Jan 01, 2019: Athens

First blog post of 2019.
It started raining late in the afternoon yesterday and it did not stop until early this morning. I did not celebrate yesterday (cannot stay awake until midnight), but my tradition of running in the New Year still in place (last 20 years).
I will go out the door in 30 minutes, when it is light enough to see where the road is. I am not expecting many people or cars.
To everyone: Best wishes for 2019!

Dec 23, 2018: Merry Christmas!

There are not many street decorations in Athens (Greece being Greek Orthodox), but there is a Christmas tree on Syntagma Square

and on Venizelou street

 The American Embassy

and one short street round the Nutcracker store that goes all out.

Dec 15, 2018: Athens

Two days of clouds, but today, after I went shopping on the Panormou market, it was warm enough to keep the balcony doors all the way open....

Running is going well, hamstring injury is gone.
I am about 4 seconds per mile slower than last year, age, I guess.
I go to bed around 21.00, and wake up around 05.00 hr. Still dark, so with a big cup of Greek mountain thee (Vounou), I read the news on the internet.
Not many Christmas decorations in the city. There is only the Christmas tree in Syntagma square.

 And one store near Monastiraki.

Dec 09, 2018: Athens

I have been in the apartment 1 week now.
It is smaller than the the one I had last year, but I have a great view. And an elevator (Last year, no elevator) which makes a difference when, like yesterday, I came back from the Saturday market on Panormou Street with 3 kilos of oranges and 2 kilos of apples, plus a big bag of tomatoes and a bottle of olive oil.

There have been only 2 days of clouds and some rain, the rest of the week sunshine.
I got a cold which started 2 days ago, probably infected while being surrounded by people in the subway. Speaking of subways:

From day to day, I only have to use 1 line, the blue line from Megari Moussikis. Panormou is 2 stops,  Syntagma is 2 stops, Monastiraki is 3 stops. The blue line is the least crowded of the 3 lines in Athens. When I go running, which I do every other day, I walk 10 minutes to the American Embassy and I end at Monastiraki. From there 5 minutes by subway back to the Megari Moussikis stop to get back home.
I made yellow lentil soup yesterday. The recipe of my friend Ina which includes a piece of grated ginger is great.

Dec 04, 2018: Athens

Yesterday was shopping day: Groceries at the Agora Market.

 Freshly ground beef to make meatballs, sheep feta cheese

 Small tomatoes, large tomatoes, some kind of green salad, eggs and bread.

Today I went running, south on Leoforas Sofias, through the National Gardens and behind the Akropolis

to Monastiraki.

I took the subway back home and at the Skavenidis Market got dish soap, toilet cleaner and small trash bags. It has been sunny for 2 days now, about 18 degrees Celsius. I have a narrow balcony facing east, sun there until about noon.  The big balcony is just missing out on sunshine.....
I brought shorts, if it is sunny tomorrow I am going to meditate in the sun......

Dec 02, 2018: Athens

My apartment in Athens is a single. Big bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and a large balcony. The balcony is big enough to be another "room".

Lykabettou straight ahead, The Akropolis in the distance left off Lykabettou.

This morning I went running. From the American Embassy to Omonia Square. 

I needed to buy minutes for my Vodafone Greek sim card, but the office was closed. I'll have to go back tomorrow. I had Sunday at my friend Hara's house. Her brother was there, with his new girlfriend, Ira and another woman. When I left, I took the suitcase that I had stored at Hara's with me. It took 5 minutes from the Monastiraki subway stop to Megaro Moussikis where I have to get off. From there a 10 minute walk to the apartment.