W Feb 20:
We took off 15:10 on NWAir 3651 to Detroit, hung out until 6:50, then KLM 6054 to Amsterdam overnight. Very short night.
Th Feb 21:
Arrived Amsterdam 08:50 EST; then KLM 1575 to Athens, arriving 14:10 EST. Brand new airport for the Olympics coming up. Taxi driver took us northward around the mountains to the American School on the southern scree of Mt Lykabetos. The school is behind iron gates due to attacks by Novembrists (?). School people were out waiting for Mike; when the taxi driver saw this, he must have decided we were important, because he immediately reduced the fare substancially!
The school has daily Tea. We attended and met a Canadian professor and his wife; also a woman Christina (?)
At dinner (at the school) we met another Mike, who studies Plato; an archaeology professor who is on tours, going to Bulgaria; and John, who is digging at Helni near Ευβοια.
We found a phone card (that's how you make calls here, by buying pre-paid cards) for €2.93, and I phoned Ma.
We tried to learn modern Greek idioms: Thank You=ευχαριστὸ ; good day=καλἰμέρι
Some student's father was operated on for a benign brain tumor.
F Feb 22:
We slept through breakfast. I talked with John about Pindar. We got info re walking, locations, etc. Then we checked in, got our library/ID cards, had a tour of the library and school, and got computer accounts.
Then we went for a walk: we took:
σοθιδιας > αριστοδιμου N
ζενοκρατωσ W > σπευσιτιου W @πλουταρχου >
`ηροδοθτοθ corner S > χαριτοσ E >
σουιδιοςWe went to the grocery. Before dinner we talked to Mike about Plato. Somewhere we found tht Georgi from Bulgaria is our neighbor.
S Feb 23:
We at breakfast at the School.
Then we went to see the Αγορα:
Ατταλος στοα
12 θεοι
οδεον
`εφαισταιον
διος αγοριου
επονυμους επος
νοας απολλου
νοας αρεου
δενδριες βοσιλζεον
`αδριου
θολος
βουλετεριονlooked in at Roman agora
Cathedral of Athens: Annunciation
ate at a local restaurantσυνταγμα (governmental square)
Sun Feb 24:
Slept till 12; daily café: coffee & juice
Walked up σταδιου; ate at Goody's (chiky's, βετατης, salad, cafe); water from a stand
visited National Gardens: saw:
danger of falling trees
fishpond, ostrich, domestic fowl: geese notifying others of food
peacock on display
goats, cats (in an open caged area!), pigeons, parakeets
ate at garden café: ouzo, chocolate, sodabought groceries
M Feb 25:
breakfast at School (Mike got cookies)
Acropolis:
came up the back way; workers forbade entrance from East; we walked around the North slope, over house roofs
came in the Propylon
old tourist guides approached us first in German
on top, met Selby Housmann, his wife and infant son
parthenon was under construction
couldn't enter Erecthyon, but walked all around it, trying to see the saltwater spring.
temple of Athena Nike was taken down, disassembled, for reconstruction; you could see workmen working on it
a WWII fort was there
the grotto of Pan was closed; earlier in academic year, students from the School had gone in it for a lesson on it; it was full of garbage at that time
climbing down, I cut my finger on a spiny plant, so part of my blood was left there (accidentally)Areopagus:
I went up the very slick, worn-in-the-rock stairs, by crawling; touched the top but was afraid to stand. I was wearing cross-training shoes that were too big for me. Coming back down, I sat from stair to stair. Another, Asian, tourist gave me a helping hand down the last dozen or so steps. Mike did not venture up. A number of younger people stood in a line on top. On the north slope were a family of dogs, living in the caves.
Plaka: ate in a taverna; had mousaka, ouzo, bier. Mike left his binoculars there, & returned & fetched them.
On the way back we passed an Anglican church and an international bookstore; I bought a French book. Then we had a nap.
We ate supper at the school. We talked with Jennifer, an art history student, studying propylon-type buildings, and John (the Pindar person), who offered to lend us books and guides.
I had a bad stomach before and after this outing.
Tu Feb 26 (Dagan's birthday!):
ate breakfast in our room
went with School to:
Temple of Olympian Zeus (some columns fell in recent earthquake. paint is still visible on columns.) He also showed us the ruins (just the foundations) of the hierophant's house, which was identified as such by the characteristic attributes of a hierophant having been discovered in the house decor. The house was on the grounds of the Temple, in the northwest corner.
The Ilissus River, where Socrates walked with Phaedrus, and a shrine was there with a drawing of Pan, which was mentioned in the dialog - but the Pan was barely visible due to pollution, and the riverbanks were strewn with trash and shit.
A piece of an old cemetarythat had been unearthed due to building construction. Coffins embedded in the sides of the excavation.
This was the day of the patron saint of a local church. All during the first lecture, the bells rang and rang. As we moved to the Ilissus, we met a tiny old black-dressed woman coming from church, who snarled at us. Going along the sidewalk to the cemetary, other old people yelled at us.
After lunch I sent an email gift to Dagan, tried to pay our bill. Then we had a nap. We missed a lecture after supper, but got free wine from the reception.
W Feb 27:
Mike had breakfast (I did not). Up EARLY.
Went on field trip to Attican Hill Forts, built for the defense of Attica. We saw:
A square tower
Eleuthera, a wall with square fortified rooms as part of it
Αιγόσθενα, on the Gulf of Corinth. An earthquake had recently dislodged some of its enormous blocks. A medieval monk had set up a retreat within the rooms. I touched the water of the Gulf.
Panacton, on a huge high mountain. Local sign still says Panacton. From the summit you could see from the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf. It was clear and cold up there. We lost the group at first, because they were in so much better shape and charged up the hill ahead of us until they were out of sight. A local person gave us a lift as far up as was navigable by pick-up; then we could just see the last of the class making its way to the top. The prof said there has been a dispute as to the location of Panacton, but he is convinced this is it (and he convinced us too). He said emphatically "THIS is Panacton!" . The place was littered with potshards; we picked some up, looked at them, and put them back.
Oenoe. This ruin was in a farmer's field. To get to it the prof had us tromp right over another field, where crops were just starting to come up. I felt bad about this.
Back at the school, we had supper. We talked with Mitch, from Penn, who is into rhetoric, math, and Plato.
Th Feb 28:
Mike got up for breakfast (I did not). Then he got sick; 13:30 saw doctor in the school. Had 100˚ temp, up to 102 by 16:41 in spite of ibuprofin; then stayed just over 101 until 22:30 when 101.6; took aspirin which brought it under 100.
Fri Mar 1:
Mike's temp 99.3-.4. Didin't go out. At supper, talked with Italian girl, prof at U Washington.
Sat Mar 2:
Looked for Internet cards, phone service, but everywhere is closed. Paid some bills, did some email.
Had lunch at Loring; talked with Heather in art history. Had groceries for supper.
Mike still not feeling well. I'm really not recovered muscle-wise; Legs hurt going uphill even around the school.
Sun Mar 3:
Sore throat & sick feeling. Slept most of day. Had dinner at corner restaurant.
Mon Mar 4:
Mike went to breakfast. I took sore throat lozenge. Slept most of day; throat very sore, swollen. Temps below normal: 97.1, 97.5. Took ketoprofin about 9pm.
Tu Mar 5:
Sore throat still quite bad. Some coughing, too. Took ketoprofin 8:50, 13:50, 18:50, 22:40. temps 98.5, 97.9, 97.1. Mike's temps 99.6, 100.1, 100.7 (took keto then), 99.7.
Wed Mar 6:
Still sick. I felt a bit better from about 10:30 to 4 or 5. mike's left eye bloodshot; used ophthalmic drops, ointment in evening. My temps 98.3- 99.5, still taking ketoprofin; Mike's 99.1-100.3. He had a few minutes of afib 19:40; took ketoprofin & metap.
Th Mar 7:
I had terrible coughing from midnight to 02:30; sinus pains beginning in AM. 13:38: 98.7, swollen glands, throat swollen and aching, headache, drainage, cough with white/yellow mucous, sinus pain in forhead, cheeks, teeth. Saw School doctor. He said I have bacterial infection; rx strepsylla lozenges, erithromycin every 8 hrs 250mg, hot tea & honey. Mike may have sinus infection; ketoprofin good to take; wait a couple of days. So we went on this regimen. He had 100.2 about midnight; also used eyedrops/ointment.
Fri Mar 8:
00:29: hard to breathe in because throat tickles with each breath; worry that it's too swollen to breathe. Mike taking mucosalvan. By 9:30, I had much less nasal congestion, but throat still sore, swollen; possibly not quite as sore. Bad headache 11:30. Both taking erythromycin. His phlegm now clear, but still 100.5, 100.2 at night. My throat acutely sore in places, 21:30
Sat Mar 9:
0:37 took cough meds, caused facial twitching & abdominal contractions. 07:30, throat swollen, hard to swallow meds. 08:57 pulled something coughing, right side rib just under breast. about 2pm, Mike's temps normal, seems to feel better. I am still coughing. 13:50 coughing spell, drainage, throat somewhat more raw, rougher after coughing. 17:28 still coughing, temps 100.3, 99.7; mike's 99.3,2,1. 18:00 coughing. mike not feeling as good. 19:30 bad coughing. 20:00 felt movement in ribcage; pain eased, move more easily. 20:30-22:05: coughing; Mike's throat getting fairly sore. Both still on meds.
Sun Mar 10:
both still on erythromycin, ketoprofin. 10:30 temp 99.2,97.9, 98.5 (unreliable). Throat less sore, still swollen, pain scale 1 resting, 3 swallowing, in swollen areas. at 18:00 temps 99.3,.3,.0, mike 99.7,.6,.3. Throat more sore, esp L side: 3.5 resting, 5 swallowing. Mike more watery in head, not so good: 2 resgin, 5 coughing. at 18:45, 3 resting, 4.5 swallogin; at 19:53 2 resting, 4 swallowing. at 23:43 temps 98.8,99.7,99.2
Mon Mar 11:
up talking 2 hours 2-4am. still on meds. at 10am, throat 1/3.5; mike's temps in low 99s. at 16:57, temps low 99s, throat 2/4. 17:08, throat 2/4.5 . 23:04, throat 1.5/3.5-4. Itchy spot developed on thing (not a bite). 4 when swallowing.
Tue Mar 12:
both still on meds. 09:49: 98.6,97.7,.8; mike 99.6,.5 . 18:20, mike 98.6,.7,.6 [normal!!]. got to computer lab in am.
Wed Mar 13:
both still on meds. 21:48 throat swollen; 23:14 temps 100.1,99.3,98.5,97.4. Saw the bird that sings so variedly: dull, black, slightly > dove-sized, yellow bill. drew sketch of bird & of blanket.
Th Mar 14:
12:33: 99.5,98.9,98.3. MD at School says Mike can discontinue erythromycin; only use cough meds if necessary; take lots of juice. the entire disease "flu" has a course of 4 weeks [!]. Will take anothe 2 wks to get strength back. Try to build up with juice/vitamins. Eye meds recommended for Mike.
Fri Mar 15:
M 99.0 at 19:39. Ate lunch, supper in dining room.
Sat mar 16:
lunch in dining room. still on erythromycin.
Sun Mar 17:
Still on aspirin, eryth, keto.
Mon Mar 18.
"Shrove Monday". everything closed. cold.
Tu Mar 19:
Saw Dr Κρικελμ. Horrible time getting there. First went to hospital just south of school; it was like a 3rd-world place, patients stacked in the halls, couldn't find the doctor at all. Finally some med personnel looked at the phone number we had and said we were at the wrong hospital; the right one was far off to the east. They wrote it down for us. We flagged down a taxi and showed them the map; one of them (not the first) agreed, and took us there. This place was much better! clean and modern. but they allow smoking everywhere except a tiny area of the cafeteria. doctor spoke english. MD felt Mike's wooly jacket, read the label "Wool-rich"; amused.
afterwards walked north looking for transport. I wasn't really up to this and felt awful. [I think this was the day this happened; we did see the doctor but not sure if evil walk was this day or 27th.]
Wed Mar 20:
Th Mar 21:
Bookstore.
Fri mar 22:
22:05 Mike has afib. gave him beta-blocker. converted about 1am.
Sat Mar 23.
ibuprofin 23:52
Sun Mar 24:
Palm Sunday. Mike went to church service. Later we went to Kolonaki Pizza.
Mon Mar 25.
went to national archaeological museum, but it was closed. ate on terrace cafe. saw bold pigeon.
Tu Mar 26:
went to National Archaeological Museum and got in. Saw Mask of Agamemnon, the minoan bull head, the bronze jockey, Poseidon (who seems to actually be Zeus), and Athena Parthenos, among other objects.
Wed Mar 27:
11am Dr Κρικελμ. Μαρια, her secretary, mistakenly wrote our appt in Dr K's book for tomorrow! We saw Dr K's assistant. Our bloodwork is all normal today. xrays of my ribs where they hurt are normal. must be a muscle injury; I should take analgesic, aspirin is OK.
Th Mar 28:
futile attempt to find the Prison of Socrates. At dinner, Pat became intense about "600". In eve, Mike had short episode of afib.
Fri Mar 29:
migraine
Sat Mar 30:
visited south slope of akropolis. Saw Theater of Dionysos, Naos of Asklepios, and the Odeon.
Sun Mar 31:
Mike had afib 1am-4am. had taken time-release; took 3 @50mg between 1 and 4.
Mon Apr 1:
Mike afib about 1/2 hour, 11:30-12
Tu Apr 2:
Mike took meds to prevent afib. Left Athens; KLM 1572 @23:00 > Amsterdam 08:45/03:45EST;
KLM 6067 to Detroit 10:50/05:50EST; arr 12:30 (noon),
hung out eating hamburgers in Detroit airport til 17:00
NW 1226>CLE @17:55
One week later, I got appendicitis.