In Athens:

So I managed to find the only high speed internet place in Athens, an easy Internet cafe. It's also much cheaper than anywhere else here. Too bad I'm leaving Athens tonight.

Anyway, I still don't have a lot of time, so the quick update on what I'm doing. I got into Athens Sunday morning, and we checked into the worst hostel I've stayed in (no heat, no blankets, no hot water=sucks). We walked around Syntagma and Omonia and went to Piraeus to check out the times for the ships for Hydra.

On Monday morning, we caught the 8am ferry to Hydra. We got in about 11:30 and checked into a perfectly nice B&B about 30m from the port. We ate gyros, climbed around the island (which is very cool, no cars are allowed on the island so donkeys do most of the transporting), ate really good dinner and dessert (I ate a lot in Greece-- the food is so good!), sat in a restaurant until 11 watching a Schwarzennegger movie on TV, went to slepp, got up, ate more, went shopping, got on the ferry and went back to Athens. We got in about 5:30.

Yesterday, we went to the Temple of Poseidon, out on Cape Sounion. There's not much there, but the bus ride out there is very nice. The temple sits on a very small cape, so the ocean really is almost on four sides. There's a cafeteria/restaurant (surprise! more food), a place where you pay, and a bus stop.

Today we are going to the Acropolis and then I fly to Budapest at 4:30 and T-- goes back to London and to the States tomorrow morning. So I'm on my own for a day and a half.

I love everest with the pastry pies with feta cheese and ham, Greek salads that include the best olive oil in the world and a block of feta cheese for 2.50, random not-quite-stray dogs that follow me around because they sense I miss my dog. I don't love Athens' dirty streets, the weather, and people who solicit us for family restaurants really cheap just around the corner.

And now I have to go.