I’m really behind here. So much to tell. Dinner with Irene, our “computer fixer lady,” was incredible. She took us just two stops on the Metro and into a less touristy section of Athens. We dined in a rooftop restaurant with an amazing view of the Acropolis. Half way through our meal, the sun went down, and the Acropolis was illuminated. It was amazing.

Athens is sprawling and crowded and busy, like any big city, however, none of the buildings are more than 5 or 6 stories high, protecting the view of the Acropolis. Because of the view and the incredible weather, rooftop restaurants and bars are in abundance. Plus, going out to dinner is an art form here. It is a leisurely, drawn-out process that includes many courses of both food and drink. Dinner truly is an event. If I had unlimited funds, which I don’t, I’d go to a different rooftop restuarant every night.

I’ve eaten more eggplant since I arrived here than in my entire life, and artichokes and spinach and Greek salads and fresh cucumbers and tomatoes and it is all wonderful. Everything is drenched in wonderful olive oil and Greek vinegar that is amazing. Their tomato sauce is reduced and quite thick and flavorful. It’s more like a paste of tomatoes, onions, and peppers and spices. Dill, cucumber, and freshly squeezed lemon is common. Many salads have huge pieces of fresh dill in them. I try to keep my trips to the bakeries at a minimum, but I do have my eye on a few things to try on my big walking days.

I’m going to post this before I lose the internet. More Later. The adventure continues.