Nicholas Gysis Exhibition -Theocarakis Foundation, Athens, Greece, Dec. 2012

I just happened on this wonderful art gallery walking along Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, a place of museums and diplomatic buildings. Nicholas Gyzis, great painter, 1842 to 1901. He was born in Tinos Greece but died in Munich where he studied and taught painting. "Throughout my life I dreamed." N. Gyzis "Gysis was particularly drawn to music and poetry and had expressed a wish to become a musician or poet if he was ever born again" Dr. N. Misirli

Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, Greece, Dec.10,12

The Museum of Cycladic Art is one of the most elegant and refined museums I've been in. It's not large but has a lovely cafe where I am right now and a book store with high end jewelry and art. The museum has 4 floors with the first devoted to Cycladic Art. Early cycladic cultures dates (3200 to 2000 BC). The exhibit has stone, marble, clay and metal object and obsidian cores and blade. The marble figurines, mostly female are outstanding. . Hunter or warrior. The second floor is devoted to Ancient Greek Art, a history in images. This is a synthetic approach extending from 2000 BC to 400 ad. On the third floor is Cyprus, ancient art and culture. It extends from 4000 BC to the 18th century AD. On the 4th floor there are Scenes from Daily Life in Antiquity. Here photographs serve as background to artefacts and movies depict the life of the day. It's reminiscent for me of the trend in museums I saw in Washingtong DC, making them much more comprehensible especially for students. Everywhere the artifacts were accompanied by writing in several languages including English describing the artifact

St. Paul's Anglican Church, Athens, Greece, Dec. 2012

Yesterday I was happiest to make it to St. Paul's Anglican Church thanks to the helpful desk staff at the Alassia Hotel. They wrote out directions and I took the Metro underground to Syntagma. I proceeded to go the opposite direction right off. An English speaking Cretan man I asked told me where I'd made a wrong turn and offered to walk along with me to ensure I got to church on time. With his kind help I did indeed. After church I was invited to the church bazaar in a grand building behind the church, fronted by a carousel. There I had coffee and a sandwich and enjoyed a choir singing carols. The second advent candle has been lit. I almost felt a bit like Christmas. In the church there was much evidence of donations to the church from the families or members of the British military. No doubt this stemmed from their service in wWIi in Greece. I had the sense of a very British enclave here with this church as a kind of oasis. I've attended other Anglican churches around the world and always feel welcome and at home. I generally feel at home in any church but there's an orderliness about Anglicans that gives it a little extra for my personal taste.

Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece, Dec. 2012

It's not open Monday so I missed seeing it when I climbed the Acropolis last Monday. I came here on Sunday when lots of students were attending interesting tours. I was impressed by the building which looked out on the Acropolis itself. The third floor appears like a replica of the Parthenon with friezes and sculptures protected inside. The Caryatids are here too. I was delighted to see them. I couldn't take a picture of them or the exhibits on the first and second floor. Camera and video are only allowed on the third floor. I enjoyed the informative film presentation which explained what was going, the mythical war with the centaurs and the war with the lapiths. There is also the procession for Athena.