Boston: Marathon, 2012

It's interesting that Greece is currently being featured on the blog, because the "marathon" race comes from the legend that a Greek soldier Pheidippides ran from the Battle of Marathon (a town in Greece) to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated. He ran the distance of 42.195 km or 26.2 miles, later established into the marathon sport at the 1896 Olympics in Athens.

And so, it's very exciting to be in Boston during THE Boston Marathon. Although I wasn't able to see the runners actually RUNNING, I managed to catch a bit of the aftermath close to the finish line near Arlington Station. It was HOT, people. At 4pm it was still hot, and I couldn't imagine how the runners got through it.

Bravo to everyone who ran.

Greece: Mykonos, The Wind Mills

Oh, the famed Wind Mills of Mykonos.

As we turned around a narrow and crowded corner, this was our first glimpse of the wind mills. The timing couldn't have been better; with the sun just starting to drop it created the most gorgeous light.

Most of the cafes facing the water boasted the "best sun set view", but expensive cocktails at over crowded cafes like Scarpa didn't make sense, especially when the sun set could be viewed from anywhere. So, this is what we did, instead.

Breathtaking, to say the least. See how these windmills compare to Zaans Shans, in Amsterdam.

Greece: Mykonos, The Town

The next day we took the shuttle bus into downtown Mykonos. What an incredibly stunning place Mykonos is. Would love to go back, it's absolutely gorgeous. Blue and white paint? Check. Churches? Check. Narrow cobblestone walkways? Check. But who knew about the stray cats? So cute!

Greece: Mykonos, Hotel St. John

Only the best. hotel. ever.

Greece: Ferry to Mykonos

The next morning we were off to Mykonos via Hellenic Seaways' high speed ferry, which took about 4-5 hours includinng stops along the way at smaller islands. We boarded from Piraeus in Athens. If you see vendors selling breads and pastries that look tasty, pass. They were quite disappointing. The food on the ferry is equally tasteless. The journey itself wasn't uncomfortable, however there were some hiccups with seating arrangements and a huge delay when we returned to Athens from Santorini, but that may have been due to the taxi strike at the time. However on the way to Mykonos from Athens, excitement prevailed over anything worth complaining about. And the views from the outdoor deck of the various islands were phenomenal.

Greece: Athens: Fallen

I don't remember the name of this particular historic site, but it was, as all the other ancient architecture in Athens, magnificent. One of the pillars lay there, fallen, in a domino effect, and we wondered when and why it had fallen. But like a lot of ancient history, it's shrouded in mystery.

Dusk was falling, and the light was just perfect for this last day in Athens. Tomorrow, off to Mykonos!

Boston: Bruins + The Yellow Bees

I'm happy to introduce my niece's blog! It's called The Yellow Bees. She, along with a group of friends from school have started this blog where they post about the jewelry they make and the things that they are involved in.

My niece recently posted about the Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs game we went to at the TD Garden where we had amazing box seats.The Bruins won 8-0. Yep, that's right.

I'd love it if you would stop by and say hi to The Yellow Bees!

Greece: Athens, Theatre of Dionysus

After the mating turtles, we finally came to the Theatre of Dionysus. The sun was starting to descend, creating a beautiful light across the seats.

Greece: Athens, Out n' About

Some randoms from the outskirts of the Acropolis.

(Can you see the black cat hidden in the shadows?)

Greece: Athens, Odd

Here are some odd shots from around Athens. Just 'cause.

Greece: Athens: Ancient Agora

The Ancient Agora was our next stop and a natural progression from exiting the Acropolis (that is, after resting atop a giant rock with magnificent views - first image. It still boggles my mind that one can walk amongst ancient ruins with such liberty, not to say it was taken for granted.

I direct you to this page for the history, but look below for the photographs.

Greece: Acropolis: The Parthenon

We made it! I apologize, the next set of shots are going to be only of the Parthenon and it's surroundings. My super comfortable Pumas were put to the test (on the sometimes slippery rocky surface). Which is likely why the original steps leading up to the top has been covered with wooden planks, like at the Taj Mahal.

It was hotter than hot and part of the Parthenon was being restored, but words cannot describe how mind-blowing it was to see in person and photographs don't do any justice. 

P.S. The sleeping dogs were a surprise.

Greece: Athens, Acropolis: Along the Way

Getting to the Acropolis in the high heat was no easy task. Some olive trees and fancy water stations helped along the way.

Here, some of those moments.

Greece: Athens, The Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The Odeon of Herodes is a stadium theatre on the south slope of the Acropolis. It's still used for music festivals every year, having been restored in the 50s. How incredible would it be to be seated here during a concert? Epic.

Here's a panoramic view, which is not entirely accurate, but you get the gist, I hope.

Other panoramas: Boston from the Ebersol Suite at the Liberty Hotel + NYC's 30 Rockefeller

Greece: Athens, The Acropolis Museum

And so it begins. At the Acropolis Museum.

Sitting atop an archaeological site, which can be seen through glass floors, the museum opened in 2009. Designed by a NY City based architect, the museum houses 5 floors worth of ancient artifacts and excavated historic treasures. One of the highlights is its direct view of the Parthenon. Photography was not allowed inside the museum. Nor were chocolate bars. Museum entrance fee, 5 euros. Snickers bar, likely 5 euros. Eating a Snickers bar whilst looking up at the Parthenon? Priceless.