Showing posts with label Greece. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greece. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Leaving Athens. On our way to Tel Aviv
It is 5:30 pm (7:34am in California) we are getting ready to head to Tel Aviv with a short stop-over in Larnica, Cyprus. We enjoyed our time in Athens. We especially liked the friendly Greeks who were very sociable and hospitable.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Acropolis
The camera came back to life! Nice! Tomorrow we leave for Israel. Today we will do research and plan for our time in Israel. Yesterday we took advantage of the free entry Sundays and went to the Acropolis and other museums. At one museum we saw pieces of clay pots with peoples name written on them. We read that there was a vote each year to ostracize one person from the city for a ten year period. Crazy! The Acropolis is quite a magnificent building. I expected it to be more intact than it was. There is an ongoing restoration of the site which started before the summer Olympic Games in 2004. As a result there is scaffolding and other construction equipment everywhere. We walked back to the Areopagus and found the site of the Church of Dionysius, located just below the Areopagus. Dionysius was a member of the Areopagus (Greek Council) who responded to the good news Paul shared about the resurrection and saving grace of Jesus. This was the site of one of the first church communities in Athens. On the east side of the Acropolis we visited the remnants of the cliff carved alters to different gods. It is possible that the “alter to the unknown god” Paul refers to in his sermon in Acts, was in this very place. We are excited about the upcoming pilgrimage to Israel. Mariella also laughed at me because a bird pooped on me at one of the ancient outdoor theaters. I am glad I can still make her laugh. We can officially say we've been through a lot of crap together. There are times when we get sick of each other and long to be around family and friends, but we continue to be grateful for everyday we have exploring this great world. What a blessed season in life!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Athens
Today we woke up to sunshine and warm weather. A welcomed change from the past couple weeks spent in Czech and Hungary. We walked the streets around the Acropolis. Mariella was more interested in all the shops as I was drawn to the historical sites. It is exciting for me to visit this area because Mariella and I did a year long Bible study on the book of Acts with our teen friends from Community Bible Study (C.B.S.) in Fullerton. On our way to Athens we stopped briefly in Thessalonica. In the New Testament in Acts 17, Paul writes about his visit to the people in Thessalonica. He went there and preached in the Jewish synagogue where he explained that Christ had to suffer and raise from the dead fulfilling what was written in the scriptures about the coming Messiah (Emanuel-meaning God with us). Some people believed and others chased him out of the city. Soon after this, Paul went to Athens. Today we browsed around what is left of the Ancient Agora. Acts chapter 17 verse 17 says, “he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.” The Agora was the chief meeting place of the city, where orators spoke, where business was discussed and gossip exchanged. Socrates also spent time here expounding his philosophy. We also walked to the Areopagus (also known as Mars Hill), which is located next to the Acropolis. It was here where Paul preached the “Sermon on an Unknown God.” This hill was the site of the council nobles and the Judicial Court under the aristocratic rule of ancient Athens. It is clear from looking at the ruins and reading the historical literature that Athens used to be a place of worship to many Gods constructed out of metal, wood and stone.
Paul told the people about Christ’s death and resurrection. He told them that he saw an alter with an inscription: TO AN UNKOWN GOD (maybe they wanted to make sure they didn’t offend any God’s they may have left out). The Unknown god was not so much a specific deity, but a placeholder, for whatever god or gods actually existed but whose name and nature were not revealed to the Athenians and the world. Paul told the people, “what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” I like how Paul acknowledges that their spiritual and intelectual pursuits were legitimate.
So many of us are searching and yearning for something connected to the mind and heart of the Living God. This connection must be met so God redeems and satisfies our longing for life to the full and peace that surpasses understanding.
C.S. Lewis once said that all vices are virtues gone wrong.
The rest of the story can be found in Acts 17.
I wish I could post pictures, but our camera died. We hope it will be resurrected as it was a month or so ago when it stopped functioning. Tomorrow we plan to visit the Parthenon. We saw large parts of the Parthenon in London at the British Museum. The parts of the Parthenon were taken by Lord Elgin in 1810-11. Maybe the Museum will send the vast collection back to its home one day.
Paul told the people about Christ’s death and resurrection. He told them that he saw an alter with an inscription: TO AN UNKOWN GOD (maybe they wanted to make sure they didn’t offend any God’s they may have left out). The Unknown god was not so much a specific deity, but a placeholder, for whatever god or gods actually existed but whose name and nature were not revealed to the Athenians and the world. Paul told the people, “what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” I like how Paul acknowledges that their spiritual and intelectual pursuits were legitimate.
So many of us are searching and yearning for something connected to the mind and heart of the Living God. This connection must be met so God redeems and satisfies our longing for life to the full and peace that surpasses understanding.
C.S. Lewis once said that all vices are virtues gone wrong.
The rest of the story can be found in Acts 17.
I wish I could post pictures, but our camera died. We hope it will be resurrected as it was a month or so ago when it stopped functioning. Tomorrow we plan to visit the Parthenon. We saw large parts of the Parthenon in London at the British Museum. The parts of the Parthenon were taken by Lord Elgin in 1810-11. Maybe the Museum will send the vast collection back to its home one day.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Never Ending Train Ride
If a train leaving Budapest for Athens, departs at 1pm on Thursday, traveling at the slowest possible speed, stopping at nearly every stop along the way, what time would it arrive to its destination? I know, I know, you need more information to solve this 4th grade math problem, well how about I just give you the answer-34 GRUELING HOURS! Ok, ok, they weren’t all grueling, but I absolutely must tell you about a few of the highlights.
Just entered Serbia. Hour: 5 or 6. Craig and Mariella sitting in a cabin with two other people. For a while everything seems ok. Two men exit at some point. Craig and Mariella read, laugh, and listen to music. Woman cloaked with the black fur of some dead animal around her entire body steps into cabin; she is wearing a face mask. I just finished reading a short article on the H1N1 back home and all the craziness it’s created. Example A: Paranoia? Woman looks around, making eye contact a few times and nervously gets settled into her seat, but before that…she makes eye contact with Mariella and, in French, says please put your feet down.
*Now, I could totally understand this if she was sitting in the very next seat, but she’s not. In fact, she took the seat 3 seats away from my feet and by the way I had just showered and had clean socks on.
Ok, continuing. I look at her and am annoyed by her self-appointed authority. I pretend not to understand. Craig translates. Annoyed, I slide my feet down and start voicing my annoyed-ness out loud to Craig. “who does she think…she’s not even…why doesn’t she…” Craig writes in the magazine three letters: O.C.D.
*Having recently watched a very accurate documentary on Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, I feel I am really aware and understand that this person has issues. Oh, the name of the film? What About Bob?
Some time passes. Craig and I decide it’s ok for me to put my feet up seeing as her back is to us some seats away and she wouldn’t notice. I cough.
*Those of you who know me can vouch for me, I hope, but I always cover my mouth-always, I am sure there is an occasional slip up, but not this time, not after having read that article about H1N1 and sitting next to crazy.
She rambles something else in French and I throw my hands up-once again annoyed. A few minutes pass by and a woman collecting the garbage from the bins comes by, O.C.D. lady stops her and says something. Garbage collector lady walks towards me and gestures, because we clearly don’t speak each other’s language, gestures to me, like a parent does to a child, to cover my mouth.
*Ladies and gentlemen: It’s time to freak out. I loudly argue with Craig about whether or not she should be allowed to be so rude and assuming simply because she has a disorder. I argue that she should have taken a plane or her very own car if she wants to have the entire world stop and submit to her rules. This goes on for a while.
Because I am recovering from a cold, no really I am, I cough a few more times within the next few hours, making sure to cover my mouth every stinkin time, like both hands over face. She continues rambling. Eventually she, in a furious blur of black mink and mask, gathers her belongings and exits the cabin. I now understand that part In What About Bob? When he finally exits the bus and everyone on the bus, having moved to the front in a protective huddle, cheers at his exit. Freedom!
The next are short, I promise Brad.
We are now in Serbia, taking a train overnight to Athens. We get tickets, because after having been stopped twice on trains we thought were Eurorail participators and were not and either having to haggle a price for pocket money for the conductor or pay the regular fee, we know to ask every possible question and not assume that the person, the professional who is paid to give information about trains and times and fees, is in any way serious about helping you, the paying customer. So, we are getting on the train, sleeper cars, the cheaper-oops more affordable “couchettes.”
What’s a couchette? A small cabin with two benches that turn into 6, yup 6 beds.
We get into the train and some guy approached us holding his cigarette in one hand, and asks if we have reservations. Yes, we do. Let me see your ticket. Craig begins to hand his ticket over and I ask, uhh, do you work here? He laughs. Yes,of course. Oh. I pinch the shoulder part of his leather jacket. Is this your uniform? Craig says “He’s the Fonz dude”. I think sometimes Craig forgets that were not in America. The Fonz? Craig? Really? The guy laughs, and ushers us to our sweet cabin. It’s the cabin in the picture where I look like I might cry as I lay on that nasty “couchette.”
The last one is just a really funny observation. So far, we’ve been asked for our passports at least 5 times, just in the last two days. Every time, Craig gets a quick glance and his passport is handed back to him. They get my passport, blue just like the US passport, and they stutter. A glitch in the system. The make a radio or cell phone call, call another guy over, refer to their handbook, or make me white while they light up another cigarette, deep thinking always requires a cigarette in Europe. Finally, usually, they pass me through, so far.
So after 34 hours of train travel, we have made it to Athens, Greece. It’s late. Goodnight. (Hour 36, 1am
Photos of our last day in Budapest, train ride, Mariella creatively making a sandwich and Athens from the balcony. The room feels like a tiny Hume Lake cabin and the view is nice.
Just entered Serbia. Hour: 5 or 6. Craig and Mariella sitting in a cabin with two other people. For a while everything seems ok. Two men exit at some point. Craig and Mariella read, laugh, and listen to music. Woman cloaked with the black fur of some dead animal around her entire body steps into cabin; she is wearing a face mask. I just finished reading a short article on the H1N1 back home and all the craziness it’s created. Example A: Paranoia? Woman looks around, making eye contact a few times and nervously gets settled into her seat, but before that…she makes eye contact with Mariella and, in French, says please put your feet down.
*Now, I could totally understand this if she was sitting in the very next seat, but she’s not. In fact, she took the seat 3 seats away from my feet and by the way I had just showered and had clean socks on.
Ok, continuing. I look at her and am annoyed by her self-appointed authority. I pretend not to understand. Craig translates. Annoyed, I slide my feet down and start voicing my annoyed-ness out loud to Craig. “who does she think…she’s not even…why doesn’t she…” Craig writes in the magazine three letters: O.C.D.
*Having recently watched a very accurate documentary on Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, I feel I am really aware and understand that this person has issues. Oh, the name of the film? What About Bob?
Some time passes. Craig and I decide it’s ok for me to put my feet up seeing as her back is to us some seats away and she wouldn’t notice. I cough.
*Those of you who know me can vouch for me, I hope, but I always cover my mouth-always, I am sure there is an occasional slip up, but not this time, not after having read that article about H1N1 and sitting next to crazy.
She rambles something else in French and I throw my hands up-once again annoyed. A few minutes pass by and a woman collecting the garbage from the bins comes by, O.C.D. lady stops her and says something. Garbage collector lady walks towards me and gestures, because we clearly don’t speak each other’s language, gestures to me, like a parent does to a child, to cover my mouth.
*Ladies and gentlemen: It’s time to freak out. I loudly argue with Craig about whether or not she should be allowed to be so rude and assuming simply because she has a disorder. I argue that she should have taken a plane or her very own car if she wants to have the entire world stop and submit to her rules. This goes on for a while.
Because I am recovering from a cold, no really I am, I cough a few more times within the next few hours, making sure to cover my mouth every stinkin time, like both hands over face. She continues rambling. Eventually she, in a furious blur of black mink and mask, gathers her belongings and exits the cabin. I now understand that part In What About Bob? When he finally exits the bus and everyone on the bus, having moved to the front in a protective huddle, cheers at his exit. Freedom!
The next are short, I promise Brad.
We are now in Serbia, taking a train overnight to Athens. We get tickets, because after having been stopped twice on trains we thought were Eurorail participators and were not and either having to haggle a price for pocket money for the conductor or pay the regular fee, we know to ask every possible question and not assume that the person, the professional who is paid to give information about trains and times and fees, is in any way serious about helping you, the paying customer. So, we are getting on the train, sleeper cars, the cheaper-oops more affordable “couchettes.”
What’s a couchette? A small cabin with two benches that turn into 6, yup 6 beds.
We get into the train and some guy approached us holding his cigarette in one hand, and asks if we have reservations. Yes, we do. Let me see your ticket. Craig begins to hand his ticket over and I ask, uhh, do you work here? He laughs. Yes,of course. Oh. I pinch the shoulder part of his leather jacket. Is this your uniform? Craig says “He’s the Fonz dude”. I think sometimes Craig forgets that were not in America. The Fonz? Craig? Really? The guy laughs, and ushers us to our sweet cabin. It’s the cabin in the picture where I look like I might cry as I lay on that nasty “couchette.”
The last one is just a really funny observation. So far, we’ve been asked for our passports at least 5 times, just in the last two days. Every time, Craig gets a quick glance and his passport is handed back to him. They get my passport, blue just like the US passport, and they stutter. A glitch in the system. The make a radio or cell phone call, call another guy over, refer to their handbook, or make me white while they light up another cigarette, deep thinking always requires a cigarette in Europe. Finally, usually, they pass me through, so far.
So after 34 hours of train travel, we have made it to Athens, Greece. It’s late. Goodnight. (Hour 36, 1am
Photos of our last day in Budapest, train ride, Mariella creatively making a sandwich and Athens from the balcony. The room feels like a tiny Hume Lake cabin and the view is nice.
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