Archive for October, 2009

Is a vacation with laptop in tow still a vacation???  Do the French take their laptops with them on vacation??  That’s something I need to find out.  Because the French take vacationing seriously.  I think for many Americans, myself included, a vacation with a laptop is really a signal that the venue may change, but the mindset is more resistant.  However, the lack of internet service is a none too subtle reminder that you are farther away than you thought.

Vacation in Athens

Yesterday, at the National Archeological Museum and the new Acropolis Museum in Athens [just opened in July 2009], we saw a treasure trove of artifacts from various periods of ancient Greece.  How to recognize Greek statues based on the finesse of the sculpting, the smile or seriousness of the mouth.

Greek Sculpture

Lots of grave markers with Greek ladies picking out jewelry from their jewelry boxes to take with them before dying.  An interesting concept that the ancients had.  When did the handing down jewelry to the family come in?

And lots of gold jewelry that still looks as beautiful as the day it was worn.  Beautiful repousse, intricate detailing that is astounding to see.  Adornment goes waaaay back.

[Wow!  Church bells at 9PM on the island of Lemnos, Greece, near Turkey.  I haven’t heard bells in a while.]

Beautiful weather, strong sun 65-80 degrees, no clouds in the sky.

Today, the Museum of Lemnos had an astounding collection of pottery [extraordinarily well preserved with very sophisticated texturing] that made one of the archeologists on our trip absolutely gleeful.   I, on the other hand, took pictures of…the jewelry!!!

Just imagine if you were opening some junk drawer you’d forgotten about and there, among the ruins, were these delicate gold pieces you had forgotten about.  That would be pretty darn exciting, wouldn’t it???