Greetings from Greece

We are in Patras, on the western coast of the Peloponnese, Peninsula. Therese has meeting here at University of Patras and she is celebrating her birthday by spending a week sailing with her sister on the Ionian Sea. They are joining Therese’s friend and her husband on their sailboat. Notice that I am not joining them. While in the Navy I got seasick on an aircraft carrier while it was still moored to the pier. That is, of course, an exaggeration, but not by much. I can handle small boats, but larger boats — nope, not this landlubber!

We flew over to Athens, spent two days there, and then took a train and bus to get here. We had two wonderful sunny, but not too warm days in Athens. My father studied classical studies and philosophy at Stanford. I thought of him as we visited the Acropolis and the Parthenon. However, despite being past peak season, the crowds were almost stifling — it was difficult to get any angles on the buildings that did not feature the mindless hordes of tourists! On the other hand, the Parthenon had been undergoing a stabilization and refurbishing effort for a number of years and the final scaffolding and covers had just come two weeks before we arrived!

I did my best. It was pouring rain when we arrived in Patras, but it is supposed to clear midday, so I hope to get out and see what Patras is all about.

There are a few photos here reedpikephotography.com/athens-greece, sorry you will need to copy the link and past it in your browser navigation window. More to follow…