31st May 1984 National Museum, and off to Crete

Thursday May 31^st.  I wasn’t in any hurry so I waited around the hostel until about ten (after packing) and left with Charlie and Alex. We walked down the street. They were on their way to a kibbutz in Israel. I left them at the National Museum. I had a small pizza for breakfast and then went into the museum, where for the small fee of 20Dr. I could store my pack for the day. Being as much as an opportunist as I could, I went into the exhibitions (150Dr.). The Mycenaean hall was very interesting – so many bits and pieces – and also (last) the well-presented gallery of jewelry. Of course there are many statues and carvings in marble, but the highlights of the museum are the bronze statues of Poseidon [the Artemision Bronze or God of the Sea, now said more likely to be Zeus] and the boy on the horse [the Jockey of Artemision]. They also showed how they molded bronze statuettes.

 

Ethnic Archaeological Museum - the ticket

   After the museum I had some lunch, and then went to the post office to buy some stamps. I also bought a knife, a spoon and a small can opener, but not at the post office. (195Dr.)

Bronze Greek God, or Greek Bronze God

The Artemision Jockey and Horse

   I went back to the museum, collected the pack and sat on a bench in the park finishing a letter home. Then having not much else to do, I went on the electric train to Pireas (20Dr.). Near the station at the port I met Christine and Georgia, American sisters from the hostel who are also going to Chania [also spelt Hania] but on a different boat. But I went to a park and sat there for quite a while to write this veracious account. Then I had moussaka in a restaurant down the street and read a booklet on Greek gods and heroes represented at the Agora. Time to board the good ship Kriti, which was due to leave at 7.00pm. Who should be on board but Gavin and Marian [28^th May, bus from London to Athens]. We also met a couple of Kiwi girls, Jan and Kerry, who were also travelling third class.

   We sat around in our sleeping chairs for a while while the TV blared out various programmes in various languages (subtitled in Greek if not in it). The TV wasn’t turned off until station close after the 12 o’clock news. The chairs had room for two people sitting but there was no armrest between, so one could actually lie down to sleep. Slept.