I found north.

Okay sorry it took me so long to update this. I haven't been particularly busy, but like I said before I am very good at procrastinating. Things have been very good these last few weeks full of lots of work and fun activities. My friends from Luther college came back into town and I got to do some adventuring with them. I also went to Parliament and the Beach with George last weekend. I am feeling more and more confident in the city. I even got my barrings down and can tell you which way is North. That's right. As long as I can stay close to the metro and it is not to late at night I am perfectly capable of making my way around the city.
I learned of my abilities in a rather shady environment unfortunately. As I said before my friends came back and we ended up going out looking for a place to dance. There were some St. Olaf students that were doing the same so we all ended up going together. Big groups are more fun and definitely more safe when you are wandering. The St. Olaf students had a map and knew the general direction we were to be going so we got on the train together and set out for the dance club. There were two men leading the group with the map. I knew the general area we were in and it was very close to a neighborhood called Omonia I was advised by numerous people that you should not even visit during the day. As we walked straight into this neighborhood I insisted we turn around but they wanted to keep going. As we passed a few men on the sidewalk snorting cocaine I decided that we had gone to far and turned the lug heads around. They then proceeded to drag the group down the darkest side street where we ran into drug dealers pimps and prostitutes. I had tried to not be the one telling everyone what to do but decided that we were going to go back to the neighborhood we came from and find someplace safer to be. I knew from what my teacher had told me before that there were a few clubs in the area. We made our way down some well lit streets and found a Hookah bar and a dance club. To appease the masses. It turned out to be a fantastic night.  I felt like quite the navigator and ever since I have been able to tell you exactly what direction north is.
Last Sunday was an exciting day as well. George took me to parliament where we saw the tomb of the unknown soilder. There were two guards on duty and they came out every half an hour to do their routine. It was very interesting to watch them march around. They were wearing traditional Military uniforms and they walked very deliberately kicking and swinging their arms in perfect synchronization. They would hold out their arms and legs which I am sure had some significance but I am not sure what. A few interesting facts about these gentle men is that historically they were recruited from the mountain villages they don't come strictly from that location anylonger but it is an immense honor to be able to guard the tomb. To be part of this guard batalion you must be 6ft tall at least. Which is not so common among Greek men. After the tomb we took the tram down to the beach. The tram took forever. If you are ever in Athens and feel you need a scenic tour of some of the side streets take it however if you are in any hurry and do not want to spend your entire trip on the train avoid it like the plague. Once we got to the beach I enjoyed my time. It was a beautiful day but very cold. The water was bright and the air smelled clean. The small waves lapped up on the shore we were in a little cove on the coast so there wasn't much in the way of turbulent waters. The sand was fine and very light in color where the waves stopped on the beach there was a great wall of rocks like the sea picks them up and dumps them there.  As I walked on the beach I came across several swimmers. These people had to be crazy it was only about 38 degrees out that day but they were in there getting their exercise.
After we had spent some time at the beach George and I went back home and I spent the rest of the afternoon with the Lutherians climbing Lykavittos Hill. It is a great hill almost right in the middle of Athens. Lykavittos means the path of light. It was believed that this structure was put on the hill by Athena to be a strong hold to guard the Acropolis. On the eve of Easter Sunday a procession of candles is held on the hill for God and for the patron saints of the church on top of the hill. The view from the top of the hill was quite spectacular even in the cloudy rain haze. You could walk to any side of the patio outside the church and see the edges of the city. It was incredible to see the expanse of the city. Spreading out in all directions it disapears into the green mountains on each side and stops at the sea. It was quite the sight. I have attached some of the pictures from my weekends adventures and I am now off to start some new ones. I will try to update sooner.
Love, Kimberly