The first few days...

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ORIGINALLY POSTED: 19 Jan 2008
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Porto Rafti, a suburb of Athens, Greece, is now where I reside.


If you want to look it up on Google Earth, you won't find it by searching it... its THAT small... kinda just got to look up the Athens airport (ATH) and go west to the coast and start looking for those little islands.

Its beautiful... very very beautiful...

We walked down to the point where there is an old bunker from German occupation during World War II. But that wasn't very photographic... sorry... there is quite a bit of graffiti around here...


But the water is rather blue...




...and the squid fishermen are plentiful.



When they make their catch, they kill it by slamming it on the rocks repeatedly.

One thing you learn after being in Porto Rafti for a little while is the fact that there are animals roaming quite freely... everywhere.

Cats...


How many do you see?

And each time we go out into the streets to the store or to eat, we are followed by a number of dogs. Many dogs. Sometimes as many as 6 or 7. During our walks out, some stay behind while others from other places join us. When we go out into a store, they all wait outside until we come back out... then they continue with us.

And then they return to the doorstep upon our return.




In other fun news, my roommate Ben and I climbed the mountain that overlooks Porto Rafti yesterday. Its not THAT big... but it is rather vertical and a hard climb. But it was impressive from the top!

Kinda high up...


And in still other news, we went on our first little excursion this afternoon:

The Temple of Poseidon. Back during the classic age of mythological Greece, sailors and ship captains would stop by at this lowest point on the Attica peninsula to offer penance to Poseidon for save journeys on the seas. It was rather impressive.


To see something that has withstood the ages. Granted, its not exactly in "good" condition, but for something 2500 years old, its not too shabby.



Of course, everyone has seen the classic photos of ancient sites like these. Think of how many millions and millions of people have seen and taken photos of sites like this! I attempt something more unique sometimes...

And then get creative with digital double exposure. I refuse to work up a photo. Photoshop is not a verb in my vocabulary.

But if it can be done in-camera and could be originally done with film... then I think its alright to me!




Well, that's it. Our first site. Nothing too extraordinary yet... other than an absurdly old temple... that, to my rather nerdy mindset, I really enjoyed.

I'll be in downtown Athens tomorrow all day and into the night. Get ready for a full report on that soon...

Goodnight.
~Noah D.