Preparing for my U.S. trip, I’m taking some photos of my living space here in Riyadh.

This is our bedroom. Like the rest of the house, it’s got alot of earthtones, which is what you get when the entire house has beige carpet. So now that we’re adjusted and settled, the objective is to add some color…reds, oranges, and greens.

What makes this room very special though is the garden view as you’re laying in bed. The bougainvilleas out there right now are in full bloom and their magenta is just incredible!

Our Bedroom., originally uploaded by Carcura.

As you can see, it’s very spacious with lots vacant wall space ready to filled with some magic…working on that (in my head).

Our Bedroom with Garden., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The bed looking out to the garden. Note to self: Spend more time in bedroom during the day…it’s a great space for reading!

My Closet., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Big closet…almost full to capacity. Paul uses the one in the other bedroom.

Vanity., originally uploaded by Carcura.

This is where I have my jewelry, makeup, etc…the girly area.

Beijing 2008 Plush., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Brought this back from Shanghai. It makes me smile when I look at it!

Yoga Girl Mirror from mom., originally uploaded by Carcura.

This mirror is from mom…always reminding me to take care of myself, be healthy, and feel good.

Me in front of St. George just before sunset., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The two peaks that one can see from practically anyware in Athens are The Acropolis and Lykavittos and since I went up to The Acropolis, I just had to see the view at sunset from the top of Lykavittos. I started out at the southern slope of the hill in Kolonaki, which is the most expensive part of the city and has most of the label boutiques and tons of caffees where people go to relax and “people watch”. I stopped for a cappuccino freddo in Kolonaki.

Lykavittos from below.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

I walked through the neighborhood all the way up to St. George Hotel where I saw a sign for the funicular rail. Went up some small steps, bought my ticket, and took the rail to the top of the mountain. Got out and stood amazed at the view…a 360 degree view of Athens from the hill.

Facing West.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

St. George at the top of Lekavittos.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

After walking around the space and taking some great photos of the city below, I sat for some coffee at one of the caffees and just enjoyed the quiet. Sitting high above the city, away from its noise, Lykavittos was a great place to soak it all in from above.

St. George at Sunset.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Glass sculpture of running man in downtown Athens., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The Hilton Hotel Athens.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

The Hilton Hotel Lobby.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Contemporary Art Collection., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Post Byzantine Art.
Originally uploaded by Carcura


Ionian Island School.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Early Greek Portraiture: 19th Century
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Early Greek Landscape Painting/Greece through Romantic Eyes
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Mature Bourgeois Portraiture: 19th Century.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

The nude: 19th century.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Orientalism: 19th Century
Originally uploaded by Carcura

The National Museum

So, I’m here again, SOLO!! Option 1: mope around and get depressed; and Option 2: continue to rock on! Thanks to my handy little guidebook, I’ll be discovering the roots of this city. I took a cab down to Syndgma Square, which is considered the heart of the city. At the renovated Syntagma square you’ll also find the zero point, i.e. the point from which all distances in Greece are counted. is also the commercial centre of the city, from one side looking towards Stadiou Street and from the other side towards Ermou Street.

The Parliament from Syndagma Square.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

The Evzones are the presidential guards who perform the “Changing of the Guard” ceremony every hour in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. There is a more elaborate ceremony performed once each Sunday,

Changing of the guards at The Parliament.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

They have pom poms on the top of their shoes and wear a short skirt with long stockings. The highlight of the hourly changing ceremony is when the two guards slowly approach each other then stop and touch the soles of their shoes together in the midst of a high step. Their movements during the performance are so interesting, as if they are doing a ballet dance with riffles.

The guards completely in sync., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Following “The Changing of The Guards” Ceremony, I walked through The Gardens into Plaka, hiding in the shadow of The Acropolis, with its narrow allies, beautiful and colorful small houses & terraces, small cafes & restaurants. Saw many beautiful old churches…stopped at the Church of John Theologos and the Church of Metamorphosis.

Church of John Theologos.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

The path from Plaka lead me into The Ancient Agora, down into The Roman Agora, which was built by comission of Julius Ceasar and Augustus from 19 to 11 BC and was later improved by Hadrian. I was completely taken by the perfectly preserved Tower of the Winds which is thought to predate the agora and to have been used by the astronomer Andronicus. All that aside, the way the columns reach up into the blue sky is incredible!

Tower of the Winds at The Roman Agora.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

By now, my feet were getting pretty “shwaggled”! So I headed down Adrianou, towards Monasteraki, where I found a comfy little caffe that has an amazing view of the Acropolis. Got a Mythos, a delicious pasta dish, and enjoyed the amazing experience of being in this truly special place. The end of another day here in paradise.

Dinner on Adrianou.
Originally uploaded by Carcura


The view of the Acropolis at dinner.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Theater of Herodotus Atticus from above.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Temple of Athena., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Me and The Panthenon.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Plaka Graffiti., originally uploaded by Carcura.

The Roman Agora with the Acropolis in the back.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

What? Clouds in Athens?! Having weather issues today. When we woke up, the sun was out, but slowly the clouds crept in. We had planned on taking the train to Astir Beach in Vouliagmeni, but as we were getting ready, the sun was slowly escaping us and just after noon, it became completely cloudy. So, upon Elie’s suggestion, we went to the Hilton for lunch.

Lunch at The Hilton.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

The design of the hotel is incredible, the exterior is very contemporary with the famous “Liberty” glass sculpture just in front. The interior is all marble , but very warm tones with wood accents. The restaurant was high ceilings and all glass windows with translucent graphics of typography and natural elements.

The guys at the Lobby of The Hilton.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

After a really delicious lunch, we went for a walk around the hotel, starting with the Lobby, which was extremely spacious with a few contemporary pieces of furniture scattered around in between huge matte gold columns. Very warm and airy.

Grandpa and me (and Acropolis!).
Originally uploaded by Carcura

After checking out the pool, which was extremely tempting, we went upstairs to take a look at the view during the day. I think we’ve seen The Acropolis from every possible angle and every possible time of day. It’s so beautiful that I find myself always looking for it no matter were I am in Athens. The view from The Hilton is exceptional, and being there with Chebl was truly special.

Jeddo in Plaka wearing the baller hat.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Spending a few days alone, getting to know Athens have been pretty sweet, but there’s nothing like sharing time in this place con la familia. The guys arrived from Riyadh Thursday night, then The Baaklinis from Houston Friday afternoon. Yey!! The house is full again, the closet space crammed, the bathrooms occupied when you really have to go, the kitchen sink full, but watching the sunsets with everyone is truly priceless.

Thre troop walking in Plaka.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

We made our way through the neighborhood, people looking curiously at the new troop in town waving hello, and eventually made our way to the tram stop. Got picked up at Gyzi and dropped off right at the center in Syndagma Square where we walked down Ermou Street to the old Church. The street was filled people walking and shopping, and the weather was almost perfect, sunny and cool. Chebl loved strolling outside with his new hat and being around so many people.

The Acropolis from Plaka., originally uploaded by Carcura.

We were soon in Plaka where we stopped at Ydria Cafe for lunch. Had really good chicken and lamb souvlaki, greek salads, tzatziki, alpha, and ouzo. Lunch delicious and the whole experience very pleasant. After a very satisfying meal, the Houston pack were ready for a nap, so they cought a cab back to the house, and fotis, hazem, and I continued on. The guys went to Attica to pick up some soap samples for everyone at the islands, and went to the bookstore next door to finally get a Lonely Planet, Athens.

Lunch at Ydria. . .yassas.
Originally uploaded by Carcura


Greek Beer and our table at Ydria.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

After the shop stop, we walked to the Grand Bretagne Hotel for a quick drink at the scenic rooftop bar. The view of The Acropolis was as beautiful as ever, but the two tables near us we quickly discovered had been there for quite a while, sipping on very toxic apple martinis, having conversations in a very loud australian accent across tables. As soon as we sat down, we all looked at each other and got up at the same time and headed to the swimming pool area not too far from the bar. We found a cozy table on the deck above the pool, ordered Freddo Capuccionos (these are the most popular drinks in Greece. . .they love coffee in this place!) and we added a shot of Bailey’s to the mix.

Freddo Cappuccino with Baileys.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

We picked up my handy tourist book and looked at the options for our next stop. Likavitos was one that we pondered for a while, but wanted to save it for later, so we grabbed a cab and headed down to Pireas (the port city), which is supposed to very charming, scenic, and full of cafes and restaurants. We got dropped off at an ultra modern, very posh Pool Caffe that apparently becomes lounge bar and a very hot spot after 11. We sat down to enjoy the ocean breeze and sip on our Bailey’s on the rocks.

At Piscina Caffe.
Originally uploaded by Carcura


Drink sword fight?
Originally uploaded by Carcura

For dinner, we met with the rest of the crew on Adrianou at another scenic Greek restaurant with a beautiful view of the Acropolis glowing at night. The food was delicious and even though everyone was tired, we managed to laugh, enjoy the setting, the food, and be merry.

Old house near The Agora, on the way to dinner., originally uploaded by Carcura.

Plaka at Night., originally uploaded by Carcura.

So I guess it’s back to being solo. How would I describe it? Sometimes you’re like “this really sucks” and other times, you’re like I’m learning alot about myself and about this place, and stuff (you know what I mean). The day goes by pretty fast, there’s lots to do, but the night, gets a little tricky. I’ve been staying in the past few days, but today, I decided to go out for a stroll in Monesteraki with my camera and tri-pod.

Walking alone at night in Athens is actually very safe, there are always people out and about, and it’s quite relaxing because things are calmer and breezier. In about thirty minutes, I was in Monesteraki, and amazed at the amount of people out. The cafe culture in this place is really incredible, these people just love to be outside!

Athens night culture.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

When I reached the square, I went to a kiosk to get something to drink. After some thought, I went for a cold water and some strawberry menthos. Walked up to the main area sat down and took in the place at night. Absolutely breathtaking. The acropolis was right in front of me. . . felt like I could almost touch it, and the square was packed with people.

I made friends with a little gypsy girl, which was a really nice experience. She was fascinated with the little toy on my backpack. I showed her how to take pictures with my camera. She really liked it. We had a whole conversation signaling to each other. When she left I went down to the main street and caught a cab. This city is just as beautiful at night as it is during the day and just as pure. Reminded me of all the things to be thankful for, and oh yeah, the strawberry menthos were really good!

East Balcony looking to the Acropolis.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Spent most of the day playing “house”. Had our usual morning…nescafe, OJ, and a croissant on the balcony facing the neighborhood. I noticed that there were a few loose leaves floating around that needed sweeping. The plants here have so much personality. There are jasmins, boganvilleas, olive trees, lemon trees, gardenias, a rose bush that fotis and I bought together, and a magnolia tree at the end of the balcony. The two jasmins on the railing needed some taming and after cleaning the dead leaves I guided the branches around the rail. A few hours later, I was still grooming the plants and when I reached a stopping point I got the hose out and cleaned the balcony. Then went inside and swept the hallway and mopped the floor. There was something about the mundaneness of chores that was very comforting. I did catch myself getting a little OCD on that floor and immediately stopped…ewhhhhhh!!

Athens Balcony.
Originally uploaded by Carcura

Meanwhile, Paul was on the computer, copying our vacation photos and exchanging music. He cleaned up my computer and got CS3 installed. He got his daily dose of technology and was feeling calm. For lunch we had pizza leftovers, then went for a nap around 3.
We toyed with the idea of staying in, but since it was peejay’s last night, we got ready and headed out just after sunset (nine-ish). We walked past the platia and down Gyzi Road (about a ten minute walk) where we found a whole area of cafes and restaurants around a park with benches packed with people. Sat down at an outdoor restaurant called Alexandria’s and ordered a Stella and a Bitburger, then a chicken pasta dish with cream sauce and goat cheese stuffed chicken breast and ravioli. For 36 euros, it was absolutely delicious. On the walk back, we found a 24 hour automated video rental kiosk that I will need to revisit, then stopped at Data Internet Cafe, checked our emails, read the news while sipping on Heinekens. Got back to the house, watched Lost, the two-hour finale, from Paul’s iTunes onto the HDTV, then went to bed, knowing that we managed to fit as much as we possibly could in the time we had together.