The old and the new

 I love historic Athens, but new Athens, no, not so much.

 This will probably shock Greeks and Europeans in general, but when it comes to the sea and sun, it's almost impossible to impress a Caribbean person!

You see we are accustomed to a warn beautiful sea and powdery white sands, but that doesn't exist anywhere on the Mediterranean or Aegean coasts, where the water is damn cold year round, and the sand, gravely.

However, It's places like this that the late Aristotle Onassis and Jackie O,  (Jackie was John F. Kennedy 's widow and she married the Greek billionaire Onassis) and other billionaires, millionaires and pretenders have frolicked for decades, regarding it as heaven on earth, I guess!

So, at the exclusive seaside area on the Aegean called the Athens Riviera, around 20 kms away, there are at least 23 major hotels numerous  lavish holiday homes, luxury cars etc.

We only visited this 'haven', as it's included in the Hop on Hop off system though.

You know, my life has really ironic, for when it was necessary to learn history (to get ahead in school), I hated it😡. 

I think it was only when I got to my thirties, that it became an obsession with me, so former great civilizations such as in Peru, Guatemala, Mali, Greece etc, flew to the top of my bucket list!

So, excuse me if modern cities and coastal beauty just don't excite me.

Unfortunately though, since I am having difficulty winning the lottery, most great historic areas will have to remain unvisited until I reincarnate!😥

But that's an aside.

After visiting the 'Riviera,' it was wonderful to return to old Athens with its amazing architecture and living history told through fantastic marble statues and ruins, and learning about their significance centuries ago.

 Incidentally, Athens has so many ruins, that when they were excavating for their subway system, they ran into numerous previously undiscovered treasures, so they had to change plans often. (See 2 of the accidentally discovered sites above).

This old parliament building is now used to host small conferences.

The Archeological Museum

It was great to return to the old city and especially to disembark at Hadrian's marble arch, constructed 131- 132AD. (Below).

Hadrian was considered the 'benefactor emperor' and his arch is part of the wall that was built around Athens.

Yesterday, they had a taxi strike, but they were back at work today and that is when we experienced Athenian gridlock, for many older streets are very narrow.

Now I understand why these tiny cars and  scooters are so popular here!

Despite how narrow and winding they are, I love their character and none more than the cobblestone pedestrian street below  Syntagma Square. 

Don't ask me its name though, as it's Greek to me 😊.

However here, you can get a taste of everything from roasted corn, street musicians and hustlers to high end brand name products, at the luxury shops on this street.

Man roasting his corn right there.

A musician, no doubt hoping to be discovered, performs.

And of course, internationally famous Greek dishes are available at every turn as there is no shortage of restaurants and sidewalk cafes in this beautiful old city.

Yup, this is my scene!😊

A happy ending!

I love cats. Big cats, little cats, all cats.

So, it was  pleasant when I arrived at Black Creek Park and Trails and saw quite a few beautiful cats, especially the one I christened “Cleo” (after Cleopatra as she was so exotic and welcoming).

As you probably know, even highly domesticated cats can be anti-social and hostile to strangers. But, as we arrived at the Park, Cleo came to rub against us and the rest hung around. 

Black Creek Park is beside Camp Chowenwah in Clay County, Florida where we had gone to enjoy nature. The campsite is on the creek which is fed by the St. John’s River. There is a long bridge over the river, which takes you into Jacksonville.

Cleo

When we heard there was a bike lane on the bridge which joined our property to the park next door, we decided to walk over. However, the bike lane faded just over the bridge and we were left exposed as an unendeing number of cars were whisking rapidly on the road beside us. That left some of us very edgy and uncomfortable. 

We were an exuberant, multinational group of hikers/campers from; Jamaica, Dom Rep, Guatemala and the USA. 

Thankfully, we made it safely across the busy bridge.

Then as we entered the park, a welcoming party of cats met us.

Cats seem to have a special status in that Park, for there is even a trail named ‘9 Lives.’ 

That is however to honor one special cat. 

That celebrity  cat had reportedly sighted some raw chicken down by the creek and although a large gator was eating it, she decided she wanted some.

Stephanie the camper

That happened 11 years ago, and would you believe that neither did the gator not eat her but also, he actually crawled away, leaving her to finish the chicken!

That’s the reason for the title of this blog, for that was one crazy but lucky cat! So there was indeed a happy ending.😊

When I saw the You tube video of that encounter, I still held my breath although I had been told beforehand that the cat was not eaten! (phew). 

Watch the heart-stopping video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/DiyWXQyAJ44.

Creek where the gator drama took place

This is the creek where this jaw dropping encounter took place. Fellow hiker and local resident Stephanie brought us up to speed on that heart-warming story.

On the hike, I was a bit curious to see a sign saying mountain biking trail but was assured that it was erected in jest, as there were no mountains there. 

Wishful thinking?😂

The hike through the forest was pleasant and a good introduction to the area. We heard lots of birds but saw no animals as some crazies had approved a housing scene near the camp. 

I guess that made the animals scatter.

A dismantled deer feeder

We did see a deer trap however although it was dismantled by rangers no doubt, as it is illegal. This  is used by evil hunters who put corn inside of it and when the deer come to eat it, they shoot them. 

Kinda like catching fish in a bowl.😡

There were a few trees that had been downed by Hurricane Ian, and one could see how far up into the park the creek had come when the river rose, but there was no serious damage. Just a few fallen trees and the water marks.

Black Creek Park is a well maintained and family-oriented trail park with water fountains, rest areas and restrooms. 

Not much of a challenge for hikers but a pleasant place to hang out.

The cats are the icing on the cake.💓

Selah.

Links; Joan, my views: A hill at last! (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

              Joan, my views: No more cruising! (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

             Joan, my views: Glamping (joan-myviews.blogspot.com

             Joan, my views: Anti immigrant crap (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

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