The days seem to be blending together.

8:52 pm CET

I think I've watched more movies in these past two weeks than a normal person would watch in half a year. It gets a bit boring, yes, but I find I'm so very tired lately... maybe it's all the travel or the relative lack of sleep; I just wish I had the motivation and energy to go out. It would certainly help if it weren't so damn cold outside, too.

Tomorrow should be interesting, though. We'll just have to see how crazy it gets!

Sidenote: I've been on a Harry Potter binge recently, and I don't think I could be more excited for Deathly Hallows, pt II. But screw Harry fighting Voldemort; I can't wait to see Molly Weasley beat the shit out of Bellatrix Lestrange. It's going to be one of the most epic and satisfying moments in good-versus-evil history. One for the books. Seriously. So excited.

I amar prestar aen...

5:42 pm CET

Why, yes; I am having an extended Lord of the Rings marathon today! Nearly twelve hours of pure fantasy goodness. Two down and one to go... nothing to beat it!

This has been my whole day and I have no regrets. None whatsoever. It is so very wonderful spending a day immersed in brilliant films. Definitely better than trying to brave today's snow and bitter cold, that's for sure.

Boldog karácsonyt!

3:05 pm CET

Yesterday Matt, a Hungarian guy we don't know, and I--apparently being the only people in the Collegium without places to be for Christmas--were moved to another dorm down the street so our dorm's staff could go home for the holiday. I packed up enough for a few days and bought some food to last, as well, and then we walked the short distance to our home for the weekend.

It's a nice place, but more like a hotel than a dorm, if you ask me. The rooms are big enough for one person, but there are three beds in the room. I can't imagine how cramped it would be if three people had to live in here... that would be terrible. We're on the fifth floor and the view is amazing! I can see my own dorm and everything beyond it and, if I go to the other side of the building, I can see across the river into Pest. It's pretty cool; I know I wouldn't mind waking up to that every day.

So yesterday all I did was watch movies and play games and it's looking about the same for today. It's all rainy outside and my desire for chinese food is not great enough to make me go out and find some, so I guess I'll just enjoy some more movies and pretend that I fulfilled my Jewish Christmas obligation.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating. Hopefully your weather isn't as grey as it is here. But maybe that's even more of an excuse to eat, drink, and be merry? Meh. Maybe, haha.

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again."

9:37 pm Central European Time (CET)

I am so happy to be back in Budapest. Travelling for nearly two weeks straight has taken its toll, and I am more than relieved that I now have time to sleep all day and be blissfully idle.

Yesterday, my last day in Athens, I mostly sat around and got some rest. I knew I wouldn't be sleeping during the night, since I had another early flight the next morning, so I opted to snooze during the day. I did, however, go out for an hour or two to take a walk. I went to the Olympic Stadium from the first contemporary Olympic Games in 1896, which was pretty cool. It's a fully restored ancient stadium made entirely of white marble; it was once used for the Panathenaic games to honour Athena way back when. From the stadium I walked across the street and through the National Gardens (parts of which were kind of sketchy, to be honest) till I ended up at the Zappeion, a convention center-like building in the center of the park. There was a Christmas fair being held on its grounds, and I walked around a bit more before heading back toward the hostel. I bought some food for later and went straight to sleep; I was more exhausted than I thought I was, I guess.

Once I woke up, I tried to pass the several remaining hours before my flight by watching movies. Two movies later and I still had a long ways to go, so I gave up, checked out, and got a cab to the airport. I didn't sleep there, either, but at least I didn't have to worry anymore about being on time. The flights themselves were fine; I just hate all the waiting and waiting and waiting that one is forced to endure in airports. But now I'm here again and I couldn't be happier. The sky was clear and there were icy patches on the Danube; it couldn't have been a better welcome home!

Now that I'm back, all I've done is sleep and mess around online. Tomorrow is looking to be the exact same and, frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. I need a break from moving about all the time, that's for sure.

And a sidenote: if I hear another smooth jazz rendition of Sleigh Ride ever again, I might have to kill someone. Just something to keep in mind for the future.

The best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry.

8:35 pm EET

Well, Cape Sounion plans ended up not working out after all. It would have been really cool to see the Temple of Poseidon against the epic backdrop of the Sea, but I guess that'll just have to wait for another time. It gives me an excuse to come back someday (not that I need one, of course).

I slept in late and enjoyed staying in bed for most of the morning. I rushed out to the meeting place for the last two tours I've been on this week, but after half an hour and still no bus, I let my impatience take over and I decided to wander around the neighbourhood. I bought a t-shirt (it says "THIS IS SPARTA" on it and I have no shame whatsoever) and went to a nice little restaurant for lunch. I ordered some delicious Greek specialties--stuffed grape leaves (incredible) and some lamb meatballs (exceptional). I may just go back tomorrow for my last meal in Greece... goodness knows the food alone is worth it.

Following lunch and a cup of coffee, I bought some fresh spinach and cheese pie to reheat for dinner and then returned to the hostel for the day. Turns out one of the new girls in my room is from K's Rome program! Small world, eh? It's funny how we all end up in the same places. Like remember the wannabe archaeologist old guy I mentioned earlier from the Mycenae trip? Well I saw him in Delphi and on the Acropolis (wearing the same ridiculous getup). Small world, indeed.

Tomorrow I'll walk to the Panathenaic Stadium, the fully restored ancient stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. After that... I'll probably just go to a café and laze around before coming back and relaxing in the hostel. I think I'm ready to be back in my bed in Budapest... it's been a long two weeks and I'm definitely looking forward to being in a city I know again. I've missed it!

Ascending the Acropolis.

8:53 pm EET

Yesterday was fairly uneventful. I walked to the Olympieion (the Temple of Zeus) across the major street near the hostel and wandered around there a bit, but quickly the chill and my cold got to me and I decided to go back and rest. I bought some medicine at a pharmacy and got some snacks for later, and then I returned to the hostel where I slept for the rest of the day.

Today I woke feeling a lot better. I slept in a bit (which was wonderful) and left around ten. I walked the few minutes to the base of the Acropolis and started my climb upward. I took my time, deciding to take it slow and steady, paying attention to the other ruins that line the road to the peak, such as the Odeon of Herodes, the Stoa of Eumenes, and the Theatre of Dionysus, rather than just making a straight shot to the top. I'm glad I did, too, because otherwise I would have missed some beautiful relics. The theatre was like the other two I saw in Epidaurus and Delphi, albeit somewhat more affected by time. The Odeon (another theatre), however, was mostly restored and looked ready for a performance. As mixed as my feelings are about restoration using modern materials, I think that the Odeon really does look lovely. Hopefully the restoration of the Parthenon will meet a similar fate, and it won't look like a patchwork of ancient and newly-cut stones fused together.

When I made it to the top of the Acropolis, I was met with a wonderfully mind-blowing sight. The entrance to the temple complex, the Propylaea, is enormous and beautiful. Beside it is a small temple dedicated to Nike, the goddess of victory, who always accompanied Athena. Both the Propylaea and the Temple of Athena Nike are being restored, but neither are quite finished yet. Anyway, after gaping at the Propylaea for a significant amount of time, I continued on toward the Parthenon. As a lover of mythology (and Athena being my favourite of the Greek pantheon), I felt I owed this towering place a certain reverence greater than the respect I already possess toward the structures of ancient Greece. Though I knew how much the temple has suffered since its construction more than two thousand years ago, I was immensely saddened by the its state; after countless raids and careless attacks, it is lacking much of its former glory. The glorious statue of Athena that once graced the inner sanctuary is long gone, and the decorations from the east and west pediments have also been almost completely destroyed. Compared to some of the other temples I've seen, though, the Parthenon is in good shape for its age. Its original beauty is easily reconstructed in one's mind, and, all things considered, some of that beauty and a different kind of otherworldly splendor exists still in its ever so slightly asymmetrical pillars.

Once I had sufficiently geeked out on the Acropolis, I made my way down to the Agora. I had hoped to find the Tower of the Winds in the Roman Forum within the Agora, but I couldn't locate it... maybe I'll go back tomorrow or Sunday to look for it. I walked a little through the site and exited on the other side into a very busy avenue filled with shops, street vendors, and restaurants. I walked all the way back around to the Plaka neighbourhood near my hostel and grabbed some lunch before heading over to the New Acropolis Museum. I was completely blown away; the museum is built on top of an archaeological site and the floors are glass so you can see through to the ancient buildings below, which scientists are excavating from time to time. The Museum is amazing! Within its walls are several artifacts recovered from the Acropolis temples; there are friezes and statues and bits and pieces from bronze shields and spears and sculptures. There are massive statues of dieties and mortals alike, and part of the The Porch of the Caryatids, all of which are absolutely gorgeous. The most impressive piece they have (I think, at least) is the relief known as the Pensive or Mourning Athena. It depicts Athena at what seems to be a gravestone, leaning on her spear and looking thoughtful and tired. I have seen it several times in books, but seeing it in person was incredible; it is one of the most well-known pieces of ancient Greek art, as it is one of the first to use emotion as its main focus, rather than an action. Seeing it made me exceptionally happy, and it was an even better find because I had forgotten that it was housed here in the New Acropolis Museum.

When I had finished the rounds in the Museum, I bought some more food for later and returned to the hostel where I have been hanging around since, chatting with a bunch of people who are also staying here. I've made friends (sort of) with a young psychologist from Uruguay, a crazy (but very entertaining) grad student from Buffalo, a Mexican student on holiday, an Australian taking a year off, and a kind of crude guy from London. They're all rather strange, and it's definitely interesting talking to them and sharing experiences.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to be going on a tour to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, so hopefully it works out and the weather will be nice (or, at least, nicer than the cold and cloudy the last couple days have been). It's starting to feel like Budapest here!

Delphi (Δελφοί), old and new.

9:38 pm EET

Today was yet one more long day on the road. I took another day tour (with the same company), but to Delphi this time. The two state representatives (Kenny and Jay) from yesterday were on this tour, too, so it was good to see some familiar faces.

We drove for a couple hours before stopping at a café in a small town near Thebes (so many Oedipus jokes; holy crap) where I got some coffee and a couple pieces of baklava for later. We continued onward in the rain, hoping that it would clear before we got to Delphi. The rain stopped, but then the fog rolled in; driving through the mountains toward Mount Parnassus (I was thoroughly excited; so much mythology surrounds the mountain!!) was absolutely terrifying--I could barely see the road in front of the bus!

When we finally arrived, we got our tickets for the museum and archaeological site and went off to explore. The location itself high in the mountains was beautiful enough, but coupling that with the aura of history that permeates the site was almost overwhelming. The remnants of the Treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo, and the amphitheatre were gorgeous, and it was incredible to think that everyone from common, everyday pilgrims to the most powerful of kings came to this very place to consult the Oracle (or, "virgin tripping on ethylene and bay leaves babbling complete and utter nonsense").

After hanging around the ruins for a while, we moved on to the Delphi museum. All of the statues and relics discovered at the site are kept at the museum. The stuff they had was amazing! Most of what the tour guide was describing I already knew, but actually seeing the sculptures and friezes that I'd only before seen in books was an awesome experience.

From the museum we drove into the modern mountain town of Delphi for lunch at a hotel for skiers visiting Mount Parnassus. It seemed as though no one else was there; the only people in the dining room was our tour group. Lunch was good; pretty much the same as what we had on the tour yesterday. I sat with Kenny and Jay and we had a nice time chatting over lunch. Once we'd finished, we drove to the tiny town of Arachova in the mountains to do a little shopping. I bought a rather inexpensive woven bag with the Parthenon on it (I needed a small bag, haha); the shop owner said that it was locally made, so I'm happy.

Driving back wasn't so bad. It didn't take nearly as long as the trip yesterday, but that's because most of the traffic was gone or managed. I've had dinner and eaten my baklava (so delicious!!) and now I'm just hanging out in the hostel's kitchen/social room watching a movie. I still feel awful, but not as bad as yesterday or this afternoon. I certainly hope I'll feel better tomorrow... at least I get to sleep in for the first time in days. I don't really have a plan for tomorrow, but I'm thinking the Temple of Zeus (it's right across the street) and taking a walk around Syntagma Square. But plans can change, of course. If it rains again, maybe I'll just spend a day inside recuperating! There's nothing wrong with taking a day off to sleep all day... right?