Athens Special

How to describe our few hours in Athens! Magical? Enchanted? When we checked into the Athens Hilton (Thank you Merrel and Marie) the receptionist upgraded us to the executive floor, and then changed the room so we would have a view of the Acropolis with the Parthenon on top. From the 10th floor, it is truly an absorbing view of the city. (This is the evening photo of the city.)

One minor problem: when we arrived at the airport, I was paged and informed that my suitcase had been detained in Israel "for security reasons." So far we haven't learned what the fear was - perhaps my 220-110 V transformer? - but sadly, we appear to be leaving Athens and Greece without it. Hopefully it will catch up with us in Rome.

Last night, though, nothing hindered a wonderful evening. We took the subway to the center of town, found an absolutely delightful, roof-top restaurant with a view of the sunset and the Acropolis. The temperature was perfect - velvety, even - and the food delicious. When it was time to leave, the Greek musicians were just getting started.

We walked over the beautiful walkways past the Parthenon and down to a summer theater for traditional Greek dancing. There we enjoyed all the different styles from sedate to flamboyant that each island, each mini-culture has developed over hundreds of years. It was such a delight to be together - and in this instance it seemed more like families of the dancers who surrounded us and cheered on their favorites, instead of several bus-loads of tourists.

When we walked back the way we had come, the pathways were just spectacular, and one rocky viewpoint offered the close-up, night-shot of the Parthenon.

Now as we pack up, we will do one last visit to the top of the Acropolis and I will visit the Parthenon for the second time in my life - showing Vonnie what I so briefly saw in 1964. What an amazing privilege our conference, our two churches and our families have given us.