In Athens I was able to visit the Acropolis. Visiting a place which is over 2000 years old was mind blowing, so of course I took pictures every chance I got. Before my friends Rebecca, Gabe, and myself decided to approach this historical site we saw the ever-delicious frozen strawberry lemonades that the tourist ticketing area sold. When we found out we weren't allowed to enter the Acropolis with the drinks, we took a seat and discovered the Grizabella (from CATS the musical) of pigeons... >>>
three way high five
hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil
yup...that's a big drop off of the ledge
mangy pigeon
olive tree and a donkey? lol.
Some fun mythology info...
ATHENA & THE OLIVE TREE
According to mythology, Kekrops, a Phoenician, came to Attica and founded a city on a huge rock near the sea. The gods of Olympus proclaimed that the city should be amed after the deity who could produce the most valuable legacy for mortals. Athena (goddess of wisdom) produced an olive tree, symbol of peace and prosperity. Poseidon (god of the sea) struck a rock with his trident and a horse sprang forth, symbolising the qualities of strength and fortitude. The gods judged that Athena's gift would better seve the citizens of Athens than the arts of war personified by Poseidon's gift.
[lonelyplanet.com]
Yanni had his concert here
The Acropolis
Doing our usual pose in a new and exciting historical place =)
Remember that time a guest asked me to come sing Happy Birthday in my Lady GaGa costume to her husband? ...in their suite...with about 12 other family members there? Yup. That happened. As I was walking down the guest hallway dressed head to toe in my GaGa attire to their room I thought to myself...this is what I've become. A singing telegram. And yet...totally worth it because she gave me $20 after. The end.
Have you ever seen something in a history book and thought, WOW, this is unreal. I saw history in person. Seeing the Colosseum and the Forum in person was breathtaking. Though I didn't get to go inside the Colosseum (the lines were rediculous and we had limited time) I was able to walk around it as well as go inside the gates of the Forum. Here's a little video:
When we got to Valencia and Barcelona I finally started to feel like I was in another country. Grand statues, amazing architecture, and food to die for. I took a tour when I got to Barcelona and learned that the blocks were designed to not have corners due to traffic flow and being able to see around the "corner" better. Every block was an octagon. Weird...but kind of awesome.
We ended up getting to stay overnight...which made for a great birthday celebration for Duke. We went to a Flamenco show and then proceeded to stuff our faces with delicious tapas. Eventually I'll put a post up of the crazy flamenco dancing.
Happy Birthday Duke!
on tour in Barcelona
panoramic shot of Barcelona
phalic building?
"Hi everyone! We are your escorts for the day...we are NOT your tour guides. We are just here to make sure everything goes smoothly." Now please don't expect we will know anything. Thanks.
Duke's birthday bash in Barcelona!
Tarantos
flamenco dancing
story time?
cheers! to something other than chicken!
carefully zoom into the center to find something extra special...
