Marcia Meier's Blog, in which she writes about writing, publishing, memoir, poetry, and just about any other aspect of life.
Posted in: Photography
On our last Day in Athens, last Friday, we visited the Acropolis, a millennia-old hilltop temple where the goddess Athena was worshipped. The history of the site is long and storied, and the ruins are stunning. Here are some photos.
In front of the beautiful new Acropolis Museum. Not to be missed.
I'm not really a foodie, but we thought this four-hour tour would be fun, and we were right. Sophia Dimokratin, our amazing guide, took us through the "real" Athens north of Monastiraki Square. We started at 11 a.m, and ate our way through the traditional cafes and food markets, starting with Greek pie. We would know it as philo dough stuffed with various ingredients such as spinach and cheese. The milk pie (Sophia says any bread is called "pie"), is like a sweet custard--delicious. We sampled their traditional doughnut, seasoned with cinnamon and honey, and walked through all the food markets (the fish and meat markets were the most interesting). Of course, after several hours of shopping the food markets, we had to do as the Greeks do and have traditional Greek coffee. Not that strong, but very thick and sedimenty. We finished the day with a scrumptious traditional Greek salad: tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese sprinkled with oregano. Accompanied of course, by Santorini wine and ouzo. Many thanks to Sophia Dimokratin and Athens Walks Tour Company for a fabulous day.
Traditional Greek breakfast "doughnut."
Meat market.
Cottontails? Rabbit is very popular in Greece, as are goat, pork, chicken and beef.
Rob hamming it up.
Octopus and squid.
Stingrays.
Nuts and spices.
Sophia and Rob, tasting roasted and raw pistachios.
Traditional Greek coffee: coffee grounds and water are put into a small copper pot and nestled into hot volcanic sand until it percolates.
Sophia offers a variety of olives for tasting.
Fresh produce
Tasting Greek olive oil (and wine). Most "Italian" olive oil actually comes from Greece.
A red wine from Santorini, where the best wines are reportedly made.
Spicy beef, sausage and water buffalo with cheeses and stuffed grape leaves.
Arrived in Athens last night in time to enjoy a beautiful corn moon and gorgeous views of the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus from our hotel. Today, a foodie tour of Athens. More tomorrow!
The Acropolis from our hotel roof deck.
Gorgeous corn moon.
Temple of Zeus ruins. The view from our hotel room.
With Haydee Perez
(Haydee Perez photo)
Shout out to Mary Sheldon and Penny at Tecolote Books in Montecito, and to all the folks who came out for my book signing on Saturday, July 22. It was a lovely afternoon, and I appreciate your support so much.
And hop on over to the new Weeping Willow Books website and check out our books and forthcoming titles, including our anthology, Unmasked, Women Write About Sex and Intimacy After Fifty. You can sign up to receive our monthly newsletter here.
On Saturday afternoon, July 22, I will be at Tecolote Book Shop in Montecito, CA, to read from and sign copies of my newest collection of poetry and photographs, Ireland, Place Out of Time. Come join me from 3-5 p.m. for conversation, wine and appetizers.
Tecolote is at 1470 East Valley Road, in Montecito, near Santa Barbara. If you can't make it, you can order my book here.
A poem and photograph from my latest book, Ireland, Place out of Time (2017). Order your copy here.
They Speak Irish
On Inis Oirr, smallest of three Arans,
we give over our Euros
for a carriage ride ’round the isle
Horse clops ring on the rocky
road, past thatched
roofs in a town
little changed in five centuries
Past the cemetery where headstones
pronounce the dead in Gaelic
Of course there are sheep,
there are always sheep,
fleeces marked in neon
Here bygone mixes—if uneasily—
with modern; tourists
now the primary trade
We ride out to a ship foundered on rocks
decades before, its rusted hulk
reminder of the sea’s treacheries
Ireland’s west coast
remains ancient land
—a place out of time