Proliferation of Athenian Dogs

I here by forth forbid myself from traveling alone, especially to countries in large, hectic cities to which I have never been before.

I've been a poor budget traveler since stepping off the metro three days ago. I have once again checked myself into a hotel despite every intention of hosteling it tonight; the breakdown occurred around 3pm after dragging myself around the very packed, very new New Acropolis Museum. The museum just opened in June of this year, as yet another member of the designed museums that you go to more for the modern glass architecture and less for their collection. It is however, only one euro until December, making the trip semi-worthwhile. The coolest bit by far was the miniature models of the north and south pediment sculptures of the Acropolis.
It's really the heat that truly did me in. There was no wind to dry a bit of the sweat that was dripping down my back only to be soaked up by the waistband of my underwear. And it was Sunday. Sundays are the bane of my traveling existence because everything in Europe seems to be closed on these holy days. In fact, there is a far greater amount of open establishments in the God fearing land of America on Sundays than anywhere in Europe, an entire continent that seems to be moving further and further away from organized religion. With only museums and cafes open today - and having no more energy for more exhibits and having spent my allotted per diem on coffee already - I yearned to escape the stale heat of the street and go back to a roof-top pool. So, I caved and found a different pool than I had already visited. While Kat and I may have ice creamed and H&Med our way around Northern Europe, I seem to be roof-top pooling it around Athens.

My mom informed me that Rick Steves, travel guide god, said one can do Athens in two days. I say that indeed, Athens can be done in a maximum of two days, but those days must be spent in a nice hotel equipped with a pool and air conditioning. The charm of Athens I must confess, is entirely lost on me and I can not wait until my boyfriend, Conner, gets here and we run off to some of the more relaxed Cycladic Islands.

Things I've noticed about Athens:

a. It's expensive. Ice cream cones in Western Europe generally run around 1.90 for two scoops. Here it's 3.90 - 3.90 I tell you! Absolutely ludicrous.

b. Sure are a lot of stray dogs hanging out, sleeping in the shade of metro stations. In Amsterdam every shop, restaurant, grocery store, has a cat to hunt the mice that are simply a fact of canal life. In Athens they have dogs hunting-well, I have yet to figure that out, but they all look quite robust and healthy.
c. Greek men have flirting skills that require the same level of patience as a Planet Earth filmographer trying to capture footage of the rare Costa Rican Quetzal bird. They just stare, and stare, and stare; sometimes for the entire length of a 45min tram ride. Occasionally they do break the barrier and talk, but usually in Greek, which still baffles me. I obviously look like a tourist and well, don't they know that while English has become the universal language of business, it is also the language of the global pick-up line: the most effective being, "Hello. How are you doing today?" My main way to combat all of this nonsense is simple ignorance. So, if I return to the States and now ignore anything that is not said directly to my face, well, you know where it comes from. Hopefully after having returned to Texas for a couple weeks, this will have all vanished without a trace and I will once again be the super friendly Southern that now lies dormant.