It's the little things...

I was travelling to work today on the trolley (the Greek name for the yellow 'buses' that run on electricity) and two things made me smile:

1) An old man gets off the trolley at his stop - looks around him and passes his still valid ticket to a person about to board.  The person thanks him very much.

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TrolleyBusPiraeus.jpg

(In Athens, you buy a public transport ticket for 1.40 or 1.20 and stamp it in the machine upon entry of said transport.  It stamps a time on it and your tkt is valid for 90 mins of travel from the time you stamped it.  So, obviously once you've finished your journey and there's still time left, it's nice to give your ticket away - I've done it in the past and had it done to me too).

2) Same old man sees a homeless person on the street (an increasing number unforutnately of late), and stops to chat to him and give him some small change and a cigarette.
OK, this isn't going to stop the man being homeless, but it's the compassion that made me smile, the humanity displayed.

Keep it up Greece - don't let the IMF and Germany strip you of your dignity and human spirit.

What is it about the sea?

I've been debating which of my blogs to write this - and decided here is best.  Yes, it does involve Greece, but is a general topic so I thought I'd share it with my avid followers here :0)

Yesterday was a sunny day in Athens, but COLD.  Ohhhhhh so cold.  Many might think that Greece is hot and sunny all year round, but in the winter it can be cold - mainly because it's humid, hence the air gets wet and into your bones.

Being as it was so sunny, I had the choice: go for a walk in the Park and have a hot chocolate, or do the same by the sea.  I decided on the latter - and was so glad I did.

Hopping on the tram, I meandered my way down to the coast and watched the mixture of classical and grey buildings whizz by.  After about 30 minutes, these buildings start thinning out, we turn a corner and there - I am confronted with the sea finally.  I IMMEDIATELY felt my spirits lift.  There's something so peaceful about the sea that I can understand one wanting to make their livelihood from it or on it.

There's something beautiful about the Mediterranean sea, even in winter

Sunday blues banished - the mixture of setting sun on the horizon is beautiful.