Getting lost

Whenever I visit somewhere new, it takes about two days for me to ketch mi bearings. 

After that, I venture out using public transportation.

Syntagma Square is the urban center of Athens and it is very near to our VRBO apartment. 

So we learnt how to just walk through the National Gardens to get there.

So all's well. (We thought).

Honestly expected!

The first thing we learnt on the trek to town, is how some people expect everyone to be honest! For we ran into a bunch of souvenir magnets on a board hanging on a tree with a sign bearing the price and inviting buyers to  leave the money on the stool beside the display!

Next, we discovered that the straight street leading to the Marble Stadium, had been transformed into a market overnight. 

It closed at 3 pm sharp, everything was  removed and the place cleaned up and cleared for the next day. 

This I hear happened every Friday.

Most of the fresh food and vegetables are grown on the adjoining Greek islands.

 The metro (subway) where we buy bus tickets, is beautiful, clean and spotless! (It is obvious not too many new Yorkers visit or live in Athens, as theirs is so disgusting.😫)

 Seriously though, American subway  operators need to learn a thing or two about cleanliness!

Some artwork displayed in subway station 

Everywhere at the subway station is spotless

We found our way to and from the Archeological Stadium, no problem. 

The problem arose when we entered the National Gardens through a different entrance, having no idea the place was  huge and had so many different paths.

That's how come we got lost, for we were .just browsing, not recognizing that night was fast approaching. Sonja and I even got separated and she was the one who had a working GPS😡.

I got separated when Sonja who was overwhelmed by the plants and me, the animals.

Lots of people speak English though, thank heavens.

 Interestingly, everyone who hears the Jamaican accent is shocked to learn  that we know about Greece, its Gods and its enthralling mythologies! However while they know of, and love Jamaica, they don't know where it is. 

The closest one came was guessing 'it's near to America'😊.

Anyway all were helpful in directing me towards the stadium.

It was on the way there, that I passed what turned out to be the official residence of the President, where I was just in time to get a glimpse of this intriguing scene.

Ever since we arrived in Athens and passed the Parliament building, we had seen hosts of tourists hanging around outside to witness the 'changing of the guards'.

 This ritual is done every hour.

People waiting outside to witness the changing of the guards.

Well if I didn't get lost, I wouldn't have seen the spectacle. 

Happy I did😁.