in the middle east

We flew from Istanbul to Athens on Sept 16 and stayed for 3 days exploring all over. The city has been inhabited for over 7,000 years, but it is really the last 3,500 years that Athens has exerted its influence on world history. Located on the coast of the Aegean Sea (click here for a map), it has been in a prime location to export its culture to both the Middle East as well as Europe, and it has been doing so for millenia. Ancient Greece has been called "the cradle of western civilization," for in terms of philosophy, education, mathematics, political theory, most of Europe and thus America stands on the shoulders of the achievements of the ancient Greeks. Today, Athens is the largest city in Greece (10.5 million). The country has been a member of the European Union for some time now, so it felt much more culturally familiar than Turkey, much more Western. We spent most of our time walking about the city, doing the major tourist sights as well as trying to get a bit off of the beaten path. Our hostel ended up being in a really sketchy neighborhood, so that got us more into the city life of non-tourist Athens. In many ways, it felt like being in New York, or some other large American city. We ate mostly out of grocery stores in Athens, knowing that our travels in rural Greece would probably expose us to more traditional food. The best part was just to walk slowly through the markets and streets that have been bustling with culture and food for over 3,000 years. It was surreal to hang in the same parks that Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates would have so long ago. Another striking thing was the multiplicity of temples and shrines to the ancient gods that still survive. I can now understand the apostle Paul's bewilderment "that the city was full of idols" (Acts 17.16). Religious life was closely tied to civic and political life here in Athens (as it remains today in our world), and the ruins still speak of the rich heritage of religion, culture, and life of the ancient Greeks. For a bit more of our adventures, just follow the link.