The Greek Tourism Board’s new slogan is hopelessly cheesy: “Live Your Myth in Greece”. I’ve been thinking of other slogans, at least for Athens:

Athens: Like Cairo, but With Breathing Room.

Athens: Not so third-world anymore.

I don’t remember much from my trip here ten years ago–lots of to-and-fro on buses, and lots of sitting in a dim salon staring into space while my then-boyfriend shouted in Greek at his deaf grandmother. I do remember the meat sauce on her spaghetti, however, and the fact that I didn’t take seconds has haunted me ever since. And it was very cold, and Albania seemed like an exotic destination then (we never made it because there was a terrible snowstorm just around the time we got near the border, and we’d been warned about bandits armed with sharpened spoons. Honestly.)

This time around, Athens is sporting stylish new modes of transport (more subways, sexy trams taking dangerous curves on their way to the clubs at the beach) as well as stylish parts of town. I feel like I should be writing about it for some magazine, but it’s nice just to be on vacation.

I did meet a very sharp woman today who runs bike tours of Greece, which sound awesome. I’m mentioning it here in hopes that bike and travel freaks will be intrigued and pursue the matter, but that’s as far as working goes for today.

Soon Peter and I are off to Mytilini, where we may or may not be married officially in the Greek church. It first seemed that my heathen upbringing (i.e., no baptism) would be the impediment, but now it appears that Peter’s churchgoing cannot be properly documented either (i.e., the payoff to a priest in Albuquerque got a sealed letter, but the Denver diocese was quick to spot the fraud). So, while I was not too perturbed to interrupt my suntanning and ouzo-drinking schedule for an hour or so of bible-kissing and frankincense-smelling, it looks like I might not have to.

Don’t expect too much more posting for the next month…