people
know that there were similar competitions of
women as wel . They were dedicated to the
goddess Hera, Zeus’ wife, and were held
every four years, but in the interval
between those of men. The first
competitions were held in the year 776
BC, but the Mythology places them in the
legend, as initiated by Heracles, of joy that
he kil ed the King Aucias, the one who had
put him to clean up the stables.
As about the men, the assertion that they
used to run naked amuses me. The error
has an explanation: in the most of
sculptures and drawings, they appear with
empty body. And not only the Greeks and
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not only in antiquity. Michelangelo's David
is empty too. The Greeks have cultivated
the beauty body, especial y the male body,
and believed that any addition would
diminish of perfection. Dressed – even
partial y - would mean to give up just the
symbol of the manhood. For Greeks,
aesthetics was more above the reality. The
one who asserts today that the competitors
used to run naked reveals only ignorance:
men cannot run without suspensor. I am
referring to running in competitions.
Zeus’ Temple was one of the greatest from
Europe and stil impresses, with its 15
columns standing and one laying, form 104,
as there were. In the middle, there was a
huge statue of Zeus, which has not been
preserved. It is said that one of the
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emperor Hadrian existed as wel , also
unpreserved. Not far away, Hadrian built his
Arch, placed there in order to mark a
boundary between ancient Greek Athens,
and the new Roman one. The intention is
declared and written on both sides of the
arch. So it says; I was not able to
distinguee anything.
Returning to the Omonia square, I was
saying that, Stadiou street lead to
Acropolis, more exact in Monastiraki Square
at the foot of the hil . The street continues
the commercial aspect of Omonia.
Between Monastiraki and Syntagma the
district Plaka is located, a maze of narrow
streets and pedestrian al eys, along which it
is hard to find anything else but smal shops
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of clothes, artisan products, footwear,
jewel ery and more like this, in the most
authentic oriental style. It is always ful of
tourists, because- whatever tastes - one
have to see it even by curiosity.
Those who are fond of good graphics I
recommend to see something real y
valuable: shop on the street Kidathineon, at
number 15. In fact, there are two shops.
The smal one has old and new works, al
very good quality. The other is more
oriented to the trade, though I saw some
nice work, especial y few watercolours. It is
located near a tower loved by the
Athenians, because, in this area, Lord
Byron used to spent time. He had come for
supporting the struggle for the liberation of
the Greeks. In time, the event made a
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strong impression, especial y after Byron
died, and the Greeks take pride today with
that. The Tower belonged to a monastery,
which was destroyed by Omer Pasha in
1824, in retaliation against the rebels. In
fact, the movement for the liberation
started from a monastery; not from this
one, but from an isolation one, Ayia, in the
mountains, where the Archbishop of Patras,
Germanos, hoisted the Greek flag on 25
March 1821.
Also in Plaka, the Patriarchy is located. In
front of the church, there is a statue of
Archbishop Damaskinos, venerated for his
endeavours for defence the members of the
clergy and population during the German
occupation (1941-1944).
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In the same square, on another statue,
that of Konstantinos Pal iologos, there is to
be found the emblem with double-headed
eagle and a cross above the Eagle, the
same with the blazon of Romanian prince
Constantin Brâncoveanu.
Athens is ful of statues of personalities,
proving that the Athenians esteem them in
this way. Melina Mercouri has as wel a
bust on the boulevard Amalias, opposite to
Hadrian's Arch.
If Plaka is a commercial district, in front of
it the Greek history begins: Agora, the
Hadrian's Library, Roman Agora and the
point of maximum attraction: the Acropolis.
I don't intend to make a description of the
monuments. They are to be found in any
170
tourist guide. I just draw some points of
interest, seen through my impressions.
But Athens is more elegant in the
periphery, both by the sea and to the
north-east, in Kifissia. In Syntagma are
institutions, embassies, hotels. At the
periphery there are sumptuous vil as of
those with money.
I am tired, so I am finishing for now.
Athens, October 9, 2011
- - - - -
I went to paint the landscape at the foot
of Acropolis. It was a beautiful, calm day,
no wind and, of course, with much sun.
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Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to
paint, due to several groups of children,
who were coming with the teachers in
excursion. They were doing a terrible noise.
I never saw so many groups on the same
day. I had to give up painting.
Stil, I cannot overlook the education
received by kids here. "Ruins are the
teachers of civilization", said someone. And
not only the ruins; the museums of history,
even those of arts, when are visited.
I was, instead, in the Ancient Agora. In
the spring, we insisted only the Roman
Agora, with Hadrian's Library, the Tower of
the Winds and other monuments, where the
density is greater. Ancient Agora is much
more airy. Temple of Hephaestus,
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Tezeionul, as it is cal ed too, watching from
the Acropolis, was attractive to me. The
idea of going there was inspired. Whole the
space is real y nice. It looks like a park,
sprinkled with monuments and ruins. It is a
pleasure to walk on everywhere. Also, you
cannot miss the Museum set up here, where
there are original statues. Two or three of
them stil keep the original paints, although
very deleted. Good luck that time deleted
them!
Among the ruins of ancient monuments,
there is an Orthodox Church, as wel . Is
ful of churches in Athens and this area is
too large to remain without any one.
The association between Mythology and
Christianity rises questions, and the
173
questions claim answers. What I'm looking
for now is to explain to myself the speed
with which the Greeks passed from one to
another and stil in a very definitely way.
They created a mythology, and not a
somewhat one, and suddenly they
abandoned it in the favour of another faith,
becoming one of the most faithful Christian
peoples of nowadays. Perhaps, the Russians
are more faithful, but there is an
explanation in their case: they had to fight
against the Tartars and other invaders and
the Christian religion used to make the
dif erence. Later, the communist regime
banned the religion; as people need a
spiritual support, they continued to believe
in secret. Their faith has strengthened in
this way. Nobody forbade the Greeks to
believe in whatever they want. If someone
174
had done it, probably they would have kept
the old faith more strong. But it happened
inverse: the Greeks are among those who
spread Christianity. So, the question is
more acute. As I do not see around here
any learned-man to enlighten me, I try to
put my logic at work, and to link between
them the few data that I know. My opinion
is that they, the Greeks, are the ones who
laid the foundations of Christianity, much
before Jesus. They created the seed. The
Greek’s idea germinated in Jerusalem. It
was natural for they to enjoy for the fruits.
Why they felt the need to change? From
some points of view, the Hel enic Mythology
has some features superior face to many
other religions. It is more than a religion;
it is a transfiguration of real world in a
175
fictional one, al owing the building models,
with al ethical and moral dilemmas that can
arise from them, with al questions and
possible answers. The cosmogony itself is
treated as a struggle for power, which
happens on Earth. Zeus is not an idol. He
is like a manager; He is a model. And it is
not perfect; He is also human, with al
human qualities and defects. He is also a
king. Not a particular one, but the sum of
al kings. And he is not located in Attic or
anyway in other part. He is everywhere, at
least al over around the Mediterranean
Sea, where the Greeks navigated.
Mythology is literature. Incidental y, it
seems that Minos as wel was not a king,
but a common noun in the language of
those time, designing the idea of King.
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Instead, God is an idol; He is The Lord
God, the greatest, but stil an idol.
In religion, whatever it would be, the
divinities command. In mythology everything
is discussed. Moreover, “mithos” means
story; no one claims that the topic is real.
And a story should have a moral, cause a
thought, a discussion. Prometheus was the
hero glorified today. In the past, he was a
case to be discussed, because he has done
wel to the mankind, but he did bad too.
Zeus reproached him that he was rushed
giving the fire to the mankind, before
preparing them how to use it. Zeus loved
people as wel and he would have given the
fire, but only after men had learned how to
use it, being ful y aware of al its ef ects,
positive and negative too. And, if we think
177
about the fire in general, and not only to
that for the gril at the picnic, we note
that the subject is present today more
then any time.
Consequently, the Mythology was good.
And then why they have replaced it? Let
us not forget that the Greeks are the ones
who invented democracy too. Not for al .
For the mob, the gods were like idols, and
they had to bring them sacrifices. The
mythology belonged to trained people. It
was less a dogma, but a medium for
philosophical discussion. The poor need
however a psychological support. For them
Christianity was born as a religion of ering
them a perspective. Greece and Israel were
in the same situation, as provinces of the
Roman Empire. This is the reason, for which
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the authorities initial y rejected the new
religion. They needed four centuries until
to realizing how to use it. Therefore, the
western variant – where Christianity was
introduced with the sword and Inquisition –
is dif erent face to the early Christianity,
the only true. Wel , the Greeks stil think
in the first variant. Or so it seems to me.
Nikos Kazantzakis, in "The Last Temptation
of Christ", reopens the debate on the main
topics of Christianity. He suggests some
logical explanations of the behaviour of the
main characters from The New Testament
and proposes the confrontation of opinions,
stating "the lamentations never bring
healing”. Judah, for example, was
concerned about the current problems
(Roman occupation etc.) and their failure
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was making him evil. Jesus, instead, was
dreaming and was kind-hearted. Magdalena
was a brave woman; she is life itself.
The Bible is a book of wisdom. It must be
read as such, and not simplistic, as some
priests do.
Athens, October 10, 2011
- - - - -
It is 23:45 and the neighbour-lady from
the apartment across the corridor stil
stresses her children: a girl of about two
years and another one of 3-4 years, who
would sleep quiet in her absence. It is not
for the first time; it does it almost
systematical y, sometimes in the middle of
180
the night. You might think that one of the
kids wakes her up. Maybe, but voice of the
child I barely hear through two doors and
the gangway between us. Her voice,
instead, wakes up al people from the
house. It is no wonder that she is only skin
and bone.
* * *
On the window of a transport agencyGreece-Romania I have read that, on
Sunday, they wil have a special drive
toward Romania. I don't know if it is a
supplementary one, or it is the only one in
this week, the others being cancel ed due
to the strikers, which might block the
roads. This last hypothesis worries me,
because over ten days I intend to go home.
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It was closed when I switched on there,
but I'l go tomorrow or a day after
tomorrow I wil go to inform myself.
* * *
Although I like the good wines, in Greece
it seems that it is not appropriate to aim
too up. The more expensive ones are
probably for tourists. Some of the cheapest
ones could be just better. Obviously, not
al of them. Worth trying! I just have done
it with a red wine, excel ent. Maybe it is
not identical to that of which God Dionysus
used to drink, and neither maenads dancing
around me with dishevel ed hair do not see
yet, but I am satisfied with what I have.
General y, their foods are of very good
quality.
182
* * *
The principle of market economy,
fundamental in a democratic society, is
violated when some employees of a company
of public transport do strikes. And it occurs
not only in Greece. I hear more often
about strikes of air transport societies from
Paris or London. Thousands of passengers
are af ected, and for some the delay may
have wreaking havoc. These strikes should
be prohibited in such domains. As for those
who block the roads, although they work in
dif erent enterprises, wel , these men are
simple thick-skinned fel ow.
* * *
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I enjoy that you decided to write about
the interesting happenings from your
medical activity. Of course, most tasted are
the amusing ones, but some of the others,
those that cause reflection, could be even
more valuable.
Athens, October 11, 2011
- - - - -
Yesterday, I went to buy either two
blankets of wool or an electric blanket.
After I walked al over the city, on my
return, close to home, I found exactly what
I needed, but I did not know how to ask;
the name here is electric mattress. It is
odd, as it does not cover anything. It has
not covers you; on the contrary, you stand
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on it. No matter of its name, it is good.
This night I had the first experience and I
can say that the result is positive.
I have dropped in the travel agency about
which I wrote yesterday. It is a
supplementary drive, departing in the
evening, unlike the others, which depart in
the morning, at seven o’clock. I would go
with them, because they do a discount for
round-trip ticket, but the departure so
early is almost impossible, especial y a day
with strikes.
By the way; speaking about the topics that
interest the Romanians living in Athens. At
the agency, there are Romanian newspapers
and magazines. They bring them every day.
Bravo, the agency! However, al publications
185
are about sports and for entertainment.
Nothing serious. This is not the fault of the
agency. It is to be congratulated for the
initiative. This is the interest of the
Romanians living abroad for what is going on
in the country. The most good of them is
the satiric magazine "Catavencu", for its
jokes about political life from Romania. This
raises the morale of those who have chosen
to earn their living abroad. I hope I wil
not get in their situation. I am retired and
should not win my existence of working
here.
You have expressed concern about the
aggressive manifestations in Athens. There
is no danger of tangling with the protesters.
(I was to write ‘the Protestants’; here's a
case in which the invention of new words is
186
required.) I liked the joke with Molotov
and the Molotov-cocktails. Yes, the
‘molotovs’ and their relatives are dangerous
in any form. The demonstrations are in
Syntagma Square are not exactly in front of
the Parliament, but across the Boulevard
Amalias. The parliamentarians are not so
disturbed. Instead, the show is very visible
from the rooms of great luxury hotels:
"KingGeorge Palace", "N.G.V.", "Athens
Plaza”, “Hotel Grande Bretagne"(It is
funny this French name for Great Britain!).
Sometimes, when there are not
manifestations, from a speaker with a huge
power they howl something that, anyway, I
don't understand, but you oblige you to
leave the place how quickly you can. Is
deafening.
187
I do interfere neither with the Protestants
nor with the protesters, because none of
them interest me. The strikes of those from
public transport and – newer – of those
from sanitary engineering trouble me very
much. The garbage from two weeks is not
amassed yet, because they are in strike. It
seems that, in some respects, Romania is
more occidental than Greece, though it
joined the European Union more recently.
There are several sanitary companies in
Brasov, which have direct contracts with the
associations of lodgers. The associations
pay, and they do it only if the workers
done their duty. The contract can be
cancel ed at any time. Strikes are with no
sense in these conditions. The idea of
concentration al the sanitary companies in
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a single one,