Sunday, March 18, 2012

A Sour Ending to a Wonderful Day


Day 425 I set a new personal record – I spent today 8 hours at the acropolis museum and I left because they closed. I could’ve stayed longer. In a day like that I know it’s good I came alone; I can stay as long as I want and not torture someone I love. When I left it was 8PM so I decided to go to a restaurant. I found a nice one with some nice Greek music and good seafood. My boyfriend suggested I’ll try a local wine called Retsina which is white wine infused with Aleppo pine resin., I did and the waiter was very generous in the amount of wine he served me and  the end result was a very happy camper. There were two American girls at the restaurant and they started drumming with the singer and at some point, when the waiter showed them how do dance the Sirtaki, I joined them. It was so much fun!!! I left for my hotel and talked to my daughter on the phone.
When I was done I held the phone to make a second call and someone jumped at me and snatched the phone from my hands! I chased him calling him to give me back my phone and suddenly I realized where I am. I ran through a deserted mall into a deserted ally and it didn’t look good. On my way back through the mall into the main street I look around and suddenly I noticed a few blood drops on the floor and one little puddle. Few more glances and I saw an empty siring and it occurred to me where I am and also that I have all my money on me and true it is not easy to snatch a fanny pack but I can be robbed. I turned around and went back to the street; finally realizing that some of my euphoria is gone, and that there are bad things around me that I chose not to see. I was warned several times to pay attentions, that there are a lot of problems here and I should more careful, that the area I am walking at night all alone is not the best part of town. The first two days I didn’t stay late but the last two I did and I guess I was not careful enough and I should see this as a warning. Just because I don’t want to see things, doesn’t mean they don’t exist, it just means I ignore them but sometime they will catch up with me, like tonight. So sadly, this is how my visit to Athens ends, on a little sour note. Tomorrow I am heading out to see the countryside. I will have to find a solution to the cell phone situation – I cannot be without phone while driving and while I am away from home.
  
I am thankful for a wonderful day of art and music and good food. I am thankful that I got a serious warning sign to be more careful. I am thankful it was only my phone that was stolen. I am thankful I got to make an important phone call today when I still had my phone.   

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