Athens. It was the first place I was returning to, and as such the first place I had any real expectations of. Naturally, those expectations were disappointed.

It was funny, really. We booked a cheap hotel over the internet, and we chose it because it had wireless. The wireless sucked, and our room smelled awful, like feet, or urine, or both. It was disgusting. We arrived very early in the morning, exhausted, and napped for a good portion of the day. Then we got up and went looking for dinner, and I think laundry.

The Greeks were striking when we were in their country, over some sort of pension-reform plan or some such foolishness. Yet another European welfare state on the brink of insolvency that refuses to deal with reality. Anyway, the garbage wasn't picked up, there were rolling blackouts, and the trains weren't running consistently. It made the whole experience that much more surreal, I suppose.

We did the usual Athens things, went to see the Parthenon and its environs, went to see Mars' Hill, we went to the archaeological museum. It was pretty good, strike inconveniences notwithstanding. I'd still go back to Athens, but I'd choose a different hotel this time. Other than that it wasn't terribly remarkable.

Current Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia