Athens, 23 March

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My Greek lessons paid off because I understood Ingrid when she told me that it was eight minutes past five, time to wake up and that it was not freezing outside. She had been woken in the night by me shouting ‘Help!’ during a nightmare, so I was lucky that she was such a friendly and kind soul and had forgiven all by the morning. Keith was not feeling great, having moved at 1 a.m. from the seat to the floor to try to get more comfortable.

We caught the train from the Athens port city of Piraeus and, finding ourselves in familiar territory again, walked down to the Athens Easy Hostel where we had stayed before. We were able go straight to a room – so clean and tidy compared with our last venue – to sleep and relax.

We hadn’t paid for the breakfast, which really belonged to the night we spent on the boat, but the man on the door said to have it anyway.

We sat with a man from Finland who has been in 65 countries and aims, bit by bit, to travel everywhere. He works for the Taiwanese Embassy translating articles into English, which they read and then consider for further translation. He has spent four months in Israel on a missionary course and told us that he attends an international church in Helsinki, hewn out of a rock, which looks a bit like a flying saucer. While Keith was taking advantage of the free breakfast, we chatted about the basic philosophy behind his missionary work. Fundamentally, he sees it as being to serve and to love, inspiring by example, rather than trying to convert people. He tries to live his Christianity and if others ask what it is that motivates him and makes him as he is, then he is happy to talk to them about it. He shares his flat harmoniously with a devout Muslim. He encouraged us to consider going to Finland, enticing us with 25 degree summer days and an enchanting island in a lake in Helsinki, inviting us to get in touch for a get together if we made it there. We invited him to stay with us, which he may do one day since he has not yet been to Australia.

Sometimes we catch up with our children by making a phone call to them using Skype on the computer. It costs nothing to talk from computer to computer and very little to ring a landline. We had a great chat with Holly and her friend Maz, and then spoke to our friend Mark who is setting off on physically challenging travels in Malaysia with his family.

We visited the National Historical Museum, free on Sundays, to learn about the turbulent modern history of Greece. It is in the old Parliament House, which has corridors and rooms around the periphery housing the museum exhibits, and the chamber of parliament in the centre. Today a group of young people were engaged in a debate, which we could see through a glass panel but not hear.

There are paintings and memorabilia from 1453 to WW2. Read the following section in blue if you are interested in details of the history. Jump to the next black bit on this page if you prefer to continue with the summary of our travels.

What follows is my brief summary of what I learnt. Greece had been taken over by the Ottomans, and despite being predominantly organised in communities and chiefdoms, was united in having a common language, the Orthodox religion and common traditions. Greek education and influence from outside was financed and supported by Greek nobles, so there was a strong unifying force developing. The revolution was proclaimed by Alexandros Ysplantis on February 24^th 1821, with a solemn oath being sworn by all the chieftans to use arms for the cause. March 25^th (now Greek Independence Day) saw the raising of the Independence Flag and blessing of the warriors by Bishop Germanos.

By December a National Assembly met at Epidavros, but then the Pasha of Egypt arrived and turned the tables. One city, Messalongi, was besieged for a year and, when they finally forced a passage out, there were few survivors. International support was whipped up by the Philhellenism movement – groups of intellectuals and lovers of antiquity who made private donations of resources and who volunteered to help. Lord Byron was one who took on the cause; his helmet and sword and other effects being on display in this museum.

His death at Missalongi spurred on more support from outside in what was seen as a fight of civilisation against barbarism. The ‘Great Powers’ of England, France and Russia intervened, telling the Ottomans to cease fire and to grant Greece autonomy. Not surprisingly, the Ottomans said “No thanks!” and a battle ensued, which they lost. Greece was proclaimed autonomous in 1826 under the Great Powers, then independent in 1830, and a Kingdom in 1832. The first king was elected. King Otto was the second son of the Bavarian king, and by 1862 discontent with him saw him leave. An 1843 revolution had resulted in the formation of a constitutional monarchy, so a new king was selected; King George, the second son of the king of Denmark. He ruled form 1863 – 1913. He oversaw involvement in many wars – the Crimean, the Balkan, Greco-Turkish and Cretan struggles. Greek annexations of the Ionian Islands and Thessaly during that time saw Greece nearly double its population and the size of its territories. Dissention over remaining neutral or supporting the Entente of Britain, France and Russia delayed entry into WW1 until 1917. In the carve up after the war, Greece was given Thrace and recognition of her presence in Asia Minor (the Asian part of Turkey). With the Entente’s blessing, Greece went after the Turks in Smyrna but lost, with disastrous results, with the city being burnt and a new Greco/Turkish boundary being drawn. There were forced exchanges of Christian and Muslim populations in many areas.

Several times, Eleftherios Venizelos, the besuited hero represented in many statues, took on the role of prime minister. He led the country during troubled times and managed to introduce modernisation and many reforms.

In 1940 Italy issued Greece with an ultimatum for Greece to hand her land over for strategic positions, but Prime Minister Metaxas rejected it. The Battle of Greece against the Italians and the Germans continued until 1944. Greece’s role of resistance was very important in holding up the enemy and assisting the allies. The history concluded with a display of King George’s treasures and furniture, leaving us with many questions unanswered about modern Greece.

The costume rooms featured traditional wedding and special occasion clothing from different regions and eras. The embroidery and jewellery were stunning. We saw many short jackets for men in this display, and in the revolutionary fighting display, that were completely embroidered in silver or gold. We were trapped in there for a while by a passionate Italian guide who conducted her session with her very intense group in the doorway. That made us look more closely at the fabrics of some of the dresses – beautiful patterned silks that are rarely seen today. On our way out I saw a replica necklace in the museum shop but, since it was 1910 Euros, I admired it and left.

We were too late to visit all the museums on the list Keith had made while I swam about yesterday, so we settled for the Botanical Museum in the nearby National Gardens. Alas, it was not only closed, but with no signs at all, looked as if it had not opened for many years.

From it we could see a surprise - a zoo. This was a very strange zoo. A dog, like any other visitor, was lined up at the fence intently watching the cage with the Kri Kri goats battling each other, a mother and her kid in a little stone igloo, and a large rabbit in it.

The next cage had all kinds of farmyard birds, a bored donkey, three cats and a hundred pigeons, but no roof. A rooster and hens were putting on a dust bath display for the crowd. To the side, an aviary housed two black and white domestic cats, one in a cardboard box and the other standing proudly, but resignedly, on display in the centre.

An aviary for canaries, and another for other birds and budgies, preceded one for fantails and ordinary pigeons. A wild pigeon was visiting, looking in at the captives.

The largest aviary of all held a hotchpotch of farm birds and peahens and peacocks. All four peacocks displayed their tails at once, moving them this way and that for best effect and to catch the light. Only one pea hen showed any interest and that was forced since the peacock trapped her between his tail and the fence.

Eventually we decided that this strange collection might be an animal nursery – most of the inmates were trying to mate, were right now or obviously had mated, with babies imminent in many cases. We ate our lunch and watched the humans as they filed past.

Leaving the dog to his vigil, we set off for an afternoon sleep. We passed a rally in the square with a very big, but unobtrusive police presence. It consisted of only men and there were signs in either Arabic or another similar looking language. Later we learnt that it related to religious rallies in Pakistan.

The streets near our square were lined with dozens of illegal stalls, each consisting of a few items on a ground sheet that can be easily gathered up for escape if the police turn up.

Tea and a sleep over, we have been washing clothes and blogging. We have never been up to the minute in our typing before. My reflection is that it is best to have some time lapse before writing, so that the details have time to prioritise themselves and dim in my memory. Keith has pointed out that most blog readers may not need so much history, so I hope that the colour option has solved that problem for everyone.

The changing of the guards has just finished and these soldiers, now in their summer uniforms are marching down the street back to their barracks.