Athens, Tuesday

When you consider that Greek architects created masterpieces 500 years before the birth of Christ you have to ask yourself what’s gone wrong. Athens is an absolute dump. The Old Town, the Plaka, is OK, with pretty squares and charming little restaurants, but the rest is just a massive traffic jam under a canopy of smog. I don’t know why my friends tell me that Athens is a great place to visit. I certainly didn’t find it so. I did the obligatory trip up the Acropolis and learnt a lot about it in 10 minutes flat - for example, that it’s called the Acropolis because it’s in the highest part of town. Any important town in ancient Greece would have had an Acropolis. This particular one is dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She must have been some goddess because she emanated from the head of Zeus fully grown and fully armed. In a battle with some giants, she picked up the island of Sicily and flattened them with it. I like things like that!